//------------------------------// // A temporary arrangement. // Story: Changeling for a room mate. // by Jot Notes //------------------------------// Alex awoke the next morning to more noises in the living room. All memory of the previous night having abandoned him, he assumed it was a burglar and climbed out of bed silently. He crept down the hall slowly, trying to remember where he had set his phone. He needed to get to his phone and call the cops quickly; the burglars may be armed. The voices appeared to be coming from the living room; he stealthily crawled into the kitchen without anyone noticing. He looked over all the counters for his phone amidst the messy dishes and random flyers he had received in the mail. He lifted a stack of flyers quietly, and checked beneath them for his phone, to no avail. He continued scouring the counters until he finally spotted it lying in the bottom of the sink. He picked it up; the screen was cracked severely, but it still worked. Had one of the burglars thrown it? Looking around nervously, he dialed 911 and sat down, trying to stay quiet. “Nine-one-one, state your emergency.” The woman on the other end prompted. “Get me the police, please. I think there’s someone in my apartment.” He whispered. “I understand, sir. A police car will be dispatched as fast as possible.” Alex hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. The police would be here soon and- “What are you doing?” A familiar voice asked from above. Startled, Alex looked up to see…Chrysalis? But…that’s… The events of yesterday returned to him, and he remembered hitting her on the road. He got up off the floor, and turned to face the changeling. “I thought you said you knew the way home.” He wasn’t trying to sound smug, it just happened naturally. She shot him a look. “And who says I didn’t?” “Well…” He began. “Last night you told me that you didn’t need my help, and then you wandered off to find your way home. And now you’re here again.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “So I didn’t find my way home. Maybe I wandered around the back streets of town while idiots gawked at me like I was a monster. Maybe I crawled back in here at two in the morning because I was cold and hungry.” She wasn’t happy with herself, but was evidently making the only logical choice, in her opinion. Alex eyed her warily. “Well, if you need a place to stay, I suppose I could…” “Allow me to stay here? Excellent, glad I thought of it.” She turned away from him and jumped back on the couch, taking up the whole couch as she sprawled across it, watching the TV. Alex walked into the living room. “Any chance you could make some room for me?” He asked politely. Chrysalis gave him an evil stare; he just sighed and sat cross legged on the floor in front of the TV. They spend a good few hours looking at the TV in silence. Alex had no idea what they were watching; it was some sort of foreign Real Estate channel. Neither of them said a word. “So,,, what exactly is this thing, anyway?” Chrysalis asked while staring at the TV. Alex considered giving her the truth, and then decided against it. “Magic.” He said simply, and the changeling nodded wisely. Alex considered trying to talk to her, trying to get her to relax a little, maybe get to know her better. But he didn’t know where to begin. Should he talk about where she was from? No, she’d probably just treat him with sarcasm and scorn. Maybe he could try and explain where she was? No, if he did that, she’d probably attempt to impersonate the president’s wife or the president himself. He sat around considering the different things to talk about, and finding some major flaw in each of his ideas. Suddenly there was a pounding at the door. “Police! Open the door!” Alex’s eyes went wide. “Oh god, quick you have to hide!” He whispered fiercely to the changeling queen. She rewarded him with a withering look, and sat up looking for a place to hide. “It’s no good!” He hissed. “You have to change shape, or you’ll get caught.” “What shape?” She snapped back at him. “I don’t know what they’re expecting!” Looking around, he snatched up a picture of his ex-girlfriend. “Something like this, hurry!” “Police! We know you’re in there!” More knocking on the door. Chrysalis looked at the picture for a few seconds before changing shape. In a burst of green flame she turned into a more humanoid form of herself, standing on two hooves, with a trim, curved body riddled with holes, and a noticeable lack of clothes. “Like this?” She asked without enthusiasm. Alex looked back and yelped. “No, you have to look like the girl in the picture! Exactly like…” It took Alex a few moments to realize he was not staring at her face. Burning red he turned away and added; “And try to find some clothes!” “Clothes?” She snorted in an unladylike fashion. “Who wears clothes?” “Just do it!” He snapped as he turned to face the door. He couldn’t waste any more time. He reached for the door, checking behind himself to make sure Chryssie had disappeared from view. Taking a deep breath he opened the door, and faced to two cops staring back at him. “Police dispatch. Someone called 911 from this residence?” The first cop asked. It took Alex a second to find his voice. Nodding, he spoke in an even tone. “Yeah, that was me.” “You reported an intruder in your home?” “Yeah…it was just my girlfriend. She came home late, and forgot to turn the TV off.” He replied lamely. The cops weren’t satisfied. They looked past him at the apartment. “Your place appears a little messy, sir. You sure there’s no trouble?” “I’m positive, sirs.” He tried to sound confident. “You wouldn’t mind if we took a look around, then?” The second officer began to push past Alex, who attempted to block him. “I’d rather you didn’t,” He tried his best to appear casual. “My girlfriend is changing right now, and I don’t think she’d appreciate-“ “I’m going to have to take a look around, sir. Step aside.” Officer one began to push him out of the way, while the second one tried to step inside. “My girlfriend really needs her privacy…” “Out of the way!” The cop snapped, impatient. The three men struggled for a minute, Alex worried that he might get hauled away for obstructing police. He was about to let them in when suddenly he heard a voice from behind him. “Who’s at the door, dear? Is it trouble?” Alex’s ex-girlfriend poke her head around the corner, looking at the three men. The officers stopped struggling; the first one nodded in greeting. “Good morning, ma’am. We were just responding to a distress call placed earlier today.” Alex’s ‘Girlfriend’ looked sheepish. “Sorry about that. I came in a little early, and fell asleep with the TV on.” She giggled, and stepped around the corner. She had a large blanket draped around her, which she clutched tightly. Alex guessed that she wasn’t able to find any clothes. “Just to be sure, miss. Can you verify that you two are the only individuals in the apartment at the moment?” The cop still seemed suspicious. She was about to say something, when suddenly she lost her grip on the blanket, and it fell on the ground around her. The cops tried to avoid staring, and Alex felt his cheeks turn red. “Oh god!” She crouched down to retrieve her blanket, and stood up after wrapping it around her body again. When she was finally presentable, she addressed the police officers, who were staring at their shoes. “Yes, I’m sure we’re the only people in the apartment. Do you need to check anyway?” One of the cops spoke up. “That won’t be necessary, ma’am. Thank you for your time.” “Any time, sirs. Have a pleasant day!” She called after them as they climbed down the steps. When they were out of view, Alex shut the door, and the changeling reversed to her original self, dumping the blankets all over the floor, She sprawled across the couch again with a sigh of exhaustion. “Do NOT make me do that again!” She growled angrily. “I forgot!” He protested. “I thought you were a home invader!” “Well whatever it was, it was ridiculous! I’m used to ponies eyeballing me, but come on!” The duo flopped onto the couch for a minute, trying to calm down. Eventually they caught their breath and turned their attention to the TV. Chrysalis placed a hoof against the back of his head and pushed him off of the couch. She rested her hooves where Alex used to be seated. “You know, I may get used to this…” She mused. Somewhere on the floor in front of her, Alex groaned.