//------------------------------// // Chapter: 2 // Story: Appearances // by Chapter 13 //------------------------------// I didn't dream that night, which surprised me. Usually, when I had one of my, uh…episodes, it was always followed by a nightmare. If I slept at all, that is. I groggily opened my eyes; the feeling I received proof enough for me that I had actually managed to fall asleep. A good night sleep… I thought to myself. That’s new. I tilted my head up and looked over at my alarm clock, only to smile at the fact that I had managed not to sleep in. I loved laying in bed as much as the next guy, but I tried to keep a strict habit of waking up around the same time each day. It allowed for routine -- something that calmed me. I rolled myself out of bed, stretched, threw on some clothes, then walked out into my living room to check to see if my ‘guest’ was still there. I sighed. She was. Well, there goes my hallucination theory, I thought as I walked up to the horse asleep on my couch. I stopped when I stood over the animal, then watched her chest slowly rise and fall. She currently lay on her back, legs tightly wrapped around her body, with her mouth open wide. It was strange, but… I found the sight oddly peaceful. Hell, I’d go as far to say adorable. It was odd to think of such a creature in this way -- or anything, for that matter -- but it honestly fit. I shook my head and banished these thoughts from my mind. “Hey,” I said aloud, then poked the creature’s exposed stomach. “Wake up.” She stirred and groaned, but refused to wake. I repeated the action with fruitless return. I growled a few minutes later, then walked around the couch and gripped the underside tightly. “Wake up!” I screamed, then violently lifted the couch. “Holy shit!” I heard her scream as she was launched from her resting place, then smacked into the ground. Vinyl was quick to recover as she scrambled to her hooves then gave me a dirty look. “What the hell?!” I put back down the couch. “My house, my rules. You wake up when I wake up, or sleep in the room I gave you,” I said plainly. “Whatever,” the horse growled, then let out a soft yawn. “What time is it, anyway?” “Eight in the morning.” She scoffed. “Who the hell gets up that early?!” “Me,” I say plainly. “And now you, as well.” Again, the horse grumbled, then walks over and jumped up onto my armchair. “So not fair…” I let out a half-hearted chuckle. “You’re lucky I'm letting you stay here. To be honest, I’m still on the fence about what I think about you.” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “What? Have I not wooed you with my feminine charm, yet?” I vault over the couch and land on the soft cushions. “Seriously? Are you honestly trying to seduce me?” “Why? You got something against interspecies romance?” she asks accusingly. “Yes, I do,” I reply plainly. Honestly, what a stupid question! “Here, in my world, we frown against relationships between us and animals.” “I’m not an animal!” she exclaimed. “I’m a pony!” I roll my eyes. “Where I’m from, where you are now, ponies are animals.” She goes to respond but, instead, lets out an exasperated groan. “Ugh, never mind! It was just a joke, anyways…” “I don't do jokes.” It’s true, I don't. “Never been good at telling them, nor good at understanding them.” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Clearly…” Out of all the talking horses I had to be stuck with it had to be a fucking sarcastic one. I cursed my horrible luck. The next few minutes are filled with relative silence. I observed the talking white horse while she continued to play with my music player. The silence all but consumes me. Wracking my brain for conversation, I ask: “Where are you from?” The horse lifts her head, then removed my headphones from her ears. “I already told you a while ago. Equestria.” Strange name, I mused. “What’s it like?” The horse thinks for a second. “Uh… it’s kinda, um…” She continued to mumble and shift awkwardly in her seat. I could practically see the gears stripping in her mind while she tried to think of a response. Fearing her head may catch fire, I clarified, “Here, let me make it easier: What do you do in this… Equestria.” The horse let out a sigh of relief. I toy with the thought of her catching fire. “Okay, that’s much easier to explain,” she began. “I’m a DJ. Y’know, disk jockey? I bet you have those in this world… right?” “Yeah, we do.” I watch her smile. “Now, I’m not just any DJ. No, I'm the DJ! DJ PON-3!” she exclaimed with much enthusiasm and pride. Pon3, really? I chuckled inwardly at the name. Not very creative. “I do concerts, dinners, clubs, parties… well, basically anything that’ll hire me.” “Okay, I guess? It sounds like our worlds are at least similar, then.” I shrug, not know exactly what else to say. “Maybe?” Vinyl shrugged. “I don't know, really. The amount of stuff from your world I've seen so far consists of your house, so I can't be much of a judge.” “True,” I agree, then thought of a better question. “What’s your government like?” “Weeeeeell,” she began, drawing out the word. “I'm not exactly an expert or… well, anything.” Clearly, I mentally add. “But I do know that our two princesses rule over everything and make the laws ‘n’ crap.” Princesses? Interesting... “How about your military?” Again, she shrugged. “Honestly, I have no fucking idea. We have a guard and stuff, but… they don't really do anything that I know of.” That was interesting. This world she described seemed like a fairytale. Though, this did cast more doubt that she was real and more that I had snapped. “So… I'm guessing you aren't currently at war?” To my surprise, she chuckled. “Of course not! We haven't been at war since… well, since Nightmare Moon. And that was a long ass time ago.” “How long?” I ask with interest, then lean forward. “Uh…” she began while she tapped her chin. “A thousand years ago or something, I think?” My eyes went wide. “You mean to tell me you haven't had a war in a thousand years?!” “Uh… yeah?” Vinyl said with a raised eyebrow. “Why is that so hard to believe?” I shake my head. “It's just… I don't think we’ve had more than a couple years without a war going on someplace.” “Really?” “Yeah…” I nod sadly. “We’re not exactly the most peaceful of races.” She grimaced. “Geez...” There was silence for a little while after that. Vinyl didn’t talk, only look at the floor with a downturned expression, and I didn’t really have the energy to continue with that topic in particular. “So…” Vinyl began, awkwardly twiddling her hooves. “Anything else?” I think for a second, but come up with nothing. “Not at the moment, no. I’ll probably think of something later, though.” Vinyl smiled. “Sweet, my turn!” Oh god, this isn’t going to end well… I sit up in my chair and await the barrage of stupidity. “What do you do? For work, I mean.” Okay, not as stupid as I was expecting. “I work as security for a local club,” I answer. The horse’s eyes look up at me with increased interest. “Wait, really?” I nod. “Ha, that’s kinda cool! So, you handle the drunk idiots ‘n’ stuff, right?” “Pretty much.” “So…” She smirked. “Any good stories?” I chuckle. “Yeah, there have been a few.” “Can I hear one? Or…y’know, all of them?” Seriously? Does this creature have any maturity? I gently shake my head. “Maybe another time.” “Awwww!” she wined, then crossed her hooves. “No fair!” I roll my eyes and lean back on the couch. “They’re long and I'll be annoying to put into context. Maybe one day, when I’m really bored.” Vinyl’s face slowly fell at that comment, something I was quick to notice. I tilt my head. “You… okay?” The horse shook her head, then looked up. “Wha’? Oh, yeah! Yeah, I’m…” She paused, then deflated. “No… no, I’m not…” Her head lowers and her eyes focus on her hooves. I look at the now downtrodden pony and couldn’t help but feel saddened myself. I sat back up and leaned towards my guest, giving her a look of concern. “Seriously, Vinyl, what’s wrong?” The pony sighed, then shook its head. “How am I going to get home?” Oh, right… that. I bit my lip. “I… well… maybe…?” I let out a sight. “I don't know.” Vinyl deflated as well. “Yeah, didn’t think so…” There was an awkward pause. For the first time since I had first seen the creature, I felt something other than confusion towards her: pitty. Honestly, I was still on the fence on whether to believe she was real or not, but I still couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor creature. She was alone, trapped in an alien world. I would be lying if I said I didn’t know how it felt, but I would be lying even more if I said I knew how to help her. I mean, how could I? She was a magic talking horse from a magic talking place of peace. It was a fairytale land, from what I could guess. A stereotypical land for ignorant little girls who believe that the world is actually capable of peace. Or an ignorant little boy who believed they could save the world. I shook my head and pushed away the little voice in the back of my head. He wasn’t helping, like usual. “So, um… Vinyl,” I finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence. The horse looked up, her face still downtrodden. “What?” Crap… What was I going to say? I wrack my brain for some sort of response. “Do you, um… You hungry?” Yes, food. Food makes things better for girls… right? “Yeah, actually,” she said with a soft smile. I inwardly jump for joy. “What do you have?” I think for a moment. Okay… so, what do horses eat? Vegetables, I guess. Fruit? No meat, I’m guessing. Grain? Cereal… Yes! “You like cereal?” Vinyl nods, her smile widening. “Hell yeah!” I chuckle, then roll off the couch and onto my feet. I walk over to the kitchen with the unicorn in tow, her downturned mood seemingly forgotten. I open up the cabinet just left of the refrigerator. “I don’t exactly have a large selection, so this is what I have.” The horse jumps up onto the counter and balances on her hind legs. She regards each of the five boxes in the cabinet, then jumps down and looks up at me with a seemingly aggravated expression. “What the hell? That’s not cereal!” I raise an eyebrow, then look back to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Nope, that’s cereal… Unless it’s different in her world. I turn back to her. “In my world, it is.” “No, cereal is supposed to be coated in sugar and have lots of marshmallows!” She looks at the cabinet with a face of disgust. “Not that… that plain junk!” My eye twitched. “That would be kid cereal. This is normal cereal.” “No, that is boring cereal for boring ponies!” People, I mentally correct. “If you don’t like it, then you’ll have to wait for me to pick up something you do like.” I grumble. “Could you at least try it?” Vinyl huffed, then used her, eh… magic to… levitate… god, I’m gonna need to get used to this. She moved one of the boxes with her magic over to her. She regarded the box, then grumbled to herself as she walked back over to the couch. “Uh… don’t you need a bowl?” She jumped onto the couch. “Nah, I got it,” she said, then levitated a handful (hoofful?) from the box into her mouth. She made a spat of disgust but continued to eat. Everything about this creature irked me. From her immature attitude to her blissful ignorance, to… well, everything! Part of me thought this was some sort of demon sent to haunt me, but I wasn’t a religious man. If god was real, he had a sick sense of humor. I grabbed myself an apple and a glass of milk from my fridge and silently ate at the small table in the kitchen. I cringed at every loud crunch for the horse as she devours her ‘boring cereal for boring people.’ I tried to ignore it, but the thought that I was going to have to clean up after her was… Oh, for fucks sake! I finished my apple, put my empty glass in the sink, then stomped over to the door. I grabbed my coat, then began to put my shoes on. The horse seemed to notice this. “Hey, where you going?” she asked through a mouthful of food. “Out,” I reply bluntly. “Don’t answer the door. Don’t touch anything. And, for the love of whatever god you have, please clean up your mess.” I saw the horse opened her mouth, but I walked out and closed the door before I could hear what it was. I stood with my back to my closed door for a moment while I rubbed my fingers into my forehead. “She is going to be the death of me…” “Who is, dear?” I jump slightly. My head jerks up to the view of my elderly neighbor standing beside me. I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh. Hi, Mrs. Murphy.” She gives me a warm smile. “Didn’t mean to scare you none. Just saw you exit in a huff and mumble to yourself.” She chuckled. “I may be old, but I know girl trouble when I see it.” “Yeah, something like that…” You have no idea… I felt a gently hand be placed on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. It’ll work out. If not, it wasn’t meant to be,” she began, then chuckled. “Remember: you always have me.” I couldn’t help but smile at that last part. “Yeah, I know, Mrs. Murphy. You’ll always be my special girl.” She gave me a light slap on the cheek. “And don’t you forget it!” I saw her struggle to keep a serious face on. “Now, help ol’ Murphy with her groceries.” I smile, then reach down and pick up the bags I now noticed next to her feet. “No problem,” I say as I follow her to her apartment. “Such a good lad. Now, don’t tire yourself out, because there’ll be at least two more trips back to my car.” My left eye twitched. [center It did, in fact, take three trips for me to bring in all of Mrs. Murphy’s groceries. For a little old woman who lived alone, she sure did buy a lot of stuff. She invited me in for a cup of well deserved tea, but I respectfully declined. I had a lot on my mind, at the moment, and I really wanted to get as far away as I could from my apartment. From the creature that resided inside... I made my way out of the apartment and just walked. It was cold, per usual. Light clouds hung overhead, but light still managed to peek through them. It may have been early morning, but the city was already well awake. In the distance, I heard the honking of angry Bostonian drivers, the distant rumbling of construction, and the even deeper horns from boats in the harbor. More locally, I could hear the pounding of heavy foot traffic, the scream of even more angry Bostonians, and even occasional car horn. I found the odd symphony peaceful, in a way. Sure, every other loud bang! made me jump, but the sound of life helped balance it out to a manageable level. I even cracked a smile. I like walking. It was simple -- you just went where your feet took you. I liked the simplicity, in a way. It didn't require me to think, to remember. It just required me to keep moving forward. Away from the talking horse in my home… I stopped my journey, sitting down on one of the snow filled benches that lay sporadic besides the street. Okay, there’s a talking horse in my house. I took a deep breath. There is not a talking horse in my house. I shook my head. There’s a talking horse in my house… Again, I shook my head. Nothing made sense. Had I gone mad? Strangely, I preferred that over the latter. How would I take care of this horse? Pony, actually. I didn't know how to… send it back, I guess? Would I be stuck with it forever? A thought popped into mind. Can't I just… give it away? I did fear the worst, and I felt bad for it... for Vinyl. I did believe she would be taken away and treated cruelly for ‘science’ or ‘safety’. But who said she was my responsibility? Who said I had to take care of her? I pressed my hands into my head. Why is this happening to me? I know I have sinned. I know I have done things that no one should ever have to do. I have made decisions that no one should ever have to make. I have gazed into the abyss… and I have seen what stares back. I know what goes bump in the night. I know the demons that have walked among us. I have fought monsters… and I have even become one myself. I slam my fist into the bench. I grind my teeth. I close my eyes. I take a deep breath. I allow myself to calm. “Keep it together, Alex,” I mutter softly to myself. I sat on that bench for a while. People walked past. The occasional car sped by. The clouds occasionally parted enough for some true sunlight to shine free. Life continued even when I did nothing to aid it. My service to the earth, to my country, ended when that IED went off. What could I possibly do to further it, now? I wasn’t a scientist. I wasn’t a writer. I wasn’t a politician. I wasn’t a businessman. I am a soldier. ... I was a soldier. My battle was over. My time on the offensive had come to an end. I had no idea whether I had won or lost. All I did know was that now that I was home, and I was lost. What was I to do? Yes, I did have a job, but how did that better society? I threw drunks out of a bar and stopped underaged drinkers from entering. Well, from this bar. I had no doubt that they just hopped on over to the next one, and the next one until they eventually got in. Wasn’t much I could do about that; kids had a keen ability to find ways around almost everything… I shook my head, then stood up from the bench. No. Stop thinking about this. Stop it! I growled, then stomped off. A quick review of my surrounding area and I knew where I was -- my walk had apparently lead me towards the shopping district of Southey. Old, family owned shops lined the narrow cobblestone street. More and more people began to build up around me the further I walked. Soon, I went from being almost alone on the street, to tightly packed in the middle of a practical stream of bodies. Most of them were tourists, believe it or not. There was something about the tight-knit, local culture that seemed to draw people’s attention. Growing up in the area, I didn’t really see the appeal. I continued forward, gently following the flow until I came upon a shop that caught my interest. I broke free from the herd. I stood in front of the local ‘supermarket’, so to say. Really, it was more of a general goods store, but the owner -- a really cranky Irishman named Lenny -- insisted it was a supermarket. Never cared to argue, so I just went with it. I pushed through the front door. It was a little bit warmer than outside, but not much. Lenny wasn’t one to spend extra on something ‘trivial’ as heat. A good few isles lay out in front of me, each labeled in a fairly simplistic system. To the right was the checkout counter, with old Lenny himself ringing up some random patron. A tourist, I’m guessing, since he wasn’t yelling at them. I honestly can’t emphasize how two-faced this man really was. I lazily browsed past a few of the isles, occasionally grabbing something I needed; replacement bathroom supplies (because of my ‘guest’), some more pop tarts (again, for my ‘guest’), a box of ‘real’ sugar covered, marshmallow-filled cereal (for my ‘guest’, believe it or not), and a few other things I needed to stock up on, anyways. Once I was done, I brought my hall back over to Lenny. “So, I see yer finally straying from the healthy stuff, now?” Lenny commented as he tallied up my total. “Didn’t expect that out of you.” I nonchalantly shrug. “Eh. Trying something new.” “As much as I enjoy the business, I suggest against it. Especially from you.” He looked me dead in the eyes. “You’re one of the good ones around here. You’re respectful and know when to shut the fuck up. Don’t want to lose to lose you from a heart attack or somethin’.” Now, Lenny was short, old, but could still look deep into your soul with a single stare. I wasn’t intimidated, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t creep me out a bit. I mentally noted that this was just one box of cereal and some other junk food and it wasn’t going to kill me, but I kept my comment to myself and simply nodded. “Thanks, Lenny.” He nodded. “Don’t mention it, none. Now, this’s gonna cost you sixty-five.” I pull out my wallet and pay the man in cash. He bags my items and I head out without another word. Other than some shoveling, the walk back to my house was fairly uneventful. It was approaching noon, much to my surprise, so the sun was at its pique, shining down through its clouded veil. I walked up the two flights of stairs, then paused just in front of my door. Part of me hoped that it would be empty when I entered, my uninvited ‘guest’ nowhere to be seen. But, at the same time… another part of me kinda wanted her to be there. I didn’t know why, but it was there, I couldn’t deny it. I shook my head. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my keys, then unlocked the door, push it open and… It was empty. The living room, from this position, showed no signs of the annoying white horse. I smiled a bit, hoping that this pattern continued. I walked past the threshold, closed the door behind me, and then dropped my groceries onto the kitchen counter. My first response was to put everything away, but I decided it could wait while I checked to make sure she was actually gone. I walked over to the bathroom. No Vinyl. I walked over to my room. Still no Vinyl. I walked over to the guest room… My eyes saw red. “Put that down!” I screamed, stomping into the room. Vinyl, who was currently standing next to the closet, jumped at my sudden outburst. She went to speak, but I didn’t listen. Instead, I grabbed the photograph out of her magical grasp and put it back into the box where it belonged. I check to make sure that everything else was still there and no broken -- I sighed in relief when it was -- then closed the box and turned to face Vinyl. She opened her mouth, seemingly to say something, but then closed it when she got a look at the expression on my face. She was scared. Good. “What did I say?” I growled, looking down at the unicorn who now cowered under my scrutiny. “I told you not to touch anything!” “S-sorry!” she meeped. “I-I was just curious and bored a-and you said this was my room a-and, uh…” She gulped. “They were just photographs and random stuff!” My eye twitched. My expression steeled. “That ‘random stuff’ is all that I have left of some of the bravest people I know. They mean more to me than anything else in this entire house.” I take a deep breath. “Never touch it again, understand?” She nods weakly. I continued eye contact for another minute or so, then picked up the box and moved it into my room. When I returned, Vinyl was still standing with shaky legs, her eyes holding complete terror. I want to yell, but the more I look at her, into those eyes… the more I realize how unfair I was. I took a deep breath, then kneel down and sit on the ground. Vinyl flinches with each move I make. She thinks I’m going to hurt her. Being honest with myself, I almost did. I lower my head. I take several deep breaths. Keep it together, Alex. I don’t look up. “I’m sorry, Vinyl,” I finally speak, my voice almost a soft whisper. I hear no reply. “I… I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.” I sigh. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” Again, no reply. I sigh, then shake my head. Good going, asshole. I look up and am surprised to see Vinyl sitting not far in front of me. I guess I didn’t notice her move. She still looks scared, but only slightly. What surprised me the most was how her eyes held… pitty? Vinyl gulped, then licked her lips. I could see she was at war with something in her head. Eventually, she managed to utter quietly, “What happened to them?” The question hit me hard, and I honestly didn’t want to answer it. So my surprise, however, my lips soon began to move. “They died.” “How?” I take a deep breath, then lower my head. “War.” I didn’t look up, but I didn’t need too... I could still feel those sad eyes on me. “Do you want to… do you want to talk about it?” Did I? “No… but I will.” I reach my hand up a wipe my eyes. They were wet. “I know you don’t have war where you’re from, but we do here. People kill each other for the most stupid reasons and fight for a cause that most of them have forgotten. I fought to protect those who couldn’t; to make a difference in the world… I don’t know when that fantasy died, but it did. There is no honor in war. There are no heroes. There is only death.” I bit back a sob. “That box is filled with all that remains of the people that I served with. They died. They died fighting for a cause that almost all of us had forgotten. I held some of them as they left this world. Some, I could have saved.” I felt a wetness roll down my cheek. “But… but that’s not all. I mourn their loss. I keep their memory alive. But… but I also think about those who lives I ended. They were the enemy. I killed them so they wouldn’t kill me, or my brothers, or the innocent. It was… it was the only… only.” I wipe my eyes again. “I hear their screams. Not only that, but I hear the screams of their families. Both of the ones of my brothers and enemies. I… they won’t go away! They won’t get out of my stupid head!” I heave. Wetness rolls down my cheeks. I hold it in, but some leaks out. “Be strong,” I mutter softly. “A marine doesn’t cry. A marine is strong so the weak don’t have to be. A marine shields the world from the demons that walk among us.” Something soft wraps around my neck. “A marine is never afraid! A marine will never back down! I have gazed into the abyss and I have crushed all that has staired back!” I scream, my fists clenched. The softness holds me tighter. My resolve weakens. “Shh… it’s okay,” Vinyl softly whispered into my ear. “Even the strongest need to cry.” I break. I cry. I am weak. I… I liked being held. I cried. For the first time since I joined the marines, I cried. It was strange. I felt weak. It felt good. Vinyl held me. For a reason that I didn’t understand, she held me. She had nothing to gain. She should have been afraid. She should have just coward. She should have seen me as the monster I was. Why didn't she? For whatever reason, she did. She held me while I let out years of pent up sadness. Eventually, I hugged her back. I don't know how long this went on for. Could have been a few minutes, could have been a year. However long it was, it eventually came to an end. I released her, she released me. I stood up, wiped my eyes, smiled at her, then walked over to my bathroom. I splashed some cold water over my face. I looked up at the red-eyed, weak excuse for a marine. I'm not a marine anymore. I shook my head, cleared away the little voice in the back of my head, then headed out of the bathroom when I had collected myself. I found Vinyl on the couch, playing with my music player. She looked up at me when she noticed me approach. Her eyes held pity and sadness, but her words were void of either emotion. “Soo… what’s you get?” she asked. She didn't bring up what had just happened… I look at her cockeyed for a second, then mentally smack myself when I remember that I still hadn't put away my groceries. “Oh, right, almost forgot,” I said. I tried to sound normal. I tried to sound strong. I walked over to the kitchen and rifled through the bags until I got what I was looking for. I cracked a smile. “Got you something I think you’ll like.” I tossed her the box of ‘cereal’. It landed on her lap, and I swear her eyes went larger than her head. “Holy shit, yeah! Now this is cereal!” Her horn glowed, and she ripped open the box. “Come to momma Vinyl!” she screamed, then levitated a large bite of sugar covered flakes and marshmallows and shoved them into her mouth. She all but moaned as she chewed. That was it, I couldn't hold back. I laughed. It was a genuine laugh. Not forced, fake, or out of nervousness or anything else. I laughed because… It made me happy. Vinyl continued to devour the box at an exceedingly fast rate. To the point where I kinda regretted only getting one box. I looked up at the clock. It was almost two. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. Somehow, through the sound of the crunching, Vinyl heard me. She stopped her feast and looked up at me. “Yo, what’s wrong?” “Nothing. Just only got a half an hour until I have to leave for work,” I say, then poke my head into the fridge and pull out some leftover Chinese from a few days ago. Didn't have enough time to make something, so it had to do. “I’ll be back around two in the morning, though.” Vinyl groans. “Ugh, again?” she whined. “You do know you're literally the only entertainment I have around her, right? At this point, I think being dissected is better than dying of boredom!” I roll my eyes. “We both know that’s not true.” I reach into a drawer and pull out a fork, then take a bite of cold, two days old Lo Mein. It was horrible, but still beat an MRE. “Is there anything I can get to make your stay more pleasurable?” She smiled wickedly. I felt like I made a horrible mistake. “Weeeeeeell. Now that you mention it…” I gulped. “Do you guys have TV?” I blink. That’s it? “Uh… yeah. I got one in my room.” She deadpanned. “You could have asked before and I would have told you,” I say with a shrug. Vinyl grabs her box of cereal, rolled off the couch, then headed towards my room. “Don’t you need me to–” “I’ll figure it out!” she screamed back, then closed my door. I shake my head with a light chuckle. I finish my food, put away the rest of my groceries, then walked over to my room. I opened my door to see Vinyl lounging on my bed, remote levitated in her magical grasp. She looked at me, took a huge bite of cereal, then turned back to the TV. I ignored her and grabbed my uniform. I briefly looked up and noticed she was watching some cartoon. Didn't see that coming, I mentally note sarcastically. I walked back to the bathroom, get changed, then walk back to my bedroom. I wait for Vinyl to look up at me. “So, same rules as before.” I pause. “Well, kinda. Don't open the door for anyone. Don't break anything.” I nod my head to the growing pile of crumbs on the bed. “Clean up your mess. And, if you get hungry, please don't destroy anything. I don't know what appliances you have where you are, but if you don't know how to use one of mine, don't. Other than that, eat whatever you want.” I check my mental checklist. Yup, that was it. “I’ll be back around two. Please, don't destroy anything.” She waved me off. “Yeah, yeah. Keep your pants on.” This saying confused me. She didn't wear pants, so… how did she…? I shook my head, then exited the room and headed for the door.