Valkyrie floated up to her window and pulled herself in. Nothing was broken, but it still bloody hurt.
Her reflection was waiting on her bed for her, slowly brushing its long dark hair, Valkyrie's hair.
"You look awful," it intoned in its monotone voice. Valkyrie hated hearing her own voice like that.
"Gee, thanks," she said, and hobbled into the bathroom and began to methodically scrub the dark red blood out from under her nails.
The reflection followed her. "Do you want to know what happened today?"
"Hit me."
"Why do you want me to strike you?"
"No, I meant- just tell me what happened today."
"Nothing much. There was a history test but we did okay."
"I take history?" Valkyrie asked, pausing her scrubbing for a moment and then rinsing her hands under the water. "It's been too long since I went to school."
"That's okay, I like taking your place."
"Refl-" Valkyrie started, but caught herself, "Eh, what do you want me to call you?"
"Stephanie," the reflection said. "It is our name."
"Right," Valkyrie said. "Well, emm, Steph, do you think you could sneak downstairs and grab me some plasters?"
"Sure," the reflection agreed, and left, thank god. Valkyrie didn't strictly need a plaster, but she just felt clunky with the reflection staring her down like that, and yet she felt bad telling it to get back in the mirror immediately. The reflection had taken a bullet for her, even did her maths homework for her. If it wanted to talk, then Valkyrie didn't really feel that she could deny it that much.
"Here," the reflection said, entering back in the door, the entire first aid box in its arms. "Just in case."
Valkyrie thought that might have been a joke, and she smiled but the reflection remained expressionless. "Thanks," she said and took the box, drying her hands on her pants.
"You could have dried those with magic," the reflection said, and Valkyrie heard the criticism there.
"Look I'm pretty tired, alright?" she snapped back. "You try summon a flame after the day I've had."
"I don't have magic, Valkyrie," the reflection said.
"You don't? I mean, of course you don't." Valkyrie had a splitting pain over her eye and she was not in the mood to be discussing frankly anything with her reflection, and she really didn't care if it had powers or not.
She pulled off her black clothing and got into her pyjamas, conscious of the reflection standing there silently.
"Well, goodnight then, emm, Stephaine," Valkyrie said, dropping the hint as bluntly as she could.
"Sleep well Valkyrie," the reflection said in her voice, and stepped back into the mirror. Valkyrie touched the glass and the reflection's memories seeped into her; she saw herself, injured and glaring, through its eyes.
Valkyrie pulled herself into bed, the first aid box forgotten on the ground beside her.