Sunset Beach Condos

Note: Open invitation for anyone to pay her a visit! Megan has some drinks and food to offer!


After five days of getting here, Megan had a free day that she decided to fully dedicate it to her apartment. As she was a visual creature, one that worked hard on earning money as well, there was no way in hell she'd live in a bare and unfurnished apartment. Since she arrived, she had already done some arrangements and ordered some furniture, and it was finally time to do some work.

She finished with the walls in the kitchen/living area and the bedroom. The kitchen and living area palette is done in black and white, while her room was done in white and red.

So far, the kitchen is being in the process of building, the workers are currently working on the furniture, the counters as well as the plumbing, while the living room was for the most part done. Megan had just finished with the little details to make it more homey, well, by Megan's standards and what she'd consider homey. With the lounging area was set up, looking at the large TV surrounded by unique furniture riddles with little decorations and led lights. The bedroom only had the wardrobe done and the bed with red sheets, it was still unfurnished, however, the focal point of the bedroom seems to be a pole right in front of the bed, with only red led lights in the room to make up for the lack of furniture to fully complete the room. The bathroom was untouched, leaving it for the last, considering both the kitchen and bathroom will require most work.

Megan was dressed pretty simple so she can be on the go - if she needs to carry stuff or run to the store if anything is needed. It was a long day and the workers have left for the day. Megan kept all doors and window open to let some fresh air in.

Once she was alone, she stood at the wide open front door, smoking a cigarette as she observed her apartment, moving lightly to the music played in the background, filling the space. The process is going pretty damn well, but the kitchen is not near done yet, but the living area looked pretty damned good.

She figured opening a bottle of wine as well as ordering some takeout to celebrate this feeling of belonging and progressive settling.

As Claudia stepped into the elegant hallway of the third floor in the Sunset condos, the crisp evening air carried a subtle hint of the setting sun, its warm embrace filtering softly through the glass windows. The condo's interior, with its sleek modern design and neutral tones, seemed to glow gently under the fading light. She had just concluded her last round of meetings, feeling a mix of relief and accomplishment, and was heading toward her room #302, her heels clicking softly on the polished marble floor.

As she approached her door, her attention was drawn to the neighboring room, #303, where the door stood wide open. A woman, perhaps in her late twenties, stood outside, smoking a cigarette with a casual air. The faint sound of music drifted from within the room, mingling with the evening air. The soft golden light of the setting sun illuminated the scene, casting long shadows across the hallway and creating a warm, inviting glow.

Claudia paused, her curiosity piqued. She had heard that the Sunset Condos were undergoing new leasing arrangements, but she hadn't realized they had already begun moving in new residents. She glanced at the woman, who appeared to be enjoying the moment, savoring her cigarette and the music as if relishing the solitude of her new space.

With a quick adjustment of her blouse, Claudia decided to introduce herself. She walked closer to the open door, her presence announced by the soft creak of the floor beneath her feet. "Excuse me," she called, her voice calm and friendly, as she stepped into the woman's view.

Claudia smiled back, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "Welcome to the building. I'm Claudia, from next door. It's nice to meet you."

Megan typically heard the comments that she seem a little intimidating and considering how different her style is from the majority in her environment, it's not easy to have one comfortable around her. Especially since she has a case of the resting bitchface. However, as the woman who turned to be her next-door, Megan turned to face the woman, her expression immediately witching as she felt the friendly air from the woman that introduced herself and Megan greeted her with a big and radiant smile, completely canceling out that edginess she usually appears in.

"Oh hey! Nice to meet you!" Megan said with just as equally friendly approach and immediately brought out her hand for a handshake, in a confident and firm manner. "I'm Megan. Also, sorry for the noise. I finally had some time to do renovations around the place and make it feel a little like home, y'know." she said with a chuckle. "There might be a few more days of drilling and hammering, since the kitchen and the bathroom require the most work." she said with a huff as she brought the cigarette to her lips, showing a little bit of tiredness, as they finished two rooms in one day, without taking any breaks. It was quite literally an entire day's worth of work. Not to mention additional decorating Megan would have to do.

She looked over at Claudia, noting the fancy and professional outfit and smiled as she asked. "You off from work? Considering you're my next-door neighbor, I'd love to make a friend. I am gonna order some take out and have a drink, you're welcome to join."

Claudia had been bracing herself for the usual stiff small talk that came with meeting new neighbors, especially given Megan’s initial appearance. Megan’s sharp jawline and the way she carried herself with a confident air had Claudia half-expecting a frosty demeanor. But as soon as the woman turned to greet her, all those preconceived notions were immediately tossed out the window. The sharpness Claudia had anticipated wasn’t there. Instead, Megan’s expression softened into something bright and open, her warm smile reaching her eyes. The warmth in her voice caught Claudia slightly off guard, easing the tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“And don’t worry about the noise,” Claudia said, her tone light and reassuring. “I work long hours, so I’m barely home during the day anyway.” She glanced toward her apartment, her gaze lingering on the half-open door as if considering something. Then she turned back to Megan, her expression thoughtful. “Though I can imagine renovating is exhausting. I’ve been at it for weeks, and I’m still not done.”

Claudia noticed the way Megan took a slow drag from her cigarette, the faint plume of smoke curling into the evening air. There was a tiredness just beginning to creep into Megan’s posture, a subtle slouch in her shoulders that betrayed the weariness she was trying to hide. The mention of drilling and hammering struck a chord with Claudia; she had gone through her fair share of home projects in the past, and the memory of dust-filled days and endless trips to the hardware store made her sympathize with Megan’s situation.

When Megan brought up dinner, Claudia raised a brow, her smile tilting upward in amusement. It wasn’t often that someone invited her over so casually, especially not someone she had just met. There was something refreshingly direct about Megan’s invitation, a lack of pretense that Claudia found endearing.

“Takeout and a drink?” she echoed, her voice tinged with curiosity as she tilted her head slightly. “That does sound tempting after the day I’ve had.” She exhaled softly, rolling her shoulders to ease some of the lingering tension from work. The idea of unwinding with someone new was more appealing than she cared to admit.

Then, after a moment of consideration, weighing the pros and cons of stepping out of her comfort zone, she nodded. “Alright, why not?” she said, a playful grin spreading across her face. “I could use a break from my usual routine. Any particular cravings, or are we just going with whatever sounds good?” The question hung in the air, her tone lighter now, more relaxed.

There was an ease in her voice now, a willingness to let the night unfold in a way she normally wouldn’t. Maybe it was the weariness of the day, or maybe it was something about Megan’s easy demeanor, but Claudia felt a spark of connection she hadn’t expected. Making a new friend right next door wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. In fact, it might just be the start of something unexpected.

Noah climbed the stairs with lazy steps, a cigarette balanced between his lips and a plastic bag swinging lazily from two fingers. His other hand alternated between relieving his lips from the bud whenever he needed to exhale and gripping the railing for balance. Black headphones were snug over his ears and pumped music he wasn’t really listening to. It was just something ever present with him, to drown out the constant stream of noise from other people's thoughts. The steady rhythm of a guitar playing simple four chords and a voice murmured, “Once you know you can never go back, I gotta take it on the otherside…”

As he reached the third floor, he slowed, his attention snagged by the sight of two women standing just outside one of the apartments. Something about the scene tugged at his memory. Before taking the final step up, it clicked. He’d seen a flyer about renovations in one of the units. If he'd been home earlier, he might’ve heard the construction up through his floor. The noise would have been welcome to him, if he had been home to enjoy having a noisy distraction that wasn’t of his own making.

He’d originally planned to drop off a small gift once the renovation wrapped up, something neighborly. But, seeing them now, he figured there was no time like the present. Even if he hadn’t come prepared, the moment felt right and Noah wanted to be on friendly terms with the ones closest to his proximity. It just made it easier to have their thoughts as constant companions. He took one last drag from his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs while removing it from his lips, before exhaling slowly. The butt rested between two fingers at his side, angled away from him so he wouldn’t burn himself. With a press of a button, he silenced his headphones and slipped them down to rest around his neck. Immediately he caught the faint sound of music coming from the open apartment. Another welcome sound.

“Hey, you two,” he said, approaching with a warm smile, waiting for a lull in the conversation before sliding in so as not to interrupt. The pair were a contrast: one in business attire with long dark hair and soft features; the other in oversized clothes, heavy boots, piercings, and streaks of black and red in her hair. The latter had a cigarette of her own, so he shifted the cigarette to the hand nearest her in consideration for the other woman. They looked relaxed, even mid conversation, exchanging smiles that made him fear he was intruding.

“Which one of you is Megan?” he asked, nodding toward the open door behind them. “Saw your flyer. Just wanted to say you don’t have to worry about noise complaints from me. I’m right above you.” He pointed a finger upward in a small gesture before he shifted the bag into the same hand as his cigarette so he could offer the now free hand for a handshake.

“I’m Noah. I’m new here,” he added and held the hand first toward the woman in the boots, then to the one in business attire.

Megan was absolutely used for people to feel a little tense around her. She noticed those tiny little demeanors - slightly tense around the shoulders, clenched jaw, huddled in within themselves as if to protect themselves from whatever Megan was apparently capable of and such. Especially someone like Claudia - professional, elegant and confident. Perhaps Claudia herself intimidates other people with the way she carries herself, respectfully.

Megan understood that people wouldn't really understand where she is coming from with her aesthetic. It may seem a little incomprehensible. She is more than just that goth doll. To Megan, it was an entire, complicated lifestyle she needed to abandon in order to be here.

She grinned, relieved a little that she didn't bother her next door neighbor that she just met. Last thing she needed was to make people closest to her in proximity mad, meanwhile Megan had been feeling a little bit too desperate in forming human connections. She was homesick. She had to leave everything and everyone behind. Loneliness was the beast that Megan never really learned how to conquer, especially being an extroverted, social butterfly.

Megan was also perfectly aware that her direct invitation may be a little too direct, but honestly, Megan just liked having company, stranger or not. She was too exhausted to doll up an head outside in hopes of finding company in drinks and good looking people, so this option was much preferred and she couldn't hide her joy when Claudia accepted the invitation. "I'd love to have company now, this move has been a drastic change for me." Megan admitted, her unashamed desire to connect with people just through conversation has always been present.

As Claudia asked what they were going to eat, Megan was about to answer, but someone approached them and Megan looked over to see a man she hadn't seen before at the condos. And a fellow smoker, as she noted those details about him. When she asked who Megan was, she raised her hand in a two-finger salute, holding the cigarette between the 'dangerously' manicured fingers. But she smiled when he mentioned the flyer that she posted a the ground floor and that he doesn't have a problem with it, given that he lives right above her.

"Oh damn, you're right a the epicenter of the noise." she said with a chuckle, now that he broke the ice and she welcomed him with the same demeanor she graced Claudia with. She shook his hand firmly. "Megan, nice to meet you. And I'm fairly new here too, I moved in here like five days ago. I have noticed a lot of people moving in."

Claudia glanced up at the newcomer, taking in the way he approached with an easy smile and a considerate shift of his cigarette. She instinctively straightened her posture, a habit ingrained from years of professionalism, but there was no edge to her demeanor, just quiet observation.

As he gestured toward the open door, she glanced at Megan before allowing a faint smile to touch her lips. “That would be her,” she said smoothly, nodding toward Megan. “And I’m Claudia.”

When Noah extended his hand, Claudia accepted it with a firm but graceful shake. “Welcome, Noah. Seems like we’ve all had the pleasure of moving into this building around the same time,” she noted. There was a slight amusement in her tone, as if acknowledging the small coincidence.

She gave Megan a quick glance, curious how her new neighbor would respond to the unexpected but seemingly friendly arrival. The night had gone from routine to rather social in the span of a few minutes, something she hadn’t anticipated, but didn’t necessarily mind.

Claudia watched the exchange between Megan and Noah with quiet amusement. There was an undeniable energy to Megan; bold, open, and unapologetically eager to connect. It was a sharp contrast to Claudia’s own more reserved nature, but she found it refreshing rather than overwhelming.

“Seems like this building is becoming a fresh start for a lot of people,” Claudia remarked. She glanced up toward the floors above, considering how many new tenants might be settling into their own routines, making their own adjustments.

Turning back to Noah, she added with a faint smile, “You lucked out with the noise tolerance. I, on the other hand, probably would’ve left a strongly worded note if I had to deal with construction sounds past midnight.” There was a teasing edge to her words, but the warmth in her tone made it clear she wasn’t actually upset.

Her gaze shifted to Megan. “So, what’s the plan for food?” she said, arching a brow in playful challenge. “I don’t just accept any takeout.”

Noah caught it immediately, the quiet flicker of recognition in Megan’s mind when he mentioned the flyer. It was subtle, like kind of an inward smile, a happy little pulse of validation that the flyer worked. If he had seen it, others would as well. That was the underlying thought.

Then there was the other thing, the silent note of similarity when she realized he smoked too. Sure, that thought didn’t even need mind reading to register for her eyes had already clocked the cigarette between his fingers at the same moment her mind thought it. A fellow smoker, that on top of that, smoked in the halls meant that maybe next time he found himself lighting one up while walking up the stairs, he wouldn’t feel guilty.

“Five days?” he said, the words sliding easily.
“You move quickly, then, Megan.” His tone was conversational, but the thought behind it was reflective. People didn’t unpack this fast unless they meant to stay. Unlike her, half his things were still boxed. He didn’t plan on staying long. This wasn’t meant to be permanent. It was a pit stop.

He turned to Claudia next, catching the slight straightening of her posture as she extended a hand. Her handshake was graceful, controlled and smooth. No hesitation and just enough pressure. It told him everything he needed to know: refined and used to navigating people politely but precisely and her thoughts matched. Clean, orderly. Thoughts queued in single file, each one sliding forward with clarity and intent.

Megan’s were the opposite. They came at him in bursts, overlapping impressions and half formed reactions, not chaotic, just… full. A lot going on in there. Exhaustion buzzed under the surface and mingled the mind. Beneath it all, he felt the loneliness too. Not just the physical tiredness, but the weight of starting over. It was… honest. Megan craved connection, real ones, and there was nothing hidden about it. She didn’t bother with the armor most people wore. She was straight forward.

“I guess so,” Noah said to Claudia’s remark that held that teasing edge. “I thrive in noise.” It was a strange thing to say, he realized after. So to offer up an explanation he lifted a hand slightly, gesturing toward the headphones resting around his neck. Let them assume he meant music. Which he did, partly, but all noise was welcome to him, cause silence made it worse. Made the thoughts louder. He shifted the bag in his hand, its contents rustling softly in preparation for his exit.

“I don’t want to intrude. Just wanted to pop in for an introduction. If I ever bother you, feel free to bang a broom on the ceiling and I’ll turn it down.” His eyes flicked to Megan. “If the floors and ceilings are anything like these walls, I figure you can probably hear me just walking around.” He added, tone still light. That last part wasn’t even a joke. The walls were paper thin and all sound seemed to travel. How little separation there really was between people when they lived like this. Every footstep, every murmur, every thought, if you were him.

“Good luck on your renovation.” He offered a small smile, something caught between polite and genuine, as he took a single step back.

Megan had always been an open book, as messy her mind may be. She was not ashamed of it. Of herself. Of who she was. She was everywhere all at once. Yet she welcomed everyone to be by her side, no matter how long she'll be here and if the day when they may see her for the last time for probably ever. Megan was selfish as much as she was selfless. Beneath the complex sea of her thoughts and emotions, as much as they may not even reveal anything new, considering how open and straight forward Megan was, she was an enigma.

There was deep, murky darkness. You can almost miss it - a stalking creature perfectly blending in with the murky depths, to the point that would have you think that there was nothing there, in fact.

Who was Megan, after all? A friendly neighbor, unashamed of her 'dirty laundry' and who she was. But with a shadow following her at her every step.

"Yeah, five days, I don't like unfurnished homes, I feel like I'm at a stranger's house." she admitted, before turning to Claudia as she said that he was lucky with noise tolerance and that she would've left a strongly worded note if it went for too long. "Oh, trust me, I'm not one of those people." she said with a chuckle.

When Noah said that he thrived in noise, Megan related. She too thrived in noise - the bustling sounds of life in the urban area, the throbbing beats of clubs, the music that penetrate her skull with raw intensity, people just talking, sounds of sex and intimacy... She stopped her train of thought there as Noah said he just came here to say hi and introduce himself and to hit thee ceiling with a broom which made her laugh lightly. "Right, I'll keep that in mind."

As he took a step back, Megan smiled and raised her box of cigarettes. "Hey, whenever you wanna smoke with someone, just let me know... Or bang your foot three times in the living room and we can share one while we're on the window." she said jokingly, but she thought it would be a funny scene of two of them on their windows, one above the other, having a smoke and having a chat. Megan liked having smoking buddies. She found that not a lot of people smoke around here.

She then turned to Claudia and tapped her chin upon the question about the food. "Honestly, I haven't decided, but I've been reaaaally wanting to get some Chinese lately, but I can be convinced otherwise." she said with a big grin, retorting with the same challenge, but in all fairness, Megan can eat everything, she hadn't had anything since the morning and was starving.

Claudia let out a light, genuine laugh, the kind that came from deep within her chest. Her shoulders, which had been tensed for most of the day, finally relaxed as she reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was simple, almost absent-minded, but it carried with it a sense of relief, as if that small act of fixing her hair was enough to help her unwind.

“Chinese sounds amazing, actually,” she said, her voice softer now, gentler. There was a quiet warmth to her tone, a subtle shift that hinted at her exhaustion and the comfort she found in the idea of a familiar, soothing meal. “Something comforting sounds just right after the day I’ve had,” she added, her words trailing off slightly, as though she were reflecting on the challenges of the past few hours.

She turned her gaze to Megan, her smile tender and understanding. There was something in her eyes that spoke of empathy, as if she knew exactly what it meant to need a little comfort and companionship. “And honestly?” she began, her voice dropping just a little, as though she were sharing a secret. “I’d love to share a meal with someone tonight. I haven’t really had a chance to slow down and just… enjoy good company.” She paused, her expression softening further. “So thank you for inviting me. It means more than you think.”

As Noah began to shift his weight, the telltale sign that he was about to excuse himself, Claudia turned to him with that same warm sincerity. “It was really nice meeting you, Noah. Don’t be a stranger, alright? We’ll save you a dumpling if you change your mind,” she teased lightly, her tone friendly and welcoming.

With a small wave, she added, “Hope you settle in well. If you ever need anything, we’re just a floor down.”

Noah heard it before she even stopped herself. Megan’s mind, chaotic but open, loud in its own natural rhythm, made no attempt to filter. She, too, liked noise of all kinds, even sex and that stood out among the rest. The sounds of it, a moan, a masculine groan, echoed through her thoughts in a way that made him wonder if she even realized it. The clarity of the confession startled him. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he caught himself, the reaction subtle but real. His body always flinched first, he couldn’t help it. He’d heard worse. Much worse. Invasive, grotesque, illegal thoughts. He’d learned to live with the weight of minds not his own, but this was unexpected, not because of its nature, but because of her. The sudden, vivid intimacy. She'd cut the thought off herself, clearly unbothered by its existence, but it lingered in him.

By contrast, Claudia’s mind was almost cooling to delve into. Straight lined thoughts, organized in precise order, even as she spoke casually about dinner. Her day had been long, executive-level logistics, contracts, scheduling, performance metrics. Noah didn’t need to understand every word to feel the fatigue threaded through it all. Her exhaustion was polished but bone deep, the kind that came from a life run on tight margins. Still, there was comfort in the way her thoughts unfolded. Like reading a well structured document. Predictable and stable. A welcome balance to Megan’s disordered symphony.

Megan invited him to call for her if he wanted to socialize while smoking.

Noah caught not just the joke, but the picture behind it, the quick mental image of the two of them standing at windows one floor apart, sharing a smoke and conversation. It was a quaint little daydream, undeniably though in kindness. Smoking had always been a social thing. People at parties, people at work. An excuse to talk. Her invite made him reflect and made him take a moment to consider something. She was too young. That thought surfaced briefly and expanded; too young to be this open with strangers.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Noah echoed her words back to her in response while a self-knowing smile tugged at his mouth. He let it fade as he turned to Claudia.

“Nice to meet you too,” he said, and meant it. Her mind, structured and thoughtful could be an anchor if he ever needed one. He glanced between them one last time. “Enjoy your dinner, ladies.” With that, he took another backward step, then turned toward the stairs. The plastic bag rustled as he lifted it, guiding the cigarette back to his lips. He took a slow drag, the kind that sank all the way into his lungs, smoke curling out in a steady exhale as he began to climb. The music from Megan’s apartment softened behind him and reminded him to put on his own headphones again that still hung around his neck. He offered a final glance before they went out of eyesight for him, just enough to see the two women in the hall, before he ascended to the next floor.