Sunset had gotten a hold of herself by the time the elevator opened on the sixth floor. Still no idea what came over her outside, just…
Love.
“And back to the real world,” she grumbled with a wry smile. The dorm key jammed in its lock, necessitating a forceful twist to open it just as Applejack reached for the handle on the other side.
“Thought it was you.” Applejack stepped aside and closed the door behind Sunset. “Yeah, these keys ain’t the best. Try pulling it out a hair once you’re in all the way, helps stop them from jamming.”
“Thanks.” Sunset walked over to her bed and tossed her leather jacket on top. Much more carefully, she removed the pistol from her chest holster and slid it into a lockbox, along with her wallet and rings.
Muffled steps and the jangle of keys from the hall drew a chuckle from Applejack. “Here’s our fourth, coming up. Or Wallflower.”
“Right where you left me, Applejack.”
“Land’s sake, girl, we should put a bell on you.”
Sunset returned to the common room to find Applejack pinching her nose as a key ground painfully into the hallway lock. The handle rattled, but did not turn.
“I gotcha,” Applejack called out. She moved over and pulled the door open for Wallflower’s roommate.
Hair was the first thing Sunset noticed. So much she fancied she could taste it in the air, and could certainly smell the expensive oils seeped into the great volume of orange curls.
Knife-heeled, bustier-than-thou Adagio Dazzle stood beneath the hair, now looking up from her phone to trade quizzical glares with Applejack.
Then, with one smooth motion, Applejack closed the door in her face.
“Was that your roommate?” Sunset asked, dreading the answer.
Wallflower nodded. “Yep.”
“Peachy,” Applejack growled.
Wallflower shifted in her chair to look back at them. “Messy breakup?”
“Could say that, yeah.” Applejack shook her head, glaring off to the side. “Some two years ago. I wanted a girlfriend, she wanted an ATM. Played me for a dang fool, she did.”
“Lucky,” Wallflower sighed, and turned back to the TV.
“She might’ve grown up,” Sunset said as Adagio fidgeted with her key and tried again. “I’m opening the door. Try to live and let live.”
Applejack shrugged, hands closed into loose fists. “I’ll let her live, but don’t ask for more.”
The door opened effortlessly from Sunset’s side, bringing her nose-to-nose with Adagio’s annoyance.
“You too?”
“Yep.” Sunset stepped off to the side. “AJ and I are your dorm-mates.”
Adagio swept past her, a timed shake of the head slapping curls onto Sunset’s face. “Whatever. I don’t hold a grudge.”
“You don’t hold a grudge?” Applejack snapped. “All I know from you is you kissing me out of my wallet after trying to kill us all at the band battle.”
Adagio only watched her sidelong, and offered an aggressive smirk. “And all I know from you lot is robbing my siren powers, thinking a few kind words make up for it, and then Sunshit over there attacked me in the hall when she learned they don’t.”
Sunset cut in firmly, committed to her role as peacemaker. “So, we have a bad history from over a year ago. We need to move past this because we are capable of making life hell for each other. What say we back off and lay some ground rules?”
Adagio ticked off points across her plastic nails. “No loud music at night, clean up after yourself, and Adagio gets the shower when she wants it.”
Applejack gave a snort. “Adagio gets the shower when she gets there first. Aside from that, yeah, fine. And don’t dare do to Wallflower what you did to me.”
“Who?”
“I’m your roommate,” Wallflower called helpfully from her seat.
Adagio took in Wallflower’s gangly form and stained clothes, then turned to Applejack with rolling eyes. “No worries, there. But I admit, I’m surprised to see you. You always seemed like less of a college girl and more a ‘work the farm til I die’ type.”
“Business major.” Applejack jerked a thumb at her chest. “Just like Dad, gotta keep things smart if we don’t want to sell out. How about you? I always figured you’d set yourself up with a sugar daddy.”
“Do I look like my name’s Sonata?” Adagio huffed and threw out her curls. “Fine, I’m studying voice acting, violin, and piano. Because no one cares about talent if you didn’t do college, which is premium-grade human stupidity but no one asked me.”
She leaned onto her bedroom door, watching the others with a neutral frown. “Now, look. I hate to say this, but the Dali Hall cafeteria is closed on weekends because I guess fuck poor students. It’ll be cheaper if we pool our resources for groceries.”
Applejack looked her up and down. “Y’all got rings, bracelets, and seventy dollar nails, and expect me to believe you’re broke. Sounds like someone wants to hop on a gravy train.”
Adagio crossed her arms. “I’ll do exactly one-quarter of the cooking, so go hump a cactus.”
“If I may interject,” Sunset cut in again, borrowing just a little of Celestia’s sternness. “That all sounds good, especially since tomorrow’s Saturday. We can shop in the morning, but here’s an idea for dinner.”
She pulled out the flier Luna gave her and proffered it to the others. “One of the Greek frats is having a big back to school party, open to all students. Ribs, shrimp, potato salad, fruit bowls… definitely the best free lunch we’ll ever have without joining politics.”
“I never get to eat shrimp,” Applejack sighed happily. “Someone be ready to drag me home.”
Adagio eyed the flier. “Free food is good food. May I take a closer look?”
Sunset surrendered the paper, and Adagio released a smile as she studied the letters on top. “Thought so… this isn’t Greek, it’s Sumerian.”
She glanced up, and the smile morphed to a smirk. “I did live on Earth for a thousand years, you know.”
“Huh.” Pleased at least for the cooling tensions, Sunset gestured for her to continue. “What does it say?”
Adagio shrugged and handed the flier back. “Sumerian was before even my time, though I studied it in Persia. Something, something… flesh? Life? Endless life and something about flesh? There’s no context, so I don’t really know.”
“...Huh,” Sunset said again, this time a bit more cautiously. “Best guess? And don’t be afraid to get weird.”
Adagio sniffed disdainfully and brought up her room key. “Best guess is that a pretentious twat thought it was cool and highbrow to reference Sumer. It’s nonsense, just like the Greek names.”
The room keys worked much better, and Adagio stepped inside with a lazy wave. “Anyway, food has always been a great way to start a truce. See you there.”
Sunset distractedly waved in turn, not looking as the door swung closed. “Flesh and endless life...”
She shook her head abruptly, ending the line of thought. Celestia warned her about this, the temptation to see vampires everywhere and become a paranoid shut-in. Some half-translated words didn’t form any greater threat than Twilight’s vampire role-play game, or Halloween mascots. Besides, Celestia expressly forbade her from working the business.
So Sunset wouldn’t. Nothing to investigate, after all. No sign of danger. Only some dorm-mates checking out the free food.
With silver bullets in the purse, as always.