Thread: Clinging to Ashes (Translucentfeathers & Erebus)

Still attempting to play the role of a good host, albeit one taken almost to the end of her thinning patience, she remained situated near the door to at least show the woman out. She ignored the loose, almost mocking repetition of her own words and opened her mouth to reply... then promptly pressed her lips tightly together. Cara had, for some reason unfathomable to her, decided that it would be a good idea to physically insert herself into, well, restricted territory. Marisa would have lifted a hand to swipe the other woman away if not for the acute fear of dropping her precious cargo. Instead, she flinched back, her ears burning and tingling where Cara's fingers had brushed against her skin. Her brows drew together in almost thunderous rage but she was still too shocked to respond appropriately as her roommate waltzed out without another word to her goodbye and disappeared. It went without saying that Marisa disliked being touched by strangers and consequences were usually more severe than a mere, angry glare. After quickly shutting and locking the door, she went straight to the bathroom to scrub her ear and hands without pause for the next five minutes and fixing her hair. After performing the necessary cleansing, she was feeling much better. There was still that slight tingle but one she would deal with once she presented all the documents and related forms, exchanging the contracts for another key. There would be other forms to fill out but for now she was satisfied. She returned to her apartment at little over five in the evening, busying herself for the next hour or so hauling out her belongings from the spare room in preparation. She vacuumed, wiped the windows and flapped out the curtains. There was no bed, only a single bare mattress laid out on the ground. She only considered adding clean sheets and a duvet for a brief moment before deciding that Cara would likely have some of her own. Roommates were a pain but a necessary one, Marisa reminded herself as she filled the rest of her night with her own time. Fixing herself dinner only reminded her of the 'failed' negotiation and left her in too sour a mood to do anything else but crawl into her own bed. Her room was almost as sparse as the one opposite it, with only an abstract painting hanging above the headboard. A desk nestled in the corner with a small laptop, textbooks atop and a bedside table with a lamp was what remained of her furniture. Clutter bothered her to no end and the less belongings she had out in the open, the easier it was to clean. The rest of what she had remained in either boxes kept in her small closet or she kept in drawers. xx Morning was late to the greeting as Marisa was already up and about even before the light began to seep through her drawn blinds. While it wasn't her moving day, there was always secondhand anticipation. Not excitement, but dread. Remnants of that unwanted physical contact burned fierce in her memory and it was largely the reason why she was up so early. Two hours before her usual waking time. Eleven was rolling around and a low, unhealthy sounding thud pulled her from her studies. Marisa glanced at the clock, clicking her tongue. Three minutes early. Well, it could have been three minutes late, she reasoned before hauling herself from her desk and opened the door. Good morning, she said politely, her eyes immediately drawn to the large box perched in Cara's grasp. She remembered how the woman reacted to her offers of assistance and bit the inside of her cheek lightly, grudgingly taking the chance. Need help?