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[img]https://media.giphy.com/media/RhqayCBeO6EtoXU5ay/giphy.gif[/img]

[color=ffd1d3][b]Location:[/b][/color] Lotus Apartments --> Car
[color=ffd1d3][b]Skills:[/b][/color] Adaptability[/center]
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Desiree's apartment was strangely bland for the cheery time of year. There wasn't a single poinsettia, sprig of holly, or strand of tinsel to be seen. There was no Christmas tree, or any other decor pieces representing one of the various holidays. Her apartment was all white walls and grey furniture. Nondescript, to the point of being bizarre. It hardly looked lived in. This was what Desiree preferred. She kept to herself, and on the rare occasion that she allowed someone into her home, she wanted them to find nothing particularly interesting. 

Not that it mattered. Her apartment wouldn't be around much longer at the rate the fire was burning. 

When she first scented the smoke, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Her pupils dilated, and though she calmly stood up from her bed, her panic was quick to start overwhelming her. A million thoughts and reasons flashed through her mind, and while most of them were ridiculous at best, she couldn't help but ponder them as she scooped up her purse and jacket. 

Had someone left their oven on, and been so careless as to wreck the holiday season for everyone around them? 

Was there something deeper to all of this, that she wasn't picking up on? 

Was it...[i]them[/i]? Had the Purifiers done this? Were they trying to flush the mutants out of the apartment complex to attack them while they were vulnerable? 

She had to suck in a deep breath. Tell herself it didn't matter. Not yet. She'd think on it all later. The events were unfortunate, but she had to get out. How was she going to get out? She looked around herself, clutching her purse close to her chest. Her car was in the lot downstairs. She had to get there. Sucking in a breath didn't calm her, as she tasted thick smoke. A hand clamped over her mouth. She whirled around, and that was when she saw it. 

The fire escape. Of course. 

Her safest bet was right before her eyes. She ran toward her apartment's large window, unlatching it with trembling fingers and throwing it open. She shook with fear as she took a step out onto the platform, smoke rising around her. Her first few steps were unsteady, but as she got a hang of going down the stairs and making a sharp turn, she found her strides growing longer and faster. Strangely, her mind took her back to when she used to race down the staircases in high school, laughing alongside one of the others in her year. 

Before she knew it, her shoes were gripping the concrete. She looked back at her apartment, a sense of emotional pain clenching her gut. It was lost. Even if they managed to put out the fire, there was no way she'd be able to return to the apartment in due time. She was on her own, with only the belongings she had in her purse. Part of her felt bad for the people who had lost pets, or the people who were watching their holiday gifts go up in flames.

The other part of her was focused on self preservation. 

Rushing across the lot, she dug out her keys and clicked them repeatedly in search of her car. Finding the beat-up sedan, she quickly hopped in. Hesitation filled her as she adjusted the rear view mirror. Where was she even going? A hotel, maybe? Would that even be safe? She pressed her forehead against the steering wheel, taking in its coolness. She sat there, thinking things through.

She needed to regroup, get the basics back. Be in a crowded place, where she could get situated safely. That was probably the best option, she could think things through while she bought a new toothbrush. She huffed, finding this almost [i]funny[/i], in a twisted way. Turning on the vehicle, she pulled out of the lot and began driving toward the nearby Macy's.