Chapter 19: Gustoso
Being bored would be the understatement of the century. Catacomb sat lazily on the couch, trying to find something to do. Perry and Fluttershy had went home, and Spike decided to go make sure Rarity's sanity was still in check. This left Twilight and Catacomb alone together, which would have been fantastic if not for the fact that Twilight decided to read after getting ready for the day. That was two hours ago. Besides the group that Twilight had, Catacomb began to wonder if this girl had any social life at all.
"So...umm...how's the reading going?" Catacomb asked haphazardly. Twilight gave him no response, too engrossed in the study of Quantum Alteration and the Effect on the Living Body. Even though he was flattered by her book choice, Catacomb couldn't help but feel left out. “Learn anything interesting?" Catacomb asked, hoping to at least get her to explain her reading. It might be more boring than now, but he had to try. Unfortunately, there was still no response.
It was heading towards noon now, and Catacomb was definitely getting hungry. "How about we go get some lunch?" Catacomb asked, walking towards her. She remained engrossed in the book. Perry wasn't expected back until five, and Catacomb did not think he would be able to handle the awkward silence until then. "Seriously...put the book down and go enjoy life. Hell, I'll pay for lunch, just do something to show you're not a zombie!" Catacomb yelled out, flailing his arms about. Twilight made a motion, but turning the page was the last thing he wanted to see. Catacomb had no choice now. If he was to not die of boredom, he had to unleash the big guns.
"Twilight, if you don't come out for lunch, hell for air, I will not let you study Changeling eating..." This finally got a reaction, as Twilight stared up from her book and at Catacomb.
"But you promised!" Twilight said, pouting slightly. She had a sad look in her eyes, almost as if she was about to cry, but Catacomb knew better. Grinning, his shape shifted to that of Twilight, completely mimicking the face she was doing himself. Twilight stopped and stared. "Is that how I really look?" She asked, a bit disgusted in herself.
"Yes, now let’s go out to eat before you lose any more life." Catacomb said, still in Twilights form and using her voice.
"Stop doing that...it's creepy." Twilight said, Catacomb chuckling in his own voice now. His form shifted back to his usual look, grinning triumphantly. Twilight sighed, understanding that she had been defeated. She was hungry anyways, so it wasn't like it was a bad idea or anything.
Catacomb went and gathered his belongings, storing them away properly inside of his suit. Twilight was all ready to go, just waiting on Catacomb. He gave her a nod and they were on their way, into the bright sunny day.
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"Thanks, Cata." Twilight said as they walked through town casually strolling around without a decided place to eat.
"For what?" Catacomb asked, looking over towards her, as well as in front of him.
"Well..." Twilight stalled, taking a few seconds to finish the sentence in her head before speaking it out loud. "...I tend to get a bit...obsessive when it comes to studying something new." Catacomb looked at her, still perplexed at where she was going with this. "There have been times where I have thought that it would be okay to skip a meal, or that sleep could wait." Catacomb, finally understanding, let out a simple nod that said 'ahhh', choosing to let his silence be his words. "Spike has told me constantly to stop doing that, though I admit that it is a hard habit to break."
"Think nothing of it. I am interested in what you were studying, though. What was that book you were reading again?" Catacomb asked, trying to remember what she was reading earlier. Quantum something whatever. The name had slipped his mind.
"Quantum Alteration and the Effect on the Living Body." Twilight recited quickly, giving a slightly boastful grin.
"Yes, that one!" Catacomb said, forgetting the title almost as quickly as she said it. "What are ya looking up then?"
"Well, it explains the effects of different kinds of transformations and how it effects living tissue on an atomic level. The basics behind it is fairly simple, but can become damaging or in some cases irreversible. In simpler beings, it can be used to change colors of a flower, or even the shape of it, though generally that causes damage to the cellular structure of the flower, causing it to die. It is why in sentient beings it is rarely done, so I have been studying up on it because..."
"Why is it so easy for me?" Catacomb asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed that she was going through all the studying to understand changelings.
"Exactly!" Twilight said, happy that Catacomb actually understood her. "You can do it so easily, and without risk to your atomic structure and composition! It's fascinating, and could easily be used in important reconstructive surgeries for lost limbs and such."
"Well, I suppose it isn't beyond my ability, though I have yet to lose a limb. Being injured, despite what body I am in, seems to be a constant." Catacomb said, thinking back to several injuries he had received."
"Wouldn't it be possible to turn the damaged skin into fresh skin?" Twilight said inquisitively. Catacomb stopped, taking time to actually think through it. "Maybe because you knew you had the injury, every time you transformed, your mind was telling you to keep it, like a psychosomatic injury."
"Okay, Twilight. You're going to have to reduce your vocabulary to that of a dumb person if you want me to actually understand ya, but for the most part. You're telling me because I think it is there, it will show up." Catacomb said, trying to see if he was close. Twilight smiled and nodded, giving him time to think about that. "You might be on to something here, though getting hurt without a good reason doesn't suit me."
"Well of course! I would never ask you to hurt yourself, even for the sake of science." Twilight reassured Catacomb, patting him on the shoulder. "I was simply thinking back to what you told me about your outer shell, and its easily malleable properties. Think about it, using the outer shell as transformation material in place of flesh and bone, and using it to reconstruct lost arms, legs, even internal organs." Twilight went on, making Catacomb increasingly nervous.
"As awesome as an idea as that is, I would prefer my body remain on my body. It isn't pleasant going around without what counts to me as skin." Catacomb said, trying to hide his nerves behind a quiet chuckle.
"I know that..." Twilight said, almost sounding disappointed. Catacomb looked at her, a grin forming on his face.
"Wow, Twilight. I had no idea you wanted to strip me down so badly." Catacomb said, chuckling under his breath.
"Wha...no uh...why w-would you t-think that?!" Twilight began stuttering, blushing heavily. Catacomb smiled, placing his arm over her shoulders and pulling her close, causing her to jump.
"Calm down, Twilight. It was only a joke." Catacomb said, moving her forward along with him. Twilight, still trying to contain her blush, remained silent as they walked through town.
"So...uh...where are we going for lunch?" Twilight asked meekly, almost putting Fluttershy to shame.
"Well I was hoping you would be able to answer that one. I can't say I know too many places besides Pinkie's and a fancy restaurant. As much fun as it would be to torment Reader, I would prefer something with less sugar." Catacomb said, thinking in his mind of what he would like. Twilight, on the other hand, had already come up with an idea. Grabbing Catacomb's hand, she started to drag him quickly with her, breaking him out of his thoughts. "ACK!" Catacomb yelped out, caught from the sudden surprise.
"I know just the place! Hurry up!" Twilight said, her voice beaming with excitement. Catacomb felt helpless as he was pulled along for the ride, incapable of escape, not that he really wanted to.
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"You're...kidding...me..." Catacomb said slowly, his inability to express his emotions at the current situation from shock and awe. His mind had a hard time processing what he was thinking, caught completely off guard.
"But this is one of my favorite restaurants..." Twilight said sadly, looking towards her feet. Catacomb easily identified that look, making use of his intimate knowledge of women for an effective counterattack.
"I was just shocked that Ponyville had a place like this. I only seen them in big cities. I like it!" Catacomb said, wishing he could have bit his tongue on the last part. He glanced around, remembering why the place shocked him to begin with. It wasn't as much of a restaurant as a café, designed to study in or a place to read. It was a calming atmosphere, no one really speaking loudly or causing any kind of commotion. "What exactly do they serve?" Catacomb asked trying to get his mind back on his growling stomach.
"Sandwiches and finger foods mainly, though they have the most fantastic shakes I have ever had." Twilight said, her eyes sparkling with what looked like blissful joy. Catacomb stared her over, waving his hand in front of her eyes.
"Equestria to Twilight. Come in Twilight." Catacomb said, causing her to snap out of her fantasy, focusing back on him.
"Hehe...sorry about that." Twilight apologized, smiling and blushing lightly. Catacomb couldn't help but chuckle himself. "Well anyways, is this place alright?"
"Don't see why not, as long as you don't..." Catacomb watched Twilight reach into her bag, starting to pull out a book. "...do that." Catacomb sighed. Twilight looked over at Catacomb, concerned about his sudden change of mood.
"What's wrong?" She asked sincerely. Catacomb pointed towards the book in her hand, and then back at her. "What?" she asked, confused at his random hand gestures.
"If I wanted to eat out by myself, I would have left ya back at the library. Trust me. An afternoon without reading won't kill ya." Catacomb said jokingly. Twilight looked back at the book and sighed, slipping it back into her bag.
"Better?" she asked, obviously a bit annoyed. Catacomb grinned, and walked towards a table, waiting for Twilight to follow. She did, and took a seat, Catacomb pulling out her chair and pushing it in.
"I'll go and give them the orders. What would you like?" Catacomb asked, standing next to Twilight.
"Umm...I'll have the grilled cheese and a strawberry milkshake please." Twilight asked politely, almost like a little girl. Catacomb tried his best to hide how adorable that was to him, not all too sure how she would take the particular comment.
"Sounds good. I'll be a minute or two, just sit tight, and no reading." Catacomb said, adding extra emphasis to the no reading part. He walked towards the main counter, talking with the man at the register. Twilight sat back, staring a bit dreamily as she watched him secretly. As strange as it was, she couldn't not think about him, ever since the first night he stayed over. He was like a mystery book, as weird as that sounded in Twilight's head. The suspense of being around him just continuing to be built up. The more she got to know him, the less she actually knew about him, making him almost infinitely intriguing. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. The desire to study him had indeed grown into something less scientific and more natural. Twilight quickly glanced away when she noticed Catacomb turn around, not wanting to be caught staring at him. He smiled, giving a thumbs up and walked back over. She looked over and nodded, blushing slightly from her wandering thoughts. He made his way back over, taking the seat from across her. "It will be a few minutes." Catacomb said, looking curiously at Twilight.
"Thank you again. I would have probably booked my read...I mean read my book all day otherwise." Twilight said, getting tongue tied. It was just in this moment that she realized that she was out at a place getting food with a member of the opposite sex. According to most of her dating advice guides, this generally signified a date, though Twilight wasn't actually sure if she wanted this to be a date or not.
"Yeah, I know you like to read. Perry has told me all about that. I don't want to get in the way of your hobbies, just try to be a little more self-aware while you're reading. Take breaks, relax, live life." Catacomb said, stating his opinion on the matter. Twilight smiled and nodded. Though she had heard this many time, it felt more significant coming from Catacomb.
"I'll try. What do you do for fun, besides your job?" Twilight asked, deciding to take control of the conversation. Catacomb chuckled nervously, trying to find an answer that wasn't immoral or potentially illegal, which was harder than it appeared.
"Well, you know that I like to cook. Learned from watching the cooks at the castle. I remember the old guy's words. 'Sonny, the world of food isn't divided by race, gender, or status. Anyone can cook, you just have to have a desire to take something simple and turn it into the unimaginable." Catacomb finished speaking, using a copy of Flame Roasted's accent and voice perfectly.
"I remember him. Though my childhood memories of him generally include yellow caution tape and the fire department..." Twilight said, chuckling slightly.
"What were ya making?" Catacomb asked, curious as to what caused the disaster.
"A salad. Anyways, what else do you like to do?" Twilight said quickly, not wanting to dwell on the embarrassing subject.
"Now wait just a minute...You're not getting off that easy. I have to hear this." Catacomb said, leaning down into his palms, elbows against the table, and grinning. Twilight sighed, taking a deep breath.
"Well, it wasn't necessarily the salad itself, but a series of chain reactions that ended up causing the entire kitchen to ignite, all from a pesky rogue cherry tomato. I refuse to eat them after that one." Twilight said, telling her side of the story, waiting for Catacomb's response.
"Well, sounds more like bad luck if ya ask me. You should give it another shot. Since I am living with you, I can teach you what I do know." Catacomb said happily. Twilight looked at him, shrugging slightly.
"I do appreciate it, but I don't think that is a good idea." she said, sighing slightly. "I have followed the instructions in the cookbooks as closely as possible, but I just can't get it right."
"Well, with that attitude, of course you're gonna mess up." Catacomb said bluntly. "I don't like the word can't. Never have, never will." Catacomb laid back in the chair, getting into a more relaxed position. "I was told I lacked spell casting capabilities...got rune guns. Told I couldn't function in a civilized society...well that one is still up for debate." Catacomb said, laughing. Twilight was chuckling as well.
The man at the counter called out to them, leaving a tray of food there. Catacomb quickly got up and grabbed the tray, bringing it over to the table. He set Twilight's food down in front of her, and took his basket of 'hay' fries and vanilla shake over to where he was seated. "Are these really made out of hay?" Catacomb asked, staring down at the fries.
"No, it's just what they call them. A gimmick based on the town name. Who would eat fries made out of hay?" Twilight asked, laughing lightly. Catacomb thought about it for a second and shrugged.
"Yeah, don't sound so good, but you can never be sure until you try." Catacomb said, a fry sticking out of his mouth taking away all seriousness from his sentence.
"If you say so." Twilight said, finishing up a sip of the shake.
The rest of the time there was spent by Twilight, as she was retelling several interesting stories from the past. Catacomb listened intently, laughing especially at the story of Pinkie cloning herself. It stopped quickly though as she expressed her concerns that she could have sent the real Pinkie through instead, taking a second to mull over the seriousness of the event. Catacomb was intrigued by the story of Trixie and the Alicorn's Amulet.
"So, we gave the amulet to Zecora to guard, and then when Sombra returned and stole it, you know the rest." Twilight finished the story, Catacomb nodding in agreement with her.
"Ya know, that wasn't our first encounter with that thing." Catacomb stated, taking a serious tone of his own. "I wasn't there, but the story that Reader told me sounded quite serious."
"Really? What happened?" Twilight asked, finishing the last of her milkshake, the grilled cheese having been long gone.
"Perry had decided to wear it, in order to complete a difficult task." Catacomb spoke quietly. Twilight gasped, rather not thinking about what someone with a delicate mentality like Perry's was like with it. "It was also the first time he had used his black hole spell."
"That sounds serious..." Twilight said, unsure of how to respond.
"Kinda. Thankfully Celestia was able to neutralize the magic of the black hole, but we nearly lost her, and the location was labeled a class five disaster zone. Even to this day, gravity isn't stable there, most likely an after effect of an amplified attack. Perry was able to regain himself, and tore the thing off, wanting it destroyed. Never wanted to see it again, but events had seemed to place it in his path yet again." Catacomb finished, leaning back and taking a deep breath. Twilight remained quiet, taking a second to absorb the information.
"Poor Perry...as much as I nag on him, he really is important to me. He is so kind, it is always hard to believe that he used to be so wicked." Twilight said, thinking about him. Catacomb nodded. "He never once got angry when I shocked him, always laughing it off, or just taking it."
"That's our psycho. Always had a foot in the light and a foot in the darkness. It actually is funny when you think about it." Catacomb said, laughing. “You ever get a chance to see his mark?"
"Never thought to ask, actually. We generally tend to keep them hidden." Twilight said, blushing slightly.
"I'm sure he would show you if you asked. You might learn something new." Catacomb said, smiling lightly. Twilight sat there thinking on it, before nodding. "So, we got a few more hours to kill. Anything else ya wanna do?" Catacomb asked.
"Well, there is one thing I want to try, but I don't know..." Twilight said, looking over to Catacomb.
"Then do it." Catacomb said, smiling.
"You don't even know what it is that I want to do!" Twilight said with a loud whisper. This only made Catacomb's smile widen.
"Your point?" Catacomb asked as he got up from where he was sitting. "If you want to do something, do it. Live a little." Catacomb said, heading towards the door of the establishment. Twilight quickly followed, listening to him speak as they started to leave. "So many spend their lives under the safety of logic and reason." As they made it outside, Catacomb turned to Twilight and grabbed her hands, causing her to jump. "What is it that you want to do?"
"Are you friends with Discord?" Twilight asked, causing Catacomb to laugh slightly.
"Can't say. He seems alright though. Now quit dodging the question. What is it that you want to do?"
Twilight stood there frozen. He was determined to find out, and so she thought up the best alternative to what she actually wanted to do. "Can I try out your Rune Guns?" Catacomb blinked a few times, staring at her.
"Why the hell not!"
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"These are generic practice shells, meant for learning to aim." Catacomb said, one gun in his hand and the other in Twilights. They had made their way to a small clearing, Catacomb gathering up trash along the way to be used as target practice. "Kinetic Blast, low level, undercharged." Catacomb took aim at a can, holding the gun steady. "Simply squeeze the trigger to fire, making sure to aim down the sight on the top." Catacomb fired, a small wave distortion firing from the barrel towards the can, knocking it over. He fired a few more times, the can jumping around each time, getting pushed back farther. Finally empty, Catacomb opened the chamber, letting the empty casings fall to the ground with a clink. "Simple as that." Catacomb said, walking over to the can. It was dented in slightly, but for the most part, it was still solid enough to be used again. Catacomb set it back up on the ground, and walked back next to Twilight. She looked down at the weapon in her hand, scared and excited, even if her first time using one didn't end well.
"So, just aim and squeeze...aim and squeeze." She took aim at the can, her breathing a bit hectic. She fired, making a quick 'eep' as she was pushed back slightly, not really expecting the kickback. The shot hit the ground next to the can with a thud, sending up a small bit of dirt and dust. Twilight frowned, a bit disappointed that she missed. Catacomb chuckled, and moved behind her, gently grabbing her arms.
"Loosen up a bit..." he said, guiding her arms into a better position. “Bend at the elbow, your natural movement can also be used as a shock absorber." Twilight was trying to do so, but was slightly paralyzed by how close Catacomb actually was to her. Catacomb backed away, finally giving her a chance to breath. She took his advice, relaxing her arm as she aimed again and fired. Expecting the kickback, as well as her arm bending with it, made all the difference as the shot hit the can, causing it to bounce towards the ground.
"Wow, I hit it. It is like the first time I used magic!" Twilight said happily, firing another shot at the can, until her chamber was empty as well. She hit the can three times total.
"Nice job, Twilight. Even for a rookie, that many hits is fairly impressive. You definitely live up to the Element of Magic." Catacomb praised her, Twilight blushing lightly from the compliment.
"Can I try something bigger?" she asked, almost like a little kid with a new toy. Catacomb couldn't resist, and decided to let her have her way. He took the gun from her, and emptied the chamber. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he gathered six yellow patterned runes and slipped them in.
"These are fairly expensive, so this will be the last one, though I promise you that you will love these..."