//------------------------------// // Moving In // Story: Asylum Function: Secrets of Equestria // by SulliedInk //------------------------------// It was still early in the morning; the sun hadn't even risen yet, but I was already up and ready to go. To think that just yesterday, I was still living with my parents down in some boring little town a few ways south of Ponyville; starting today, I get to live amongst the big shots from this part of Equestria and beyond. I'd already packed my book-bag and eaten breakfast. After I'd done the dishes, the clock in my rather cramped apartment rang six times. School didn't open until 8:30, and the earliest of my classes was scheduled for 9:45; needless to say, I let my excitement get the best of me. Nonetheless, I still had over two hours left to kill; that said, having just move in, unpacking should be pretty high on my priority list right about now. A few boxes and suitcases later, I came across the official school uniform I'd been sent a few days back. To my surprise, the attire consisted of a white polo, a black jacket, a red tie marked with bright-yellow stripes, and dark-grey dress pants. Granted, it looked pretty cool on its own, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The details of my previous visit to Celestia's Royal-Academy-place-thing, blurry as they were, appeared to clash against the information that lay before my eyes; it bothered me more than it should have, but part of me could have sworn black was not the color of the uniforms donned by the students. Oh well, such a minute can surely be cast aside for now. At first, I felt somewhat hesitant towards undressing here in my living room. Though I lived alone and away from prying eyes, changing in the literal middle of my house simply came off as "wrong" in my head. Besides, my room was too much of a mess unsuited for new threads such as these. I had no clue why something so trivial obscured my thoughts like dark storm clouds; it just did. In the end, I decided it was best simply to head to my bedroom. First, though, some cleaning had to be done. For the time being, I cast aside my uniform by placing it neatly on the table and exactly five centimeters left and down from my computer and desk-lamp. Shortly thereafter, I rearranged the papers on my desk from three separate piles into a single, neatly organized stack labeled "old papers". Then, I moved my mug two centimeters northeast from the upper-right corner of my computer. I stared at the vacant space between the points of reference and calculated each one's mathematical and cardinal bearings. North 15 East and South 15 West; both points' cardinal directions are exactly parallel and perpendicular to each other in accordance to their direction. Afterwards, I pulled out my old vacuum from one of the boxes outside in the living room and proceeded to vacuum the carpet floor in my bedroom. 30 minutes passed until I was finally done with both bedrooms and toilets; the living room and rest of the apartment were hardwood floor, so I let it slide for now. Alright, it seems I've stalled long enough now; time to put on that uniform. After I slipped on my new set of daily clothing, I walked over to the bathroom and examined myself in the mirror. Hmm... The symmetry between my shoulders is not quite right... This jacket feels slightly too small on the left shoulder by 4.72 millimeters, and on the right, it... "Ah, damn it! They didn't even spell my name right!" Indeed they didn't; for some strange reason, whoever sowed the letters onto this dark fabric threw in a letter "O" between the "L" and "U" of Salutem. Regardless, it was only my first name, and the embroidering was barely noticeable in the first place. "Still, just because it's a tiny inscription on the cuff of my right sleeve does not mean I shall let this error go uncorrected." I marched out the bathroom door, grabbed my keys, and swiftly made my way down the hallway leading to the elevator. Last night, I remembered setting the front door to "auto-lock". Despite the potential drawbacks, it didn't matter much anyways; I didn't regard myself as the type to let such simple idiocy as "forgetting my keys" get the best of me... "Hey, wait a minute..." I glanced down at my palm and subsequently let out a cry of realization and frustration. "Crap! Wrong keys!"