Thread: An Unexpected Bounty (Virtue x MunchCat)

A young woman lounged against old iron rails, forest green eyes staring blankly at the bricks of the neighboring building. The night was warm and humid, a leftover of the relentless summer day despite it being mid-spring. A gentle breeze found its way to the fire escape though, just enough to make use of the sheen of sweat that covered Lita's tanned skin. With a pair of jeans and an over-sized flannel shirt, there wasn't much skin exposed, even with the shirt unbuttoned the reveal the small tank top clinging to her body beneath it. She lifted the long strawberry blonde curls that clung to the back of her neck despite being bound in a ponytail, hoping to cool off just a little more. Her eyes closed and she breathed deep, only to nearly gag at what she had inhaled. The breeze stank of garbage and exhaust, but it was better than the stale air of her new studio apartment. The sounds of the city wove their way to her honking horns, screaming sirens, blaring music... yep, she was most certainly going to hate it here. It had only been a single day, and already she felt an ache for the small town life she had grown so accustomed to. How long would it be before she would see a star-filled sky rather than artificial lights? How long before she could breath clean air rather than smog and pollution? The haunting song of Tubular Bells cut through the rest of the cacophony and drew her from her thoughts. Lita pulled out her cell and answered it as she slipped back in through the large window. Lemme guess. You're staying late again. The sound of her younger sister's voice nearly dripped into her ear with the pout in her tone. I'm so sorry! I know I promised to help unpack, but Starlin and Sickle are here and Larry introduced us and we started talking over coffee and- Lita, this could be even better than he promised! Lita's eyes glanced through the room, eyeing the stacks of boxes in various states of packed versus unpacked. At least the mattress was already on the floor, and the bedding was set. She didn't bother stifling her sigh. She was actually kind of expecting something like this to come up, but it still sucked. She hated the thought of spending her first night in the city alone like this, but it couldn't be helped. Look, it's cool. Just... make the most of it, and be safe out there. Lisa squealed through the phone, causing Lita to wince and pull it away for the moment. Oh my gosh, thank you! You're the best sister ever! Hey, remember what I said about being safe! And don't expect everything to be unpacked by the time you get home. Lisa had already hung up though, undoubtedly drawn away by the voices in the background. Lita ran a hand over her face before unceremoniously tossing her cell on mattress. A cool shower and some rest, and she would hit the streets in the morning. Maybe she could find a job to keep her busy and help pay the bills, in case these 'big breaks' didn't come through for her sister. The thought of that asshole of an agent falling through on his promises curled Lita's upper lip into a snarl. Bastard better come through. She rolled her shoulders back and walked into the small bathroom, taking a towel and bathing supplies in with her. She shrugged out of the large over-shirt and brought it with her, planning on using it to cover herself once she was clean. Her mind wandered a bit to random things as she settled things into place in the bathroom, including to-do lists and what sort of jobs she might be qualified for. She didn't bother closing the window just yet. They were on the eleventh floor, and she wanted as much of that breeze coming through the apartment as she could get. Maybe tomorrow she would hunt down an air conditioner that sat on the window. It might send the electric bills up, but at least they wouldn't be melting in here. The young woman reached to turn the nob in the shower, letting the water heat up before she added in the cold. She took a moment to stare at herself in the mirror as she waited, glaring back at herself. Though her sister and she had quite a bit in common as far as appearances went, there were definite differences in body build. Lisa was practically built to be a movie star or pop singer, with the soft curves of Mariah Carey and the rear of J Lo. Lita, on the other hand, lived a more active life. Her body had curves, with wide hips and a decent bust, but it was mainly lean muscle. Beneath the tank top were lightly defined abs... and scars she'd rather not stare at. Strong legs better suited for a working life than the skinny things most guys preferred didn't help her much. Rather than the pale cream of Lisa's skin, freckles dusted skin that was tanned by the kiss of the sun on a nearly daily basis. Lita shook herself from her thoughts and stuck her tongue out at herself. She yanked the bathroom door closed before pulling her tank top up and off, letting it drop to the floor to leave her in a simple black satin bra. She unfastened her pants, hooking them with her thumbs to pull them down. She stepped out of them and began to strip off her undies when she paused in her motions, holding her breath as she strained her ears. Did she just hear someone in the apartment? She forced herself to draw a breath and quietly opened the door a crack, one eye peeking out to sweep through what she could see. A sudden clang had her choking back a scream, and a cat darted across the floor and jumped out the window. A small curse left her lips, and she quickly tugged on the over-sized shirt, holding it together with one hand as she walked out of the bathroom to cross the small bedroomliving area. Stray cats now? Really? She wondered what it would take to get a screen or something installed as she glanced at the small kitchen to her right. Sure enough, a few of the pans she had stacked on the counter had fallen onto the tile floor. At least none of the plates fell. She shook her head at herself and reached for the window, silently facepalming at how paranoid she had just been.