//------------------------------// // I'm baaaack! // Story: Journal of Occasional Nonsensicality // by Acryliks //------------------------------// "Ah!" I flinched as I stepped out of the train and into the sunlight, shielding my eyes from the assault of light as I did. I had just returned from the writers conference in Fillydelphia that I went to, and now I was looking for a certain unicorn who told me she would meet me at the train station when I got to it. I glanced up and down the platform as I stepped out of the way of a mare trying to get past me. I noticed a sign, and saw that the pony holding it was none other than my friend. Walking over, I called out to her. "Hey! I'm back! ...also, what's with the sign?" I asked. Vinyl glanced down at the sign she was levitating, then back up to me. "It's so you know that I'm the one here to pick you up, duh," she deadpanned. I glanced at the sign again. "...overly dramatic no-fun-having smad writer... I see, how could I have missed the fact that that sign was for me?" I chuckled. She nodded as we began to walk. "I wanted to make sure that it was clear enough that even you could understand it!" Vinyl told me, pointing at me. "Hey, how many other people are there out there that could identify with that?" "Exactly. Octavia told me that it was too mean, but since you got the message instantly, I'd say that it did what it was supposed to." I gave the sign another look over. "Ah yes, I see you've brought back your classic 'smad' term. Good to see that that's still around," I joked, dancing around another mare as I walked with my friend. "Of course. Ever since I came up with that word, I've found that it fits so many types of scenarios! There's not a day that goes by that I'm not smad at least once." I laughed, glancing out over the Canterlot terminal. "So what's the plan for the rest of the day? It's only... eleven thirty, so we have lots of time to do stuff... unless you're busy, of course," I proposed. Vinyl finished stuffing the sign back into the saddlebags that she was wearing before looking up at me. "I have a radio contest to do later at like... six, but sure, let's do something!" she exclaimed. We continued walking for a few moments, before I had to ask the classic question. "...so. How were things with me gone?" Vinyl tilted her head slightly, pondering her answer. "Honestly things were kinda quiet. I basically just sat in my room for the two days and only really came down for things like meals. Tavi practiced a lot, obviously, but she was also pretty quiet. I don't know man, it was just... yeah, it was quieter than usual... what did you do to us!?" Vinyl yelled at me. I laughed as we stepped off of the platform and into Canterlot Station proper. "Listen man, just because you guys are incapable of socializing when I'm not there doesn't mean that that's my fault," I told her. "Ha! I guess you're not wrong. Hey, do you want to go and get some food before we go back home?" "...you mean your home?" I asked tentatively. Vinyl stopped in her tracks. I turned and waited for her to say something. "I mean... I guess you've been around us for so long that at this point it's practically like your home too, huh?" she smiled. I tilted my head in thought. You know what? She wasn't wrong. Over the time that I had known Vinyl and Octavia, I'd spent so much time with them and had gotten to know them so well that I was practically a part of their household. I had other friends, based on things like location or hobby, but... none of them that really mattered as much as them. "I don't know... I do spend a lot of time there," I spoke. "Pfft, please. You regularly come over and cook with us. Of course you're part of it," Vinyl reassured me. I lowered my head in contemplation. Huh... that's pretty cool... "..thanks Vinyl... really, thank you," I thanked my friend. "Hey, don't worry about it man. Now come on, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat," Vinyl told me as we began walking again. "...you know, it's good to know that whether or not I'm part of your household is based on the fact that we cook together," I joked. Vinyl craned her neck to look up at me. "...what else would it be based on?"