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 Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:13 pm
Summer was barely starting but Harvey just knew that it was gonna be bad this year. It'd been precluded by on and off swelters in the late spring, the fluctuating hot and cold temperatures resulting in his catching brief but numerous colds (sniffles, really), compounded by the fact that he had to keep his room at a constant temperature of freezing to ensure that his computer wouldn't go and overheat. His body was more attuned to the colder seasons. By order of preference it was always winter first, then autumn, then spring, then the hellish summers on this side of the country.
But there were certain ways of ferreting the man from out of the ice box that was his room, particularly on hot summer days. Searching for the perfect birthday present for a certain soon-to-be 7-year-old, for example, was the reason why Harvey found himself spending the hours between high-noon and early evening hunting for something in Destiny City's varied shop and storefronts that catered to young girls.
Hours and hours of pounding the pavement under the intense glare of the sun and no such luck; it was about sunset by the time Harvey called his ex (who called him with gift ideas earlier that day) and told her he'd peruse the online stores later that night or early the next morning. By then all his clothes were sticking to him, damp and uncomfortable (in the worst places, too), and he was desperate for a cool shower before spending the next several hours in his bedroom-slash-freezer, in front of his computer doing the usual: work, work and more work.
He'd stopped just short of the exit of the park he cut across in hopes of making it to the bus stop before the bus came around. Hell of a time for his car to be in the shop, he thought as he saw the thing drive off well before he even made it to the bench where he now sat, so he decided to finally call it quits and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly navigated his way to his messages and clicked on his roommate's name, scowling at the idea of consciously owing her a favor.
More heat and more walking, or owing Melody a favor. It should have been no contest, but he struggled with the decision for a moment, then heaved a sigh and punched in the words.
Car's in the shop, commuting is bullshit. Can you pick me up?
It was short and simple but it took another few seconds of him hovering his thumb over "send" button before he finally sent it, after which he reclined on the bench and closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe a nap after the shower wouldn't be such a bad idea either…
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:17 pm
Back at the house Melody had been standing in front of the kitchen sink swaying her hips to the sound of music playing on pandora while doing the dishes when she heard the text message ding interrupt the tunes. Not thinking overly too much on it, she rinsed the suds off her hands and arms then turned around. Water running down to her elbows onto the floor her expression took on the most unamused look she could muster. “Really...?” Annoyed that the dish towel which was normally kept slung over the oven handle was nowhere to be seen the blonde turned back around to shake the droplets off of her then resigned herself to wiping the rest of the water off on her pants. “Better not be someone from work complaining about the outfits again…” She muttered since Tiffany had already texted her twice in regards to some accessories she wanted swapped out for something more… just more. Her argument was that what she had to wear was boring and lackluster. “Ha… lackluster my a**… It’s the character…” Oh how Melody would have loved nothing more for the term ‘break a leg’ be taken quite seriously so the stand-in could take over. Either way there was no use to get worked up over something that had already been dealt with a few hours ago; Tiffany had been placated and she was now home. Breathe… Melody took her own advice in preparation for who she anticipated to have messaged her then unlocked the android phone she kept in a dark purple case. At the bottom of the screen she clicked the open envelope icon with the 1 next to it and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Harvey who had texted. Quote: Yeah! I’m almost done with the dishes and will be on my way. Can you send me the cross street or address of where you’re at? -Send Knowing he would send her the information within the next few minutes, Melody returned to her task at hand and wrapped up washing the last two pots and pans and a few utensils while she waited.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:19 pm
It was amazing the way the mind could turn seconds into minutes near effortlessly; if his phone had been on silent Harvey probably would have pissed off the roomie (again) with his bad habit of not replying right away on account of falling asleep at his desk, or in this case at the park. Even the heat was no match for his ability to doze off just about anywhere, hot steel and wood bench baking under the sun included. The ding got a snort first, then a groan as the man cracked open an eye to inspect the screen.
"Home, where it's cold…" he muttered as he sat up, scowling at how much damper the back of his shirt felt now. "Lucky."
Park by the bus stop on Main and 3rd. I don't care if I get sick again, blast the A/C for me on the way over. This weather sucks a**.
He hit send then drummed his fingers along the side of his phone for a second before shooting off another text.
Harvey was about to get up when the flash of something white caught his eye. It hadn't been there before when he went down for the 15-second power nap, but a lot could happen in fifteen seconds. Someone could have dropped it--a cone, it looked like, white and at moment kind of wavering in the distance (though that was probably the heat), maybe left it there on purpose. Maybe it was a trap or some kind of toy that some unfortunate child was missing and being insufferable at his or her parents because of the loss.
Whatever the case, it caught his eye and so once he was up he made his way over, brow raised in question at the cone. It was white, as he previously noted. The wider side was down and looked like it had some kind of gold decoration or pattern on it; the skinny side was plain. By all accounts it was perfectly normal, and now that he thought about it he kind of figured it kind of looked like an old toy he got as a birthday present before.
"A whistle or something," he mused aloud as he tried to recall. "But that...is obviously a paper cone." A true enough statement, but it was odd how he could have noticed it despite it being something so small and so...ordinary.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:28 pm
A few minutes later he received the awaited text confirming she was leaving. With the dishes finished, Melz grabbed her bag off the table, the keys off the hook next to the door, then slipped her feet into the nearest pair of flip flops she could find and hustled outside to her silver Toyota Camry. Being inside cleaning while listening to music left her pretty unaware to what the weather was doing, especially with how wrapped up she was in getting things done, which is why it was a bit of a surprise that it really was that bad outside; for him at least. Stepping out of a nice and cool home into a literal wall of heat was a shock since the weatherman said it was only suppose to get maybe 83 degrees out today; but the sensor in her car clearly said it was closer to 90 instead. Thank god their landlord had an AC unit installed two years ago; these summers were starting to get ridiculous. While she enjoyed the warmer weather, Melody could only imagine how the ice king himself was probably melting; and while it made her smirk in amusement, she at least had a kind enough heart to help get him out of it.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:40 pm
A few kids and their parents, likely on the way home from wherever they were coming from, passed by and made curious, sometimes even suspicious faces at him as he knelt there and stared down this white cone. He glanced up once and thought he caught one of the kids asking, "Mommy, why is that weird guy staring at the ground?" so, cast with self-doubt he looked back and sure enough the cone was still there. Obviously.
He wasn't crazy.
Harvey gave a small huff; had the concrete pavement not been as hot as he assumed it was on account of the weather he probably would have plopped there and proceeded to inspect the cone properly. See if it had some kind of use; maybe she would like it as a small, sort of pre-present before he got her a real one. Obviously he'd have to give it a good clean, maybe even spruce it up a little. It kind of looked like a party-hat, one of those obnoxious things his mom used to make him wear at his birthdays. "That was how Americans do it, right?" she would always say.
The thought made him smile; he should probably give her a call once he was home and comfortable at last. With his mind made up he moved to grab the cone, deciding that if all else failed he could ask Mel to make it a fancy princess hat, the kind with that lace thing coming off the top, and promise a dress to go with it later on (also likely something he'd have to ask Mel for...he'd be owing the girl a list of favors as long as the code for his personal website).
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:58 pm
Fate was often a fickle thing however at times it was also predictable. Case and point; when in a rush to pick someone up who’s more than likely having a heat stroke you will hit every red light imaginably possible. South bound on 3rd avenue, Melody pulled over to a parallel parking spot a half of a block away from the bus stop he had mentioned then turned her car off and got out to look for him but not before sending him a quick text letting him know she had arrived. Quote: I’m here. Where are you? Send Right as she hit the envelope button with the little arrow next to it she spotted her roommate crouching down while intently staring at something as if it either offended him greatly or struck his curiosity in the worst possible way. Nonetheless it didn’t stop her from shouting out a comment to get his attention. “If you got to go I’m sure one of the stores would let you use the restroom.” Yup, he’d kill her in her sleep if given the chance. But he was the one garnering looks of curiosity and whispers by practically squatting in front of nothing. The few people who heard her comment covered their mouths with a free hand to help suppress a laugh, it didn’t work but at least they tried. By the time she closed the distance between them most of the visitors had filtered through the park and dispersed elsewhere; probably because they didn’t want to be involved in a lovers quarrel. Jokes on them though, she and Harvey weren’t married nor were they dating. Just roommates and pretty good friends; though she knew she pushed the limits with that one from time to time.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:02 pm
"Oh, haha," he said, head turning to catch a glimpse of the blonde not too far off. The text must have been about her just getting there; if he hadn't gotten distracted by this damned cone he would have hurried over to her car so she didn't get the chance to turn it off and start letting it bake underneath the sun, thus forcing him to sit and cook inside of it on the way home. As if he hadn't cooked enough out here on his own…
Harvey said nothing more, though--she was here as a favor, no sense in pushing any buttons--and simply grabbed the cone.
Simply.
And yet the next thing he knew his pants weren't pants anymore. And they certainly weren't blue. His shoes also weren't his Nikes anymore, nor was his shirt patterned to match the Green Lantern's outfit. He also wasn't covered in sweat-drenched clothes, but he was covered from head to toe in not his clothes and extra hot because of it. The cone seemed to match the pattern on whatever this outfit was, though…
--
The way he froze, shock and confusion quite obviously written all over his face, was comical, in a sense. That same shock and confusion quickly morphed into a scowl however, and he lifted his gaze from the freakishly pink clothes to his roommate, as if this was entirely her fault.
"Wh--?!?!"
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:04 pm
From where she now stood, frozen in place by his accusatory expression, Melody’s eyebrows all but pulled a Houdini and disappeared into her hairline from both surprise and shock. “Holy-” she breathed upon an exhale.
And then it happened…
After a brief pause in silence that all too infamous wild grin spread across her face; the one that all but confirmed that oh… he was never going to hear the end of it. “OH MY GOD! YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL!” Melody all but hollard in a child like glee. Undaunted by the daggers in his eyes being directed at her she hustled over to his side then circled him a few times appraisingly. “At least you got pants!”
Curious hands reached out to touch the sparkly transparent sleeves “It’s! So! Pink!” The way she said those three words was reminiscent of the youngest child in Dispicable Me when Gru won her the unicorn stuffed animal; excited yet annoying though oddly hilarious coming from an adult. Oh man, I wish mine looked like this. “By the way.” She paused looking at the cone he held in his hand. “What’s that?”
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:06 pm
That smile. Oh, he knew that smile. He'd seen it one too many times in the time that they'd known each other; he probably had his own version, though he made it a point not to smile too much whenever it came down to anything with Mel. And oh, did he know it was coming. It was why he was already mid-step, with his finger ready to waggle at her to keep her from saying anything.
"Don't you ev--" he started before her voice cut through the air and he felt a gasket blow in the back of his mind. If there was a table that he could flip anywhere in their vicinity, he would have flipped it and then some, but…
His luck.
"They're see-through," he snorted when she commented about the pants. "They're about as useful as crotchless panties, I mean. Seriously?!" Raging at her wasn't gonna help him out of the situation, though her going on about he was pink and beautiful and sparkled wasn't doing a whole lot for him either. He was just grateful there was no one else around when it happened...just the two of them and whatever awful entity was the reason his clothes--his decent if slightly sweat-dampened clothes--had been replaced with...whatever he was wearing now.
Her question gave his mind a brief respite from its lamenting of his old garments though, when she pointed out the cone. His eyes narrowed at it in his hand as he went over the events that led up to this...and then he dropped it like a hot potato.
The cone. It landed with dull clatter on the pavement.
"The cone!" And that was about all he got out before he kicked it toward her. "I saw it earlier, when I texted. I was bored, curious...stupid, I don't know. I went to check it out, made a grab for it when you got here then next thing I know I'm in this pink nightmare." Harvey was glaring at the cone now, like it was had planned this whole thing. Like it was sentient or something.
"I mean, c'mon! I look like Barbie threw up on me."
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:14 pm
At that point in his monologuing tirade Melody couldn’t stifle her laugh any more. An all too undignified snort burst from her as she wrapped her arms around him and laughed into his shoulder. “You have such an eloquent way with words you know that right?”
She hummed, not expecting an actual reply, then righted herself once more. The tears which clung to her lashes were wiped off on the back of her cotton sleeve. “Come on,” Melz leaned over to pick his weapon up off the ground and handed it to him. “Unless you want to wear my jogging clothes, I suggest you change back into whatever it was you were wearing before someone sees you.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:14 pm
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He let her get the laughs in; knowing her, he really would never hear the end of this so even now he was already training his mind to ready itself for the next time she brought this up. When she handed him back the cone he took it begrudgingly, her suggestion only earning her another glare from him.
"If I knew how, I'd have done it already," he said, scowling at the cone now in his hand and at the way that it matched the belt-thing that was around his waist. And his gloves...and wow, even his shoes matched the damn thing. His jaw clenched as he gave the area another sweeping glance. No one else; really curious, but he didn't care. He'd rather not be seen like that by anyone else, anyway.
"So…" he started, forcing down the irritation so his words came out a bit stilted. "Any ideas?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:21 pm
“Well you can always do what I did and beg your clothes to change back…” Melody shrugged. While it was true she did try that, a part of her just wanted to hear him plead with some unknown entity to undo what had just happened. “But… before you do that… Just. Calm. Down.” She lowered her head a bit and looked up at him expecting.
“I’m not kidding, Har -” Melz paused remembering the day she powered up there was a new name that had been whispered in the back of her mind Einhornhöhle... “You know...I don’t even know what to call you right now... huh. Anyway,” She waved her hand dismissively then continued. “Don’t tell it to go away like your scolding a child, will it to go away. Think about what you were wearing before this” She made a hand gesture towards his clothes in emphasis, “happened.”
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