//------------------------------// // And so, Sunset watches a movie with her new roommate // Story: The Empath and the Sociopath // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// The sounds of gunfire and uproarious laughter filled the room as Sunset Shimmer clutched the blanket around her all the tighter and tried to melt into the couch she was on. This was soon followed by a man’s voice saying, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." as the laughter died down to a light giggle. Sunset had many questions at the moment. Like… Just what was Chrysi’s story? How did Sunset end up drinking delicious sweet coffee with her on the couch before the sun was even up?! What the heck was baba ganoush, and why was it so delicious? First thing first… Sunset leaned towards a giant marble coffee table, took a bit of an already well-picked-at piece of pita bread, ripped off a bit and then leaned forward toward a plate of some milky-colored substance with a layer of yellow oil on it and red spices. She dipped the pita in, got a generous helping of the dip, and shoved the whole morsel of food into her mouth. Well… there’s definitely olive oil in this… and that’s ALL I can tell… it’s somehow so familiar though… Smiling and giggling, Chrysi leaned forward and grabbed the edge of the table, spun the rotating top until the food was in her reach, and repeated the actions of Sunset. After swallowing her food, Chrysi abruptly sat upright as if she’d suddenly thought of something. “Pillows!” she called out as she turned toward Sunset. “Uh… You want me to go get pillows?” “No," Chrysi scoffed. "We're fine for couch cushions. I'm saying you should layer the floor beneath the stairs under your loft with pillows or cushions." She paused and waved her hand for effect. "That'll cushion your fall in case you forget there isn't a railing and fall." The girl seemed to pause before she grinned manically. "Or remember there isn’t a railing and decide to fall anyways." Sunset chuckled. “Couldn’t, you know… we just ask to get a railing installed?” Chrysi frowned. “Then when would I fall into my pillow pile?!” Sunset let out a small laugh as she tried to figure out if Chrysi was being serious or not. Finding her expression nearly impossible to read, both returned to the movie for a while. Sunset’s thoughts went back to the food she was eating and the familiar yet not-so-familiar tastes of it. She sighed. She could look up what the dish was, but it likely wouldn’t hurt to ask. “Uh… So… What is in this?” Chrysi turned with something like a scowl on her face. “You don’t like it?” she hissed out somewhat accusingly. “Oh, no! It’s delicious,” Sunset insisted. “Would I keep eating it if I didn’t like it?!” Chrysi pursed her lips slightly as her expression softened, seeming to consider if challenging that statement was worth her time. “Except for the olive oil, I have no idea what it is!” “Eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil - as you mentioned, parsley, salt, cumin, and paprika.” Sunset’s eyes lit up slightly. She had no idea what ‘tahini’ was, but she turned the rotating table top back towards herself and repeated the process of ripping off a piece of pita bread, dipping it, and eating the result. This time, her mouth spread into a happy smile as she did the action. Eggplant had been the familiar flavor, she could just barely identify it amongst the ingredients she had never even considered to combine it with. A small grin appeared on Chrysi’s face as she examined Sunset’s expression. “Do you cook?” Sunset almost choked on her food. “That’s a ‘no’, then,” Chrysi quipped with a chuckle. Sunset thumped a fist to her chest as a pained look came over her face briefly. “Ugh… No…” Sunset said. “Or did you block out where you pulled me into the kitchen and I was practically held hostage so you could get me to finish up this delicious meal?! I would have made far less a mess had I just smashed the stuff in the food processor with my bare hands!” Chrysi shook her head. “You exaggerate.” “The point is, baba ganoush got everywhere!” Sunset exclaimed as she threw out her arms and wiggled her fingers as if simulating a good explosion. Sunset pulled over a lock of her hair and smelled it. “I’m going to smell like olive oil for the rest of the night.” “No, I mean about the holding hostage part,” Chrysi said. “That usually involves a lot more rope, tape, and pistol-whipping.” Sunset frowned. “Well, I’m glad there wasn’t much of that! But you were very insistent that I help at the end!” Chrysi rotated the food towards herself and prepared a morsel of it. “I had to keep my eyes on the bread. Very important.” She took her bite and chewed. “You had the easy job!” she insisted, then chuckled darkly. “But apparently lids escape you…” “I just told you, I don’t cook!” Sunset said. “Unless microwaving stuff counts.” “No,” Chrysi replied. “Certainly not.” “Yeah, I’m a terrible cook! Just… the worst.” Chrysi smirked. “That sounds rather pest…” Chrysalis frowned. “Pessi…” “Pessimistic?” Sunset suggested. Chrysi smiled and nodded. “Yes, pessimistic. Maybe you just need practice.” >-ooooo-< ‘BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!’ Sprinting down the stairs and coughing as she waved smoke away from her face, a Rarity clad in a purple nightgown touched purple slippers onto the floor. Eyes watering from the stinging smoke and her esophagus already starting to get sore, Rarity managed to shrill out an annoyed “Sweetie Belle!” “Uh? Rarity?” Rarity turned and glanced back towards the stairs where her sister, clad in soft-pink pajama shirt and pants, stared back at her. Perplexed, Rarity turned back towards the kitchen as the sound of coughing coming from a girl much older than Sweetie Belle could be heard. As the smoke cleared, Rarity could pick out magenta pajamas on a girl with fiery red-and-yellow hair. “Sunset?” “Sorry!” Sunset said. “I was trying to make breakfast for everyone!” Rarity glanced at Sweetie Belle then turned back to give Sunset a knowing smile. “It’s alright Sunset.” She walked forward and switched on the oven fan. “Let me just help you clean up and we can… Did you try to pan fry an orange?!” Sunset gave Rarity a saddened look. “I thought if I heated it up it would be easier to juice!” “I… uh… see… but why did you salt the orange and add chopped onions to the pan?!” Rarity asked as Sweetie Belle wandered into the kitchen. Sunset began to tear up. “I heard salt and onions make everything taste better, okay!” “You know…” Sweetie Belle murmured as she examined the contents of the pan. “Maybe Sunset was onto something… Maybe if she tried boiling the orange peel to heat it up? I’m going to get some milk…” “Oh! Good idea!” Sunset exclaimed. “Sweetie Belle, Sunset, No!” <-ooooo-> “Er…” Sunset smiled sheepishly. “I think it’s best if I gave the poor kitchen a break.” Sunset glanced behind her towards the kitchen, noting it was now splattered with numerous viscous-looking substances, making it look like the site of a brutal food war… or massacre more likely. The latter best explaining the laughter that had rung out from the kitchen as Chrysi made the food. Shaking her head, she added. “Lord knows it can use it.” Chrysi simply smiled and shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Both girls settled back to watching the movie. Chrysi giggling and laughing during the more violent scenes and Sunset considering her options. Maybe she could just ask Chrysi about herself? Would that be rude? I mean, clearly, there was a story here… Even rich foreign girls enjoying the freedom of being away from their parents generally didn’t indulge in waving pistols around and hinting they might have killed off their former roommate to Sunset’s knowledge. Maybe she could just ask? Of course, that would mean Chrysi would likely ask about Sunset’s past, and what the heck was she was going to say?! Oh, teehee! I'm the adopted daughter of a princess from another dimension! On that note, did I mention I was a unicorn?! Yeah… that’d go over well… Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass brought Sunset back toward the movie. As Chrysi broke into another bout of joyous laughter from watching a man smash drinking glass into another man’s face, Sunset decided that maybe Chrysi was onto something about not asking more questions outside of what was strictly her business.