12. Amber Hart, reprise once more
For a bit of quiet poking around her new potential purchase, Amber is dressed as inconspicuously as she ever is - in this case jeans and a tank top, the sort of thing any old college student might wear home on a warm evening. The fact that it's not all that warm on this particular autumn night leaves her a touch out of place, but not all that much so. She walks around the block, then stands in front of the building checking her phone, looking a little lost. Her guide will be here soon. Or rather, someone will come talk to her, and then they'll become her guide when she asks nicely. Same difference.
Students come and go from the building as time passes, most giving Amber a spare curious look before moving on. Several stagger drunkenly back into the tenement, seeking to find their rooms before they pass out. Must have been a party tonight. With the traffic, it's not entirely unexpected when someone bumps into Amber from behind. What is unexpected is the sound of several books hitting pavement accompanied by swift apologies in a tired-sounding voice. And Amber... recognizes that voice, though the last time she heard it, it was distorted by nervous lust.
"Sorry- I should have been- looking where I'm going-" Carissa says hurriedly as she bends down to pick up textbooks that slipped from her grasp. She's dressed in a fuzzy sweater that clings to her mildly generous curves and jeans like Amber, comfortable and warm clothes for the winter's chill.
"Carissa? What are you doing here?" Amber gives the student a surprised but pleased smile. Even easier, if she doesn't need to make a new friend since she already has one here. She waits while Carissa picks up her books without offering to help, though she does stand in such a way as to reserve space and make sure no one steps on anything.
Carissa looks up at Amber's face and blushes crimson in recognition. "H-hi Amber. It's ah, it's nice to see you again. I um, I live here, I guess. I mean, I know I live here, of course." She babbles a little, quickly grabbing up her books and straightening up hurriedly. "My roommate and I live here. Um. Are you moving in?"
"The pleasure is mine. Is it a nice place?" she doesn't answer the question, putting the ball back in Carissa's court. Bringing up large sums of money tends to scare off those not used to the subject. Instead she looks Carissa up and down, enjoying the way the sweater shows off her shape without even attempting to hide that's what she's doing. Blushing and fumbling is a good look on her.
'Oh, um, I think so." She twirls a strand of dark hair around a finger nervously. As much as she might flush under Amber's gaze, she gives no sign of wanting it to stop. "It's not - you know - like a frat house or anything. But it can get loud sometimes. That's where I was- the library, I mean, studying, not being loud." She bites her lip for a moment, clearly thinking about whether to say something.
"Lots of drunk folk coming and going, though," Amber observes, putting a hand on Carissa's arm and guiding her out of the walkway, once she's done collecting her things. She's immune to the cold of course, finding it a distant sensation, vaguely pleasant if anything. She hops up on a concrete divider for a seat, patting beside her for the other woman to join.
Carissa happily sits next to Amber, putting down her books. "Yeah. That's part of it. I mean, drunk and high people is just... normal. It's college. Everyone's that person now and then. But there's this..." Carissa trails off for a moment. "Promise me you won't laugh?"
"Promise." Amber puts one hand on the concrete and the other on Carissa's books as if by accident, the gesture holding a touch of both possession and protectiveness.
"Okay. Neela, my roommate, and I feel... watched a lot. At first we thought... you know, away from home, nervous... but Neela um, she brings home guys sometimes and she swears she saw a face watching her through the window when she was... with her mouth..." Carissa mumbles this last and blushes a little redder. "But we live on the sixth floor. So the first time we thought it was just her imagination, but every now and then... I think I see someone. And the feeling never really went away." She shrugs, the motion revealing a little strip of skin as her sweater rises, looking a little embarrassed at having even mentioned the whole thing.
Amber's hand moves to Carissa's shoulder, giving it a comforting little squeeze that she takes it seriously. If she weren't chill as a corpse right now she'd do the hand, but better not to raise that sort of question. "That sounds scary. And hard to tell anyone about," she gives another comforting squeeze. "Would you like a third opinion?"
Carissa looks at Amber in clear relief. "Yes, please."
"Well, come on then," she hops down from the divider.
Tower Row Apartments
A tower of cheap housing built to accommodate students who don't want to live on campus, Tower Row is a basic brownstone, shoebox apartments overpriced and under serviced. Drunk students by night, desperately cramming students by day.
It extends 9 stories above the ground and with a maintenance level below ground and shops on the first floor. Carissa and Neela live on the 6th floor.
Carissa leads Amber to a small elevator that smells faintly of alcohol and sweat, hitting the button for the sixth floor and setting it trundling slowly to life.
Amber debates a bit of cocky sensuality, but an assessment that Carissa's still a bit spooked thinking about things puts rest to that train of thought, and she remains comfortingly close to the other woman, resting one hand protectively on the small of her back. Best keep her talking, though, rather than wondering about Amber's visit. "I take it you've been spending a lot of time at the library, then, between with your roommate's visitors and creepy vibes?"
"Oh, um. Yes. I think sometimes I live there more than here." She smiles with a hint of nerves. But... not nerves about the story she just told Amber. Something else...
Amber wonders if she should draw out more of Carissa's secrets, but no, she's no need to ferret out every hint of weakness. Let her keep her thoughts to herself. "I was much the same when I was in university," she reveal a bit about herself, in return for all the trust she's been shown. "Studying and drinking were my two favorite activities. Studying while drinking though, not as productive as it sounds."
Carissa laughs. "I haven't tried that one yet. I bet you were good at it, though." She smiles, a bit of a gentle, tentative, flirt in her voice, despite the slight undertone of nerves.
"Well, I don't drink much anymore," she answers with a laugh. "Leaving me room for a new favorite activity," she leans back against the wall of the elevator, crossing her arms with a smirk, daring Carissa to ask.
Carissa is by no means a stupid girl, but she's a bit hesitant to take the bait. "Oh? What's that?" A flush rises in her cheeks again as she pushes on regardless.
"Maybe we'll find out this evening," Amber regards woman and the smirk grows wider.
Carissa blushes furiously and mutters something in a voice so low as to be normally inaudible, but Amber's vampiric hearing catches it as easily as the pounding of her heart. "Neela can try to be quiet this time..." Their arrival on the sixth floor saves the inexperienced college student and further teasing. For the moment at least.
She leads Amber through the hall, and indeed she can hear occupants laughing, shouting, just generally being Very Alive and Very Young in a small area. It has the feel of a dorm with the space of an apartment building, and part of her enjoys the human warmth of the place. They stop in front of 624 and Carissa unlocks the door, leading Amber into a cramped but cozy living room. The couch has an abundance of pillows and blankets scattered around, while the en suite kitchen is disorganized and overflowing with ingredients and utensils, but very little mess.
On that couch, lying down, is a young woman around Carissa's age. But that's where the similarities end. Neela, presumably, is tall and clearly athletic - the toned dark-skinned legs and arms on display are enticing to Amber in several senses. The fit are always bursting with life. "Sooner or later they're gonna install showers in that library and I'll never see you again," Neela calls out without looking.
"That would be a shame. I wouldn't have met her if she didn't leave the library occasionally," Amber puts an arm around Carissa's waist, stopping her from pulling away to set down her books. She doesn't introduce herself. Carissa can do that.
Carissa blushes and Amber hears her heart accelerate at the touch. "H-hey Neela. This is- um- this is Amber. I met her at that party we went to..."
Neela sits up and gives Amber an evaluative look, lingering on the exposed skin her tank top leaves visible. "Oh so this is the girl you met. Nice to meetcha, I'm Neela."
"Same. No need to get up on my account," Amber returns the lingering gaze, enjoying Neela's long legs. Teasing Carissa is fun, but shouldn't be taken too far - Amber lets her go before the blush can turn to too much actual discomfort. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop in."
"Well make yourself comfortable." Neela says graciously as Carissa finally gets to put her books down and gives Amber a bit of a, 'well what's your plan now?' look.
Her plan had been to drag Carissa into the shower and then wait for something to peek in on them while cuddling on the couch with a view of the window, but Neela's presence makes that plan a bit less viable. Perhaps they'd best retire to Carissa's bedroom and keep watch from there. "Well, I thought we might watch something," she glances over to Carissa, "but I don't want to get in your way." Let the two people who live here work out whatever arrangement is appropriate.
Neela gives Amber a slight grin before hopping to her feet. "Think I'll call it a night, actually. You two have fun." She walks to her bedroom, a perfectly toned ass swaying more than necessary, outlined by her tight shorts.
"I like her," Amber's gaze lingers before turning her attention back to Carissa.