Questionably Justified Thievery (Open to all)

Breath in...
Breath out...
And don't look down... Well. ALL the way down.

It had been days since the escape from that terrifying place with the other mutant she'd later learned called herself Love. Days spent in that miracle of a water tower, licking her psychological wounds and dealing with the shocking loss of her humanity. And fifth fingers. As well as the... additions of a few things. *coughthatstupidtailcough*

Finally though, Maddie had given in to Love's teasing about needing fresh air and, honestly, the silence in the water tower when she was alone had become deafening. But no sooner had she climbed out into the sunlight did she feel her knees go weak and she cringed at the slightest breezes.

She felt so... naked! Which might be well and good for Love, who seemed to relish it... but then, Love looked like she was in some sort of sexy costume. Maddie looked like a reject extra from 'Mimic'.

She'd talked herself into scavenging in general, perhaps finding discarded furniture or food or other creature comforts  to bring back to the water tower and show Love that she intended to make an effort but once outside she just couldn't think straight, overwhelmed by her own nakedness. Sadly, there were no retailers tailored toward mutant ant women...

Which was how she'd ended up on an apartment rooftop several streets away, eyeing someone else's laundry hanging on a line strung between fire escapes. And the breathing exercises.

For one thing... she was rather high up off the ground, and Maddie's anxiety over being out at all had her shaking like a leaf causing her to doubt her ability to climb with any sort of skill, up or down. For another, she was actually contemplating theft. Hunched like some sort of gargoyle in the brilliant orange-red light of sunset, she stared at the clothes fluttering in the breeze, torn between her own needs and her conscience, and fear of being spotted.

But every time she had nearly talked herself into going 'home', guilt stabbed at her. Love had supported them both thus far, and been rather understanding of Maddie's timid nature, but eventually Maddie would have to contribute something. Which meant moving about. Which meant not being seen. Which meant clothing.

And these people... they could live without a piece or two here or there. THEY could go to the store anytime they wanted.

Groaning softly to herself, realizing she'd made her decision even if she didn't like it, she turned around and prepared to back over the edge of the rooftop she'd been sitting down in order to hop down to the upper level of her side of the building's fire escape. She had her eye on a large hoodie that looked big enough for her to hide in, but she had to get closer to it first.

Love was out and about, sense escaping Bishop and dragging Maddie with her, she had made a little home with her new friend in a water tower. Love was able to get blankets and pillows and some food. But they were running low on supplies. Maddie didn't get out much as much as Love tried to get her out, but the cat understood that she was shy and not use to her mutation yet. Love on the other hand to took to her new form very well.

Now Love was on the rooftops looking for a good place to get some food and water. Water was very important. They had been going with very little water and their last bit had been used up. Finding water was easy, carrying it was another matter. Love was a lot of things, strong was not one of them. Her wimpy arms could only carry so much. Maddie would be very useful for this venture.

Love walked the edge of the building and looked down the street for vendors selling bottled water. Or maybe some coke or something. Maddie said something about craving sugar, coke would do the trick.

Jumping to another roof, in the distance she saw a familiar figure. She quietly jumped behind the ant girl and leaned over her shoulder.

What you doing?

Maddie had only just gotten herself turned around, fingers hooked on the building's rough surface, and had begun to work her feet down the side of the structure when she felt a tickle of fur against her cheek and heard a familiar voice.


"Nngk-gah!"

Before she could really process that it was Love's voice, she reacted instead to the unexpected nature of the comment and jumped, flailing her feet scratching flakes off the brick. Arms jerking, she tore off a chunk of building by accident, which fell and loudly skittered off the metal landings and stairs below, managing to catch the rim of the rooftop with her elbows where she hung on for dear life shaking worse than before.

Feeling like the kitten from the 'hang tight' motivational poster Maddie turned large startled eyes forward and blinked at Love, letting out a slow breath three parts relief, recognition, and 'why would you even do that!?'

"I-I..."

Then the content of the question registered in full and Maddie blinked, feeling herself turn red with shame added on top of her embarrassment at her start just a second ago. Glancing down at the clothes line guiltily she swallowed.

"I was uh... Th-thinking about um... w-well... uh..."

It was difficult working up to actually admitting what she was up to, and she hung her head, preparing herself for Love's reaction certain that her opinion of Maddie would decrease.

"I was gonna... b-borrow us some uh... clothes."

Love couldn't help but laugh at the poor girl. She helped her back up and looked over to the cloths Maddie was going to take. Those are kinda ugly, but we can't be picky can we? Love hopped down on the wire and after some shaking, balanced herself and plucked the cloths off the line.

She then went back to Maddie and gave her the cloths. Don't know why you need these. You should be free and open! Live naked and free! Guys like that you know.

Love put an arm around Maddie We need water, thinking of getting some big jugs to last us a while. think you can carry it for me?

Maddie was careful not to grab Love as she helped her back up on top of the roof for fear of gripping to hard, instead allowing Love to tug at her in assistance. Feeling weak kneed and embarrassed by Love's laughter she just sat with her legs crossed so they wouldn't hang over the edge as she watched her friend sheepishly as the purple cat woman eyed the clothes Maddie had been in the process of liberating.




Maddie bit the inside of her cheek feeling herself wilt further inside. Ugly clothes for an ugly girl... No, they couldn't afford to be picky at this point in their lives. Leaning forward slightly to watch half in alarm and half in admiration as Love hopped down and began to walk the clothes line like a tight rope Maddie couldn't help a wistful sigh.

Love had been so lucky. She had talent, looks, confidence... And the patience of a saint to put up with her all this time when they had been complete strangers. Maddie would be the first to admit she wasn't the easiest person to live with.

Blinking as Love returned she hastily tried to wipe the expression she'd had on her face and accepted the wad of clothing, scooting back on the roof to spread the items out to see what the haul was, too distracted by Love herself to recall which pieces the feline had retrieved.




A feeler twitched, an extension of a brief brow quirk, and glanced over at Love pausing. Sometimes Maddie wasn't sure if Love was being honest or teasing the ant-mutant. And again she felt herself blushing at the notion of wandering around, a naked freak, for all the world to see as if there wouldn't be a consequence to be had.

And then Love had to mention guys. Maddie had never been good with guys... she never knew how to talk to them. She'd spent her life pining from afar, never brave enough to approach her crushes, the few she'd had, and her silent longings had sometimes lasted years filling diary upon diary with her broken heart. Now... well, the rest of her life had been cut kind of short in the dating department with this mutation. Love's words prompted Maddie to pause in her laundry sorting and glance down at her chest and waist, grimace, and shudder.

"A-actually Love... Guy's like that in girls who look like you. I don't even look like a girl anymore... If its a-all the same to you, you can keep living 'free and open' and I'll be content w-with clothing far from the sight of men and 'guys'."

With that Maddie pulled the hoodie Love had brought to her over her head, and tugged it down over her body. It was big enough it came down to her waist and getting to her feet she pulled the hood over her cranium and sinched the pull strings as far as they would go. Then she sighed.

She felt like Kenny.

Her skinny legs and tail still showed but at least it was a start. She had no use for mismatched socks at the moment so she left those on the rooftop and looked over as she felt the weight of Love's arm around her shoulders.

"We need water, thinking of getting some big jugs to last us a while. think you can carry it for me?"

Maddie had to agree... Water was in short supply and it was a smart move to stock up on that before anything else. Given their recent debate as to clothed vs. nudity, Maddie also decided to let the potential to adhere a double meaning to the 'jugs' comment pass by though she did feel just a little more aware of her flat smooth chest after hearing those particular words.

Screwing on a smile behind the hoodie fabric she nodded. A job, a role to play, might be just the distraction she needed. Goals were important, right?

"Yeah I think I can do that. I'm not sure by how much but I'm a lot... stronger than I used to be. Y-you have somewhere in mind?"

The one thing that bothered Love about Maddie was her lack of self confidence. They were gods among men, though it didn't feel like that sometimes. Struggling to live, to find food and water. But Love still felt she was above the humans. Plus she was still hot even as a cat so she had very high self esteem. As for guys, She was interested in other mutants. Why would she want to be with a human? they would just use her as some kind of fetish anyway.

Love leaned over the edge of the building and looked around. there on the street in front of a building was some jugs of water meant for water fountains. She pointed them out.

There. We need like, two of them. That should hold us for a while.

She then started to climb down the roof using the fire escape. They would have to be quick. though Love wasn't shy about people seeing her, she also didn't want to end up back in the lab. She got lucky the first time, used up one of her nine lives.

By the way, you are very cute. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.She told her friend and patted Maddie's head.

Perhaps their different view points on their place in the world stemmed from the animals that had helped create the new 'them'. People admired and revered felines, built temples, worshiped them as gods... while typically ants got burned with magnifying glasses and peed on by angry spiteful little boys in their back yards. Maddie had never had an overabundance of self confidence, but being an insect didn't help matters, psychologically.

But just because Maddie didn't share Love's confidence or even her opinion of their status as 'gods among men', didn't mean that she didn't admire it a little. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed Love's... eccentric... company. She could be encouraging in her own way, after all.

Maddie said nothing just yet as she observed Love looking about, assuming that Love had scouted out her water source before hand, which seemed only to be reinforced when she pointed.




Maddie knelt and leaned over supported on her palms to take a look herself as Love began to descend and blinked at the size of the jugs Love had in mind. They'd certainly do the trick... it was still eerie, though, to think herself capable of hefting things like that. But there was another reason she felt her stomach drop a little.

"Th-th-those? On the s-street? But won't... won't somebody see us? I think I could c-carry them, sure, b-but I mean I dunno if I could run so fast with them and... I dunno about you but I really don't want to go back to anywhere like where we came from..."

If love had similar concerns she didn't appear to show them. While waiting for a reply or confirmation she felt Love's palm tap the top of her head and blinked, blushing behind her sinched hood.




Maddie chewed her lip a moment, flustered, unsure where such a compliment had come from as she hadn't - she didn't think - voiced her feelings about herself aloud. Today at least. Clearing her throat shyly she just nodded, not wanting to appear rude by refusing the comment even if she didn't feel she deserved it.

"Y-yes Love... what ever you say."

Ok then lets get going! Love said clapping her hands together. No one is around, we just have to jump down grab the containers and head back to the tower. kay? Should wouldn't leave room for an answer, Love hopped down the fire escape to the street and waited for Maddie. They had to be quick. It was daylight and so far no one was around to catch them. Hopefully Maddie was fast, she would help where she could.

Love picked up on jug but it was heavy as hell, why was water so heavy? Ok. I think I got one. Love said wobbling a bit. She held on to the jug with everything she had, but it was looking like she would have to leave this one to Maddie. It would be good for Maddie to contribute to the water tower. Love wanted her to feel needed and important. It was good for her character build. To give her some confidence.

Love may not have left room for comment (or argument), not that Maddie had much to say anyway once the 'leader' of their two-man band had made her decision, but that didn't mean Maddie wasn't concerned... In her opinion, a bit of impulsiveness came along with Love's buckets of confidence. Hesitating, she glanced around anxiously, not sure she trusted her luck to keep the area witness-free for as long as they needed it but... orders were orders.

Feeling a longing for a proper set of underpants and slacks that was becoming familiar, she made her way downward - much more awkwardly and decidedly less fluidly than her compatriot. When the hair raising experience was finally over (not that she had hair to raise these days) she jogged over beside Love.

And for a moment she couldn't help an almost affectionately amused chuckle at the sight. It was a welcome reminder that nobody was good at everything despite how it might seem. When it came to people, and living things, and property, Maddie was embarrassed and ashamed of her new strength and her lack of control over it. But once in a while, there were uses for it that she could see little to no down-side to her new 'talent'. Hoping that Love wouldn't be too offended she reached out to take the jug, handling it with two palms until she'd rolled it onto one shoulder, bent slightly not so much from strain as from attempting to balance it there to free up her other hand.

"H-here... I think I can... there. If you'll just help me get another one I think I can do one per shoulder if I'm careful."

Love helped Maddie with the other jug just as she saw someone in the disstence coming closer. Ok we need to goShe said and lightly pushed and guided Maddie down an alley and helped her back up the stairs to the roof. The roof was safe, no one ever looked up, they were too busy with their phones or watches.

Once on the roof they started to make their way back home. If you need help with that just let me know. Not that Love could help too much. when it came to caring heavy things she was helpless. If you need a rest just let me know.

No arguments from Maddie there. The longer she was out in the open, exposed on the ground, the more nervous she felt. If it wasn't for the fact they really did need things like the water she might have been happier dropping the jugs and finding somewhere inconspicuous to hide.

Thankfully Love was there to help Maddie struggle her way back to the rooftops; not that Maddie wasn't strong enough to haul herself and the water up there, but it -was- kind of awkward. Strength was one thing, but Maddie didn't quite have her feline companion's gift of balance. It took some doing, and she was relieved when they were finally out of sight. For the most part.

Which left her plenty of time to feel guilty for their theft, not only of the water but the clothing.

Lifting her eyes from watching just in front of her feet to hear Love's reassurances that she would be there if Maddie needed help or rest, she only smiled in her never-quite-happy sort of way and nodded. She knew Love couldn't really help much at least in transporting the jugs, but the sentiment was appreciated anyway.

"I'll be fine, Miss Love. I-its nice to be... useful for something once in a while. Maybe after this I can help... help find something to eat."

Love rolled her eyes at being called miss. You know you don't have to call me miss. I'm not that old. It's just, Love. Food sounds good. What would you like to eat? I could go for some fish. Love walked to the water tower a little faster so Maddie could put the jugs down. Love was also thinking that things would be a bit easier if they lived closer to the ground, though being up high did feel safe.

Maybe we can grab a cake and treat ourselves.Maybe we should also get something to eat with so we're not clawing at food like animals.