Authors Notes
This is part 1 of a two-part chapter. I wanted to stick to a one chapter a month release schedule, but there's too much material to cover for me to do that until the introductory chapters are done. This is introductory chapter 3 of 4. After that the main storyline will start. As for part 2 of this chapter, check my profile for progress reports and additional information. I update that a couple times each month.
Meet Ximena and Aurelia
- Part 1 -
6 Years Ago…
Richmond, Virginia…
A white Lexus LX-570 sped down the interstate, its paint reflecting the rays of the morning sunlight. Inside were two occupants, a mother and her daughter. The latter would be starting college that fall. The large SUV was packed nearly to the brim with boxes. As her mother listened to the radio, the girl tapped away on her smartphone. All her friends from high school had gone their own separate ways, so she was quite grateful to have social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; that's all she needed. Holding her phone out in front of her, the girl snapped a selfie. Smiling gleefully, she proceeded to send the photo to her friends.
"That's like the third photo of yourself you've taken since we've been on the road," said her mother. "I doubt anything's changed since yesterday when you were up all night talking to them."
The girl rolled her eyes, her mother didn't quite grasp social media. She was from an older generation and time period, and viewed the world differently.
"It's so boring having to sit in the car for this long," replied the girl as she stretched and reclined in her seat, the leather feeling cool against her skin.
"Besides, I offered to drive, but you wouldn't let me."
The older woman laughed, "The $750 in repairs to your father's car is a good enough reason not to let you anywhere near the controls, sweetie."
The girl pouted. It wasn't her fault that her dad's Audi possessed more power than she had expected. That ditch she drove into had appeared out of nowhere. Her mother sighed. Her daughter was quite intelligent, at least from a book smart perspective. She graduated near the top of her class, and had the GPA to go to any university she wanted. She just lacked common sense. The older woman was hoping that college life would hammer some better judgement into her daughters brain.
"I already paid dad back, though. I worked all summer! So, why do you have to keep holding that over my head?"
Her mother groaned, "Just drop it, okay? If you get really good grades your first year, then I'll talk to your father about getting you a car of your own."
The girls eyes lit up. That was even enough for her to put her phone down, for about five seconds. She was the only person she knew that didn't have a car in high school, and she felt pathetic having to ask for rides all the time. She was like a child having to wait for one of her parents to come and get her every day.
"You'll be the one paying the insurance kid, so don't get too excited," her mother continued. "Wreck it, and it's your responsibility to get it fixed."
The girl groaned in defeat. She'd have to get a part time job if she wanted a car, and that's exactly what her parents wanted her to do. In reality, she didn't really need one. All the stores and shops were going to be close to the campus, so it would just be a glorified grocery hauler. She looked at the GPS; they were about 20 minutes away from their destination. Gazing lazily out the window, she placed her phone in her jacket pocket, and leaned back in her seat. The girl perked up as her mother pulled into the parking lot of the campus owned apartments. She wanted to live here instead of a dorm room, because there was more privacy, and rent was cheaper than boarding fees. Her mother eyed the yellow and black flag with a picture of a ram on it. The letters 'VCU' dominated the center.
"And here we are, that wasn't too bad of a drive. How long did that take us, two and half hours?" her mother asked while musing.
"The campus is really pretty too. Your father seemed pleased with it, from what he told me."
The girl nodded in agreement. Her family was from Baltimore, and her father was a professor at one of the major universities there. She wanted to study mathematics, as it had been her best subject in school. Her dad tried to get her to go to MIT, but that was in Boston, and she didn't want to study that far away from home.
"Virginia U seemed pretty cool, but one of the professors there told me about the program here, and I like it," replied the girl.
"There's more people here, and Richmond has a lot more to offer than Charlottesville. I would have been so totally cramped there."
The girl got out of the car, and stretched her arms and legs, as her mother did the same. Both were around the same height, and possessed the same flawless tanned skin, along with the same gorgeous looks and curvaceous figures.
"We'll stop by the office, and get your lease signed. I've looked into this complex online, and it seems reputable enough," her mother said. "The outside looks nice, doesn't it?"
The girl nodded in agreement, as she followed her mother towards the front office. The manager at the desk yawned, and took a sip of her coffee. She had been assisting students and their parents all morning. With fall classes starting in just a few days, rooms were filling up fast. There was a knock at the door which caused her to perk up. It opened to reveal two women. At passing glance the manager thought that they were twins, until she took a closer look. Her eyes widened, now realizing that they were mother and daughter. They looked practically identical. They shared a very similar facial complexion, and had the same pointed ears. They had the same cobalt blue hair, the same black sclerae below perceiving red eyes, and the same black wings, horns, and tails. They were devils. The 'mother' had a very slight amount of wrinkles on her face, and was dressed more conservatively. The manager stood up from her chair, as the older liminal woman approached her with a smile on her face.
"Welcome to Virginia Commonwealth University. Thank you for choosing the campus apartments," she greeted.
"Thank you for having us," the older devil replied. "I'm Mrs. Vespertilio, and this is my daughter Aurelia."
She motioned towards the younger devil, who had taken her phone out and was playing on it once more. She looked up just long enough to offer a half-hearted greeting, before hearing her mother growl. Aurelia gazed up, only to be greeted by a pair of red eyes staring menacingly at her. She immediately put the phone away, and apologized. The girl listened as her mother and the office manager chatted. Her mother seemed to be satisfied with the lease, and they both signed it. Aurelia took her room key, and stood. She turned and began to make her way back towards the SUV, just missing the manager mentioning to her mother that her roommate was already in the process of moving in.
Seeing extra-species was a common sight in America. They were so integrated, that most humans treated them as equals. And they were recognized as such under the law. Even though her parents were immigrants, Aurelia had been born here. She was a natural US citizen. She had the same rights as humans, and was not subject to the rules and regulations that foreign liminals were. The American Department of Cultural Exchange, the branch of the government that oversaw liminal activity, simply ignored her. It was unlawful for an ACDE agent to even approach her, and ask for proof of citizenship. Of course, the tradeoff meant that was she not eligible to receive any services from MON, but she really didn't need those.
'Hopefully my room has a window that can be opened. It's going to be so much easier if I can just fly up there, and toss all my stuff inside,' Aurelia thought to herself.
'If not, then using the stairs is going to be such a pain.'
The young devil opened the back of the SUV and grabbed her suitcase, and couple of her bags. With her key in hand, she began walking towards the apartment complex. She had seen a number of liminals flying overhead when they reached the campus grounds. Most city districts had regulations on what those with wings could, and couldn't do. Flight over public parks, schools, and most businesses was permitted. Flight over hospitals, prisons, and airports was prohibited for obvious reasons. A few public works facilities were restricted as well. College campuses normally allowed flight on their grounds, and VLC looked to be no exception. Aurelia caught a glimpse of her mother walking out of the office, and stopped. The older devil approached her, brandishing a stabled stack of papers.
"This is your copy of the lease, so don't lose it. And you might want to read over it too. It's got all the rules and regulations in there as well."
The girl let out a sigh, "Fine, fine. I'm going up to my room."
Her mother shot her a glare as she watched her daughter walk towards the elevator, "Your roommate should already be up there. The office manager told me she got here about half an hour ago."
Aurelia cocked an eyebrow. Her roommate? She didn't think she'd have one. She was under the impression that hers was single room suite. Did they change it because they didn't have enough available rooms? She cursed to herself, wishing that she hadn't of left that meeting.
'Then again, it might be fun having a roommate,' she thought, as she rode up to the top of the building. Then she shook her head.
'Ah, who am I kidding? There's a 50/50 chance that this person's going to be totally lame. Ugh…'
Her room was located about halfway down the east hall. She knocked a few times on the door, but didn't get a response. She noticed that the door was ajar, and pushed it open. Aurelia stepped inside and looked around. It was nice looking apartment. The entryway had tile flooring instead of linoleum. The kitchen had a big fridge, a four-burner stove, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a duel sink. There didn't appear to be room for a dining room table, but the kitchen counter had a built-in bar. The carpet in the living room was beige, and she was surprised to see that it came furnished with a couch. There were several boxes stacked up in the living room, along with a reclining chair and a bookcase. No one else was here. Aurelia walked down the hall to the spare bedroom, and opened the door. She caught a glimpse of the room up from hers, closest to the kitchen. She cracked open the door and quickly peaked inside. There were several more boxes, a couple bags, a desk chair, a computer table, an already made bed, and clothes strewn everywhere.
'I wonder if this person's going to be a human, or a liminal like me? What are the odds it'll be another devil? That would be kinda sweet.'
Aurelia turned, and entered her room. The only things inside were a bed, a dresser, and a desk table. Everything else she needed was still packed up in the SUV. She left her suitcase by the bed, and put the bags on top, quickly glancing over her bathroom. It was small, given the space between the toilet and the sink, but the shower was large. It had clearly been modified for liminal use, meaning that she could stretch out her wings and not be cramped. Nodding in approval, she turned and tried to open her bedroom window, only to find that it was sealed shut, and wouldn't budge. Deflating with disappointment, she turned to return to the car for another load.
Aurelia returned carrying a guitar case in one hand, and an amp in the other. Music was her passion. She'd been playing ever since she was 17. While she couldn't read music all that well, she was great at playing it by ear. Her mother walked behind her carrying a box filled with laundry room supplies. To their surprise, the front door was open. Aurelia could hear voices inside. She walked in and placed the amp and guitar case on the floor next to the kitchen counter. A middle-aged Hispanic man walked around the corner of the hallway, conversing in Spanish to an unseen figure. He turned, and stopped short in surprise upon seeing the two devil women in front of him. Slowly he smiled, and greeted them in English.
"Ah, so you must be my daughter's roommate, and mother, I presume?"
Aurelia's mother grinned, rather impressed that the man could tell them apart so easily. Then again, she had been told by others in the past that she naturally gave off a motherly aura, along with an authoritative vibe. She figured a father could pick up on something like that.
"I'm Mr. Juarez. It's a pleasure."
The older liminal introduced herself, and shook the man's hand. Aurelia did the same. They made a bit of small talk with the man, until he turned and shouted towards the hallway.
"Hey, Ximena! You've got guests. Come and say hello."
Aurelia's mind was spinning, trying to imagine this girl that was going to be her new roommate. She bit her thumb in anticipation, as a figure appeared behind the corner. The young devil's eyes widened in surprise. The girl was a harpy, and a tall one too. She was about half a foot taller than she was, and the same height as her father. Her feathers were a mixture of indigo and violet hues, with the tips being light blue. Her wings were long, practically touching the floor. The claws on her thumbs were large and pronounced. Like most harpies, the scales on her legs and feet were bronze. Her hair was gold in color, with streaks of orange hue mixed in. Her eyes shone as blue as the sky. She was wearing a 'VCU' tee-shirt and low-cut blue jean shorts. The girl flashed a wide smile, presenting a very cheerful personality.
"It's nice to meet'cha!" she exclaimed, shaking the older devil's hand. "I'm sure we'll be such good friends!"
Aurelia's mother laughed before gesturing to the younger devil beside her, "My daughter's the one that will be staying here, I'm her mother."
The harpy looked shocked, "Mother? No way! I thought you were sisters. My apologies."
The older devil chuckled at the girl's exasperated tone, "Yeah, we tend to get that a lot. No worries. Aurelia; why don't you and your new roomie get acquainted, while I put some of this stuff away. We'll get your room set up in a bit."
She turned and picked up the box of supplies, and headed towards the laundry room, as Aurelia began to converse with the harpy.
"So, are you from around here, or did you come from out of state?" she asked her new roommate.
"Out of state," the harpy replied. "I'm from Dover, in Delaware, so we had about a three-hour drive. And you?"
"Baltimore. I guess the drive time was about the same for us," the devil girl replied.
Suddenly, she found herself standing in awkward silence as the harpy eyed her with a confused look on her face. It was a little unnerving.
"Are you…Uh-what type of liminal are you, are you some kind of horned bat?"
Aurelia's eye began to twitch. A bat? Hell no! Technically speaking, bats, vampires, and devils all shared the same family, but they were different species. And sure, her last name did translate to 'bat' in Latin, because her father had an awful sense of humor. Still, she didn't like being called that.
"I'm a greater devil; not a bat."
The taller liminal girl smiled in understanding. On that note, Aurelia had never seen a harpy like this girl either. At first glance, she figured Ximena was a raptor, but that wasn't right.
"Not to sound rude here, but I'm not quite sure what type of liminal you are either," she said, turning red with embarrassment.
The girl grinned, not showing the slightest sign of indignation, "I'm a garuda. I've been told that most of us live in South Asia, but I've met several others living in my area."
Aurelia nodded. That was likely due to the high concentrations of Indian-Americans living on the east coast. But a Hispanic father? That was unusual. Harpies were a mono-gender species like the lamia. Every harpy was born female, and they required human men to reproduce. On second look, Ximena really didn't resemble her father at all.
The harpy giggled, "I get asked that a lot. And my older sister looks more like papa than I do. I look like mama. Oh, wait here for a sec!"
Her eyes lit up as she dashed to grab something from her room, returning with a picture frame in her hand. She held it up for the devil to see. It was a photo of Ximena and her family, taken what Aurelia assumed was a few years ago. Sure enough, the older harpy in the photo had brown hair, and the same eyes as her father. The genetic influence was clearly present.
"My sister graduated college a year ago. She's working in Philly right now," Ximena explained. "Do you have any siblings?"
Aurelia laughed, and nodded, "I have three younger brothers, and all of them are hellraisers."
'But then again, I taught them everything they know,' she thought to herself.
Ximena scratched her chin for a second, trying to find a way to keep the small talk going, "I just turned 18 this summer, so what about you? I imagine we're the same age, right?"
Aurelia's mouth opened and then closed. She bit her lip, and folded her arms. She could only imagine how strange her answer was going to be.
"Before I answer that, know that I'm a purebred devil, meaning that my father's also a greater devil. Do you understand what pure-breeding is?"
Ximena shook her head. She didn't have a clue, and how could she when all harpies were female.
Aurelia sighed in defeat, "I'm 36…"
The garuda just stared at her. Her face seemed to go from an 'is this girl serious?' expression, to an 'am I being trolled right now?' look, before contorting into an 'oh shit, I think she's actually serious!' mien that the devil girl couldn't read. Suddenly, the blonde burst out laughing.
"Wow, so you're actually an old lady!"
Aurelia looked horrified, "No! Biologically I'm the same age as you. But since I'm a purebred, my natural life span is longer than humans and halflings, so I age and mature at a slower rate than devils with human parents would."
Ximena still looked confused. She really didn't understand what the girl was talking about. Sure, she knew that other extra-species did have male and female genders, but she didn't see how pure-breeding could make that much of a difference.
"It works like this…" the devil girl explained.
"…A liminal that has male and female parents of the same extra-species have enhanced traits that halflings – liminals that have one human parent – don't. This could be anything from enhanced senses, increased strength and endurance, or immunity to certain diseases. Each extra-species is different. In the case of purebred devil's like myself, we don't have to worry about contracting the diseases that halfling devils are susceptible to as their bodies begin to age and break down, like cancer. We also live longer. If I don't meet my end in some accident in the future, I'll live to see the next century, and maybe another half-century on top of that."
Ximena looked amazed, "Whoa, you sure do know a lot. Where'd you learn all of that?"
The devil girl beamed with pride, "My dad. He's lived a long life himself, and he's seen just about everything, I suppose. He's a scientist. He heads the biology department at a university back home. He's dedicated his life to unraveling the secrets of liminal genetics."
A noise behind them caught both girls attention, as they turned to find their parents chatting with each other in the hallway. Aurelia's tone became softer and sincerer.
"But regardless of what kind of abilities you or I might possess, I think humans are the most remarkable ones of all. Their genetics and DNA allows them to reproduce with any extra-species. Doesn't matter the gender. Say, Ximena, have you ever met another harpy that had a father that wasn't biologically human?"
That was a good question, the garuda mused as she pondered the bluenette's question. She quickly came to the realization that she hadn't, and shook her head.
"Exactly, harpies can only mate with humans. Biological offspring between a harpy and a male devil wouldn't be possible. Not only that, but the race of the human doesn't matter either. Even more remarkable is the influence of human DNA on liminal DNA. In one generation your human father was able to superimpose his Hispanic traits onto an extra-species that has been predominately South Asian in characteristics for hundreds of years. Don't you think that's remarkable?"
Ximena smiled and nodded her head, "Wow Aurelia, you sure are smart, and here I was thinking that you were a little slow because you couldn't figure out how to open your window."
The devil girl looked aghast, "Wha…"
'I-I'm slow!? What the hell is her problem? Harpies are complete idiots! What is she even talking about? The window was sealed shut! I saw it,' the bluenette fumed internally.
The blonde grinned, and asked the shorter girl to go with her. They entered Aurelia's room, and she watched in astonishment as the harpy began flipping a series of latches that she hadn't even seen. Ximena carefully lifted the metal covering off, and set it to the side. What appeared to be a fused window, was really a layered window with a casing on it. The harpy flipped a few more latches, and up it came, all the way up to the top.
"These windows were designed for extra-species like us. I have one too. The housing director probably put us in the same unit because we can both fly. I'm surprised you carried all your stuff up the stairs. Have you never seen one of these before?"
Aurelia stared at the floor, absolutely flabbergasted. She had never felt this stupid in her entire life.
Ximena hated goodbyes. She told herself on the drive down that she'd be a big girl and keep it together, but watching her dad's heavy-duty pickup truck disappearing down the road was causing tears to tug at the corners of her eyes. She had never been away from home for too long, and she had almost chosen a college in Wilmington just to stay close to her parents. But she came to Virginia for one reason, and that was to chase a dream. A dream she had no idea how to make into a reality, but she figured this was good place to start. The harpy turned to gaze at her new roommate, who watched the road where her mother's SUV used to be, with a forlorn expression on her face. Perhaps she had come to the same realization, that they were both on their own now.
At first, everything was fine. Aurelia and Ximena both had morning and evening classes, so they left the apartment early and came home late. They only saw each other briefly most days. By the end of the second week, they were speaking to each other in the kitchen, and hanging out in the living room watching television. Then, Aurelia began to notice a few things the she really didn't like about her harpy roommate. The girl was a slob, often leaving her garbage piled up in the living room, papers on the counters and tables, and dishes piled up in the sink. She also had the tendency to leave her clothes scattered everywhere. Overnight, it looked as if a bomb of underwear, shorts, and tank tops had exploded in the laundry room. The greater devil could not understand how one person could be so messy. Ximena on the other hand, was much more carefree about her roommate. Her only major gripe about Aurelia thus far was that she would study late into the night with her lights on, and her room open, and the light would permeate the crack in her door, keeping her up at night. They weren't even a month into the semester, and the garuda couldn't fathom the need to cram every single night. The older liminal was extremely headstrong, as well as being obsessive compulsive. But those were traits that the harpy ignored.
Soon, they were facing a problem; they were out of food. While both of them received an allowance, Aurelia tried to spend her money wisely, even going as far as making a budget, while her harpy roommate blew through her money like an impulsive buyer. Meals on the campus were expensive, but that didn't stop Ximena from eating out most nights. She was a terrible cook. She rarely followed the instructions, preferring just to cook off memory, which led to some truly awful concoctions. She also left food out to spoil overnight, forgetting to put it back in the fridge. The greater devil had even caught her leaving pans on the burner, and then walking off and forgetting about it. It was a miracle she hadn't burned the whole complex down. Aurelia was appalled by her living conditions. She would have thought a garuda would have had more intelligence than the average harpy, but that wasn't the case. They had to go to the grocery store.
"Aurelia, why did we have to do this in the rain!" Ximena whined, as pellets of water assaulted her feathers.
The garuda wore a pink rain jacket that provided some protection, but was loosing the battle against the steady downpour as she flew through the air.
"Because this was the only day that we had where we could do this together, and I'm not hauling all that stuff back by myself," the devil girl responded, flying right behind her.
A storm front had moved into the area the day before, and Aurelia did not want to wait until it passed to go to the store. They were out of everything. She thought about going by herself, but then Ximena would have cried about not being able to buy what she wanted, and like hell she was going to let the harpy take any of her stuff.
"Besides, we're almost there," she responded harshly, as the harpy shot her a crushed look. "Don't be a baby, Ximena. It's not like I wanted to do this today either."
Aurelia's mother had already explained to her that she'd be shit outta luck if she blew through the rest of her money before the end of the week, and advised her to spend it on groceries. Ximena had also received a similar lecture from her parents. With no car, they were stuck carrying the food back, and being able to fly wasn't going to make things easier in this situation. They landed in front of the store, walked inside, and grabbed a shopping cart.
"I've got a little more money to spend than you do, so I don't mind sharing," Aurelia said, as she handed Ximena a list. "If you'll get the stuff that's highlighted, it'll be cheaper."
After about an hour of shopping, their buggy was filled to the brim with food, toiletries, kitchen supplies, laundry supplies, and other goodies. Wait, what? The devil looked bewildered as the harpy dumped a load of candy and junk food into the cart.
"Don't worry, I've done the math. I can make a budget just like you," she said dismissively, with a wave of her wing.
Aurelia sighed. She didn't want to argue with her, but sure enough, they went over budget once the clerk rang them up. Ximena looked crushed having to put back her sweets. The older girl felt like a jerk. She really did. She had been impatient and moody and grouchy with her roommate for weeks now. She turned to the cashier and handed him a charge card that her parents had given to her in case of an emergency.
"Don't worry about it, Ximena. It's on me."
The garuda's eyes lit up, "Wow, thanks Aurelia. You're the best!"
Aurelia smiled softly, as the bagger placed all their stuff into plastic bags, with both of them carrying a handful of groceries in each hand. Or wing, in Ximena's case. It was raining even harder once they got outside. There was nothing but a wall of grey, and a torrential downpour as far as the eyes could see. The greater devil cursed. Why did it have to be like this? The worst part was that she didn't know anyone with a car that could come and get them. She watched as the harpy set her bags on the ground and tied them together as tight as she could, grabbing them with her talons afterwards. Before she could say anything, Ximena had already taken off into the sky!
"Hey, wait! Don't leave without me!" Aurelia shouted, as she grabbed her bags and took off into the air after her.
Took about five seconds flying in the pouring wind and rain for the devil girl to realize that this was Hell. While her green and white raincoat was faring well against the storm, her pants were soaked, and it was cold. She could see her roommate through the haze, hovering over an intersection a few blocks ahead. She was looking around, trying to find the girl that had fallen behind. Aurelia called out her name, but the harpy couldn't hear her. Without warning, Ximena darted forward right as the bluenette was about to pass over the traffic light.
"Wait, stop!"
Aurelia threw her arms up, dropping half of her bags in the process, as the harpy plowed into her. From the ground, it appeared as if the garuda had tackled her in mid-flight. The impact caused Ximena to panic and drop all of her bags as well. She cursed, watching in slow motion as their groceries fell into the traffic below. The older liminal couldn't believe it either. Bags filled with produce, cans, boxed goods, meat, a busted jug of detergent, and the candy she had wanted so badly lay littered in the street. The garuda attempted to fly down and retrieve the bags, but nearly descended into the path of an oncoming truck.
"Ximena, watch out!" Aurelia shouted, as she pulled the girl back, as the drivers horn blared, causing her to drop another bag in the process.
She winced as the semi flattened all their groceries. The bag she had just dropped landed right on some guys roof. Both girls surveyed the damage in disbelief. It was still raining hard, and neither one of them wanted to catch a cold. Ximena turned around and flew back towards the apartment, leaving Aurelia to try and figure out what the heck had just happened. Once they returned, the devil girl wheeled on her roommate as soon as they walked in the door.
"What the hell was that all about, Ximena?!"
The harpy held up both her wings in defense, "I don't know! I was trying to find you, and I didn't realize that you were right behind me. I'm sorry!"
The older liminal wanted to scream in frustration. All the money they had for the rest of the week was gone! All of their food was gone! She placed the one bag that she hadn't dropped onto the counter, and placed her jacket in the laundry, before sitting down in one of the bar stools. She watched as Ximena flung her raincoat to the side of the entryway. The devil girl buried her face her hands, trying to figure out what to do.
"Hey, what about that charge card. Can't you just use that to pay for everything?" she heard her roommate state, her face lighting up as if it were the most obvious solution.
Aurelia glared at the girl like she had a screw loose, "I'm the one that has to pay down the balance. A couple dollars for your candy is one thing, but a hundred dollars for the whole bill? I wouldn't hear the end of my mother's nagging."
"But this is an emergency!" retorted the harpy. "We don't have any food, we don't have any paper towels, or detergent, or soap, or toilet paper…"
Aurelia held up her hand to stop her, "I get it."
"I'll pay you back. I promise! I'm not sure how, but I'll find a way," said the blond, shooting the bluenette a pleading look.
The devil girl let out a long and exasperated sigh, finally withering under her roommates gaze, "Fine. I'll do it, but I'm tired, and I don't feel like going back out into the rain right now."
The harpy shot her a huge grin, "That's okay, next time we can take my car."
Aurelia straightened, and stared at the girl as if she were high, or just really stupid. The two stood in silence for a few moments before the older liminal opened her mouth in astonishment.
"What…?"
The harpy nodded, "Yeah, you can ride with me. Though, we probably should have driven to the store in the first place because of the rain."
Aurelia's eyes twitched, as the realization slowly started to creep in. Ximena had a car on campus. This colossal freaking moron had a car on campus! The devil girl was so mad, that her sclera could have turned blood red to match the color of her eyes. She glared daggers at her roommate, before slamming her fists onto the countertop, startling the younger liminal.
"What the fuck, Ximena! You had a car on campus this whole time, and didn't say anything, why?" She shouted, causing the harpy to shield herself with her wings, as she cowered away in fear.
Aurelia continued to shout expletives, trying to calm herself down before she suffered a mild stroke. Somehow this really didn't surprise her. Harpies weren't known for being the sharpest tools in the shed, and garuda or not, Ximena just proved herself to be no smarter than her dimwitted cousins. After a full minute of silence with the bird girl just standing there in trepidation, watching as her roommate took a few deep breathes, Aurelia stood.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. What happened back there, was stressful. You say you have a car, here on campus? Okay, let's go."
Ximena lowered her wings from her face, and smiled, "Alright! Let me grab my keys first."
She disappeared into her room, and a few moments later returned jiggling a set of keys. Aurelia looked dumbfounded. A part of her had assumed the harpy was lying, but sure enough she had car keys. They grabbed their raincoats, and secured the front door, as Ximena led the way. A myriad of thoughts washed over the devil girl, as she followed her roommate back outside into the pouring rain.
'How did this girl even get a license? How can she drive with her talons and claws the way they are? Are we going to die on the way there? Of course, we're going to die on the way there. This idiots' going to get me killed!'
The harpy took off into the air, flying the short distance to the back of the parking lot, landing beside a white Oldsmobile Cutlass that was probably older than she was. The thing was a beater. The paint was faded, and the hood was covered in surface rust. Two of the hubcaps were gone, and the back bumper was dented. It looked like one of those junk cars you could buy for a grand or two. Aurelia stared at it in surprise, as her roommate gestured her wing at it.
"Behold! The Ximena-mobile," the garuda said proudly.
Aurelia felt her eyes twitching again, but this time a wicked grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. Suddenly, she started laughing, as the harpy frowned.
"Jesus Christ, this vehicle looks like shit," she replied. "Will it even start? You've left it out here for so long."
"Ah! Don't be dissing the Ximena-mobile!" the other girl squawked. "I'll have you know this baby has been by my side through thick and thin. Why, we've been on plenty of adventures already!"
Aurelia shot the younger girl an incredulous look, "Your dad bought you this thing as a graduation present, didn't he?"
Ximena nodded, not even turning to acknowledge her, "Yes he did. The Ximena-mobile's been my saving grace in times just like this one, or when I need to go somewhere that's too far to fly."
She unlocked the door, and got in, lifting the knob on the passenger side for her roommate. Aurelia opened the door, and immediately she wished that she hadn't. The inside was filthy! Like god damn. The passenger side floorboard was littered with fast food wrappers and empty cups. The harpy was brushing off the seat, which was covered in potato chip and cookie crumbs. A collection of candy wrappers cluttered the back floorboard, along with a mess of papers and books. Aurelia even spotted an open container of pop tarts in the back, with a half-eaten pastry sitting on the seat. She suddenly felt sick.
"Do you not ever clean this thing?" she asked. "It looks like you've been living out of here."
Ximena shrugged; the car looked fine to her. She put the key in the ignition, and to Aurelia's amazement, it started right up. Even more impressive was the harpy's attention to detail as she quickly checked the lights, wipers, knobs, and gauges to make sure that everything was in working order. Satisfied, she put the car in gear and off they went. The devil girl noted the ease in which the blonde turned the wheel with her clawed hands. Her talons did not hinder her ability to work the peddles, either. Watching her drive was actually impressive. Aurelia felt a little jealous. Maybe the Ximena-mobile wasn't so bad after all.
"Do you like music? Surely, you must like music," Ximena said, turning on the custom stereo. "You're always playing on that guitar of yours, although I don't really like that hardcore metal stuff."
Of course the bluenette liked music. Death metal was her favorite genre. The car exploded with sound, as a deep bass saturated the interior. Aurelia's eyes widened as her roommate began to blast some wild rap music. She didn't really like rap, but at least it was better than country.
Aurelia wasn't an angry person. Most of the time she considered herself to be a happy person, an easy-going person, and a fun person, but Ximena was seriously starting to wear on her patience. She stared wide eyed at the disaster that was currently her kitchen sink. She tried to rationalize this situation calmly. Sure, she had told the harpy too many times to count to clean up after herself, but she just wouldn't listen. Asking her nicely wasn't working, and yelling at her wasn't going to solve anything. The greater devil was seriously beginning to wonder if her roommate liked living in her own filth. Her red eyes began to dart rapidly back and forth, as she surveyed the carnage before her. Grimy dishes. Pots and pans that were caked with burnt food and oil. Silverware that probably hadn't been cleaned in days. All piled up in a mountainous heap that seemed to stretch to the heavens. She took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, as she reached down underneath the sink to retrieve the dish soap and a sponge. She grabbed the bottle and tilted it upside down, only to find that it was empty. She felt a vein pop in her forehead. There was note taped to the back. She ripped it off in bewilderment, as she began to read:
'Aurelia. I used the rest of the soap to give the Ximena-mobile a bath. So, we're out. Also, I took the sponge with me and I lost it somewhere :/. Sorry about that.'
The older liminal felt her blood boiling so quickly, that she didn't even notice the empty soap bottle flying from her hand across the kitchen and into the wall. She screamed in frustration, and slammed her fists into the counter.
"Goddammit, Ximena!"
Was a little bit of respect too much to ask for? When she was a little girl, her parents instilled a strong sense of justice in her, to bring the hammer down on her younger brothers when they couldn't keep an eye on all of them. The two older ones were a handful. Only two years apart by purebred devil standards. They would double team her, and try to make her life a living Hell. What awful little buggers they were. But Aurelia was smart, and cunning, and crafty. She took them down with her wits alone. None of her pranks were ever malevolent though, just bad enough to put some fear in their hearts. Ximena though, was a grown ass woman that should know better than this. Yeah, maybe she was overreacting a little bit, but she didn't like being the house maid. She didn't like having to constantly clean, and mop, and dust to keep their apartment from looking like one of those hoarder homes on the TV. She did everything around the house, while Ximena did NOTHING. Was that fair? She didn't think so. She was tired of this. She wasn't a slave. If her roommate didn't want to listen to her, and respect her as an equal, then she needed to be punished.
But how? What sort of prank could she pull that could show Ximena that she wasn't some doormat for her to walk on, but wouldn't get her booted from the apartment in the process? The gears in her brain began to whirl as she went to her room to fetch her dirty clothes. She stepped into the laundry, and let out an audible groan at the sight of all her roommates clothes once again just thrown all over the place with no care whatsoever. She navigated the pile beneath her feet, hoisting her load onto the top of the washer, not noticing the jug of detergent as she knocked it onto the top of washer with a thud. She gasped in horror as the weighty object fell like domino, taking out the box of Borax beside it. Aurelia watched in slow motion, eyes wide, as white powder fell into the crack between the machine and the wall and onto the floor.
She cursed her luck as she went to grab a paper towel. As she bent down to clean up the mess, she found herself rubbing some of the detergent booster between her fingers. She glanced over at her roommates clothes that were on the floor, as a stroke of deviousness lit up a lightbulb inside her brain.
'Yes! Oh, yes,' she thought to herself, as she grinned mischievously.
It was the perfect prank. One that would surely send a message to that dimwitted harpy not to mess with her. The devil girl began to shovel her roommates dirty laundry in with hers. Cleaning her clothes was step one. Step two would involve a trip to the local Walmart, a short 20-minute flight away, to purchase a certain substance. And then, all she had to do was sit back and watch the show once the time came. She cackled gleefully to herself as she started the washing machine. This was going to be great!
The next day, Ximena found her roommate to be in a surprisingly good mood. She had returned to see that Aurelia had washed and folded all her dirty clothes. She was such a good friend. None the wiser, the harpy put on her favorite shirt and a pair of khaki shorts that really showed off her legs. It was Saturday, and she had plans. She turned to walk out the door, when she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her pants. She crossed her legs, as a massive wave of discomfort struck her nether regions. She turned to see the devil girl grinning at her from the hallway, with a smug expression on her face. She had a backpack slung across her shoulder.
"Is something wrong, Ximena? You look like you're having some problems."
"What did you do to me," the harpy asked in confusion.
"I didn't do anything," Aurelia replied innocently. "Maybe you just have a really bad yeast infection. You gotta take better care of yourself, girl."
"Bah! I'll have you know that my body is a temple!" Ximena screeched.
"Oh is it? I figured since you like living in your own filth, that you don't bathe or change your clothes," the devil girl teased.
"Oh, screw you!" shouted the garuda.
The discomfort was starting to build into a sharp pain. Ximena clawed at the front of her pants to no avail. The itch had reached its crescendo. With a yelp, she dropped her shorts to the floor, exposing her lacy pink panties. She looked around in desperation, looking for anything that she could use to soothe the burning feeling between her legs. Suddenly, she turned on the faucet and leapt onto the counter, burying her crotch underneath the cold water. She turned and glared at her roommate, who stared in surprise at the scene unfolding in front of her. She smiled and began to laugh, as the harpy turned bright red in embarrassment.
"You put itching powder in my shorts, didn't you?" Ximena accused, coldly.
The devil girl shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about. But if I were in your shoes, I'd wash all my clothes over again. Have a nice day!"
The younger liminal growled, as the bluenette turned on her heels and left.
'Oh, she's messing with the wrong girl if she thinks I'm to take this lying down,' Ximena raged to herself.
The next morning, Aurelia returned after pulling an all-nighter finishing a term paper, and studying for a round of tests that were starting the next week. All of her classes were honors programs, and her 18-hour course load all but demanded that she live at the campus. She stirred in her bed, moaning as her alarm jostled her from her sleep. She grabbed her phone, and checked the time. It was just after 9:30 am. She hit the snooze button, and promptly went back to sleep. She heard a noise, and turned to see her roommate looming over her. The garuda had a deranged look on her face. Aurelia gasped and sat up; the rush of adrenaline forcing her awake.
"Ximena, what are you doing in my room?!"
Suddenly, the harpy bent down and raised what looked like the mop bucket over her head. Aurelia looked on in horror as a torrent of ice-cold water hit her, sending shock waves dancing across her body.
"Rise and shine!" the blonde shouted devilishly.
Aurelia shrieked, mouth agape at the sheer audacity of this girl. She grit her teeth and let loose with a dangerous sounding noise, almost like a feral animal.
"Consider that payback for the itching powder!" Ximena said triumphally, raising her wing into the air.
The devil girl lunged at her roommate, but the harpy was too quick. She bolted into her room, and flew out the open window before the older liminal could catch her. Aurelia snarled, and threw up her hands in defeat. Now she was going to have to spend the day doing laundry, and airing out her bed. Just great.
'Good one, Ximena.'
This was now a blood feud. No way was she going to let that feathered fiend get away with this. No way! Aurelia seethed, as she tore the cold, wet sheets from her bed. She was going to pay. Ximena had continued on as normal, not thinking of this ordeal as anything other than a simple tit-for-tat. Oh, was she wrong! The devil girl waited until her roommate was fast asleep, sneaking into her room in the middle of the night. She set up her guitar and amp, setting it beside the sleeping harpy, turning up the volume to max. She cackled like a lunatic, and strummed a note, sending soundwaves blasting through the bedroom. Aurelia began to play one of her favorite riffs; the fast and brutal music tearing through the entire apartment like a cacophony of savagery, jolting Ximena from her slumber. The bird girl flew from her bed, and smacked the wall with enough force to knock her out for a few seconds.
"Oh my god, I wish I had gotten that on camera!" cried Aurelia, as she howled with laughter.
She took her amp and set it up in the living room, playing and causing such a raucous that Ximena didn't even try to argue. Tired and defeated, she took her pillow and blanket and spent the rest of the night sleeping in her car.
"And that's two," the devil girl said, watching the harpy leave as the door slammed behind her.
And so began the great prank war that would last the rest of the month. Aurelia watched her back the first couple of days, but lowered her guard as the next week dragged on. Tests were over for the time being, but she had another project that she was working on that was taking most of her time. She was a caffeineaholic, and survived off energy drinks. Most of her food budget was sunk into buying cases of Red Bull. Ximena had noticed this. One evening, as Ximena was studying at the counter, while munching on a bowl of cereal, she stopped as she watched her roommate enter to get some refreshment. They exchanged polite greetings, as Aurelia opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can. She cracked the tab and lifted the carbonated goodness to her lips, but something didn't taste right. She spat the contents out of her mouth, and dropped the energy drink onto the floor. She watched as a white substance spilled out of the top.
"What did you do, Ximena?"
The harpy got down off the stool, swung around the counter, and peered down onto the floor, "I didn't do anything," she replied. "But dang, is Red Bull supposed to be that color?"
"Oh ha-ha, very funny," exclaimed the devil girl, as she reached in to retrieve another can.
She broke the tab, smiling in satisfaction seeing the familiar carbonated bubbles rising to the top. She took a long swig of the drink, before spitting it out once again. It tasted disgusting! She walked over to the sink and tipped the can over, watching as the goopy, chunky mixture spewed from the top. She felt sick to her stomach, and nearly hurled. She crushed the can, and threw it into the trash. Aurelia turned, and grabbed can after can, each one of them filled with the horrific concoction. She screamed in frustration, finally noticing that something was off. She flipped one of the cans over to find that a nickel had been hot-glued to the bottom. She wheeled her roommate, thrusting the can in her face.
"Care to explain this?"
The harpy shrugged, "I don't know. Whomever packed it must have messed up big time; you should sue."
"The only one I'm suing here is you, idiot!" Aurelia shouted. "Did you ruin an entire case of my Red Bull, what is this stuff? Tastes like rancid milk."
"That's because it IS rancid milk, mixed with soda water," the harpy replied as a matter of fact.
The devil girl's eyes widened, "Oh, so you admit it. You tampered with my drinks!"
Ximena walked back over to the counter, and grabbed her cereal and her textbook, "Well not all of them, there's still one left. I'm not a total monster."
Aurelia began flipping all the cans over until she found the one that hadn't been tampered with. She immediately cracked it open, and began inhaling the sugary goodness at lightning speed. She let out a content sigh, as Ximena proceeded to walk towards her room. She stuck out her wing, and pointed it in her direction.
"And by the way, that's two."
She laughed and shut her door, as Aurelia let out a huff, and crushed the empty can on the door of the fridge. The devil girl had to give her credit, that garuda was smarter than she thought. This was some next level shit, but she had just the plan to get even. It was a classic too. She waited until Ximena went class before going to work. She snuck into the girls bathroom, and began to line her toilet bowl with saran wrap. She giggled, imagining the carnage that awaited as she pulled the fabric taunt so that the harpy couldn't see it. Then, she returned to her room and waited.
'Let's see how you like this one, Ximena.'
She didn't have to wait long, as the front door flew open, and her roommate came sauntering in. Her morning classes were over. Aurelia heard the thud of a backpack hitting the wall, as the younger girl retired to her room. Usually, the girl didn't have the common decency to completely close her door while using the bathroom, so the devil girl could hear everything. She rose from her desk, and stood out in the hallway. A few seconds later, a loud shriek tore through the apartment. The noise crashed off the walls, and filled the older liminal's heart with glee.
"Aurelia! AURELIA! Oh my god, it's e-everywhere! What did you do to my toilet?!"
The devil girl pushed open her roommates door, and walked into her bathroom. She found Ximena on the floor with her pants down, looking incredibly irate. There were streaks of urine running down the sides of the toilet bowl, as the warm yellow liquid began pooling onto the floor, staining the grout between the tiles. Aurelia tried to keep a straight face, but burst out laughing as soon as she saw how pitiful the girl looked.
"This isn't funny!" Ximena screamed.
"Oh, this is…just…tremendous," Aurelia responded through raspy breath. "Consider this to be payback for ruining my Red Bulls."
The harpy looked appalled, "You know this isn't over, you'll pay for this!"
The older liminal raised an eyebrow, and shot the girl a maniacal grin, as if extending the invitation.
"Well, then bring it on."
A week passed with no retaliation from Ximena, and Aurelia found it to be extremely off-putting. The younger girl even pretended that nothing had happened. They spoke to each other, and hung out every other day. The false sense of security was killing her. Then one evening, she stopped to take a shower. She stripped off her clothes, and began washing her body. She was halfway through her first semester, and her grades looked good. She had always been a good student, and took pride in her work. She often looked forward to the sweet relief of a nice hot shower. She rinsed water through her long blue hair, and reached for her shampoo. Without looking, she squirted the liquid on her head, and began to mix it around. Something felt weird, though. The shampoo felt greasier. Suddenly, her vision began to blur, as whatever was now on her head began to run down into her eyes. She tried to rub it off, but to no avail. She pulled her hands free, to find that the "shampoo" was now stuck to her fingers. Aurelia shut off the water, and wiped her face with a washcloth. She stepped out, and glanced at her reflection in the mirror, and gasped. Her blue hair was now a pale white! Her hair was dripping with some kind of substance, and it was all over her floor.
"Ximena! What the hell is this?!"
The devil girl bolted from her room, while still being stark naked. She barged into the kitchen to find her roommate sitting in her lounge chair, and chowing down on a ham sandwich. The harpy stared at her with a blank expression on her face. Aurelia's black wings were extended, and were flapping like crazy. Ximena looked down, as her eyes widened in shock.
"You idiot! Don't come in here like that, that's oil-based paint on your head. You're gonna get it everywhere!"
The greater devil snorted, looking more like a mad minotaur. "You replaced my shampoo with oil-based paint?"
Ximena shook her head, "No, I mixed the paint in with your shampoo."
The harpy could have sworn she saw the older liminal's lips trembling. "What the hell were you thinking?! This is too far, you've gone way too far."
"Too far?" Ximena shot back with an exasperated expression. "You covered my toilet with saran warp. I peed all over the floor!"
"But that was easy to clean, how am I going to clean all of this," Aurelia asked, gesturing to herself. She reached up, and ran a hand through her hair.
"Oh my god, I think it's hardening."
Suddenly, the girl smiled mischievously. Ximena watched as the nude girl turned around and started walking straight towards her room! Sensing foul intentions, the harpy dashed from her chair, just as Aurelia opened her door and stepped inside.
"I am going to rub myself against everything that you own!" she screamed.
The devil girl yelped, as the taller liminal grabbed her waist from behind. She tried to grab the doorframe, but the harpy overpowered her, and threw her out into the hallway. Ximena closed her door, as Aurelia began to bang on it.
"Come on, this isn't funny! Look, just go get me something to wash this out with, and I promise not to fuck with your stuff."
The garuda looked thoughtful, and nodded, "Okay, but I don't trust you, so I'm going out the window."
She returned with a can of paint thinner, along with a fresh bottle of shampoo. It took Aurelia over a dozen rinses to get her hair back to normal. This prank war had gone way too far, but she wasn't ready to throw in the towel quite just yet. Oh no! The whole point of this was to get Ximena to apologize for being a slob, and to promise to start pulling her weight around the apartment. Aurelia hadn't seen that yet, so she was going to keep going with this until Ximena finally admitted her faults. Her next prank came into fruition a few days later. The devil girl noticed that the harpy hated spicy foods. All the food she ever ate was either mild, or bland. Aurelia had been curious once, and asked her. She thought the younger liminal had explained that it was just a preference. Every once in a while, she'd eat jalapenos with her family's traditional meals, and that was all the heat she could handle. Tabasco sauce, which was even hotter, had her racing for the milk. So, for this prank, she was going to go all out.
'I'm thinking habaneros; that's the hottest pepper I know,' she thought to herself, while browsing online one evening.
Habanero's were potent. According to Ximena, the smell of those alone were enough to send her into a coughing fit. The hottest of which were around a hundred times more intense than a jalapeno. Then, Aurelia hit a snag. She couldn't sneak the peppers into the girls food, because of the smell. How was she going to get around that? She needed something that was odorless, and could be added to the food without her roommate knowing. After some research, she found the answer: chili extract. Pure capsaicin was a poison that could kill the harpy, and Aurelia definitely didn't want to do that, and some chili extracts were expensive. She eventually found one that wasn't too expensive, but would deliver an explosive kick over ten times that of even the strongest habanero. Aurelia smiled evilly, and rubbed her hands together. This was going to be perfect.
'No all I have to do is invite her to dinner,' she exclaimed with a cackle.
The day after the extract arrived in the mail, Aurelia offered to cook a simple spaghetti dinner for them after their night classes had ended. She made enough for leftovers, but didn't add Ximena's special "ingredient" to her food until after her portion had been plated. The harpy came into the kitchen, and eyed the dish that her roommate had prepared. It smelled delicious.
"Wow Aurelia, this looks great! Thanks for making it," Ximena said, as she took her plate and wandered over to the television.
The devil girl grabbed her food, and sat down beside her, as they began to watch American Idol. She didn't really care for the show, but the garuda loved it. The older liminal could even admit that her roommate had a lovely signing voice, having listened to her in the shower. Aurelia watched as the younger girl placed a big fork full of noodles and sauce into her mouth and chewed. Slowly, Ximena's face began to turn bright red. She slurped down a second fork full, and began to cough.
"You having some trouble there, Ximena?" the bluenette asked.
It was at that moment that the harpy realized that her roommate had tampered with her food. The burning sensation started out mild, then almost immediately got hotter. Only this time it wasn't stopping.
"What did you put in my food, Aurelia?"
Ximena had eaten a habanero pepper once when she was younger, and long considered it to be the worst culinary experience of her life, but this far exceeded that. The burning sensation was so bad, that she was actually in pain. Her face at this point was crimson red, and she was hacking up a storm. She dropped her plate onto the coffee table, and leapt up as she ran into the kitchen. Her mannerisms were so wild, that Aurelia began to laugh, and followed her. The harpy reached into the fridge and grabbed the milk, but found that the cap had been heat sealed shut. She couldn't open it!
"That's right, I got you twice!" gloated Aurelia. She had used a utility lighter to melt the plastic cap into the carton.
She watched as the younger girl squealed in frustration, before slamming the jug onto the ground in an attempt to bust it open. The devil's girl's eyes widened in shock, as the garuda drove her talons into the sides of the cartoon. Milk began gushing out of the sides. Ximena picked it up, and began sucking the liquid out of one of the holes, not even caring that she was getting it all over herself. The burning sensation was not only NOT going away, but was getting worse.
'WHAT DID SHE FEED ME?' thought Ximena in desperation.
Tears began to flow down her cheeks, as her tongue started to swell. Her chest began to tighten, as her breath became labored. She started wheezing. Aurelia immediately stopped laughing once the girls face started turning purple. Ximena began to feel sick to her stomach, and vomited into the sink. Still, the burning sensation intensified. Milk was doing absolutely nothing at this point. The devil girl seriously considered calling the paramedics, but the garuda stopped her.
"It's fine, just leave me alone!" She screamed, as she slammed her fists onto the countertop.
She shot the older liminal a look that blended an equal amount of disgust and betrayal. The greater devil withered beneath her gaze.
"I hate you Aurelia, why would you do this to me?"
"It was just a prank, Ximena! I didn't think you would react this badly," the bluenette replied.
The blonde wasn't having any of it, and ran into her room, and slammed her door shut. Aurelia swore, as she heard the girls loud sobs penetrating the walls. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen, it was just harmless fun, wasn't it? She looked down at the floor, where the carpet was still stained with droplets of paint from Ximena's last prank.
'Maybe I did take this one too far,' Aurelia thought.
Then it dawned on her that Ximena must have had an allergic reaction to the capsaicin. She panicked, and sealing the milk jug shut hadn't helped. The devil girl groaned, suddenly feeling like a horrible person. She cleaned up the kitchen, turned the television off, and put the food away. This prank war HAD to end. Aurelia started it hoping to teach the harpy a lesson in respect, but had gone and lost all of hers in the process. She felt ashamed of herself. She retired to her room, turned off her light, and went to sleep. Ximena was sick for the next few days, and even had to skip several of her classes. It took a few more days before the harpy even said one word. Aurelia woke up that weekend morning, and stepped into the kitchen to find the girl cooking breakfast. The greater devil approached her cautiously, and stood beside the fridge, watching her as she prepared ingredients to put in a pan.
"Listen Ximena, I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I took things way too far last time," Aurelia said, really being sincere.
"You did, I thought I was gonna die. I'm allergic to spicy foods, that's why I rarely eat them," the taller girl responded, without turning to speak to her roommate.
"That was just overkill. Where'd you even find something like that? I mean, my god Aurelia. I was sick for days!"
The devil girl grimaced, "It was pure chili extract, and I found it online, but don't worry, because I got rid of it. I won't do something like that again, I promise. Do you want to call a truce?"
Ximena raised an eyebrow, "A truce?"
The older girl nodded, "Yeah, we've been pranking each other nonstop for the past month, and it's gotten out of hand. The whole reason why I put itching powder in your shorts to begin with is that I was just tired of cleaning up the house by myself. We're roomies, so I figure we should be a team."
Aurelia watched as the harpy began to cook her food, moving the spatula back and forth in a rhythmic pattern. Suddenly, a small smile began to creep across her face.
"You're right…" she responded.
"…And I'm sorry too, for being a slob. I knew that's why you started this whole prank thing. I wanted to find you, and apologize for my actions as well, but these last few days have been awkward. From now on, I'll start pulling my weight too, whether it's doing dishes, or laundry, or dusting."
The devil girl was taken aback. She wasn't expecting to hear that, but she appreciated it, "Thanks, Ximena."
Aurelia sniffed the air. Whatever Ximena was making, it smelled good. She didn't fail to notice that the harpy wasn't being as reckless with her cooking this time. Looks like she had scrambled some eggs with some chopped onion and bell peppers, along with a can of diced tomatoes, some shredded cheese, and a chopped green vegetable that the greater devil didn't recognize.
"What's that?" she asked, pointed to the foreign ingredient.
"It's nopales," replied Ximena. "Cactus. It's a traditional Mexican dish, and my papa's favorite. You eat it on a tortilla. Do you want some?"
The bluenette hummed in curiosity, and nodded. She had never had cactus before, and it might be pretty good. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow. Wait, cactus?
"You wouldn't be planning on feeding me a bunch of spines would you, as payback for making you sick?" she inquired, in a half-joking tone.
The garuda laughed, "Of course not. Papa grows these in his backyard, and he scrapes off the spines before he sends them to me."
Ximena prepared Aurelia a plate with a tortilla on it, before making one for her herself. The devil girl made her way over to the couch, and sat down. She bit into her food, and smiled. The cactus actually tasted pretty good, kind of like a mixture between a cucumber and a green bean. Ximena appeared beside her with a glass of water, and sat down. As they ate, Aurelia realized something. She had used the last of the eggs two days ago, and hadn't had the chance to go to the store. Did Ximena go buy some instead?
"Did you go to the store recently?" she asked.
Ximena shook her head, and took a bite out of her tortilla, "I haven't had time to."
Aurelia stared at her roommates tortilla, and then down at her own. Her mouth gaped open like a fish, "Then, uh… where did you get these eggs?"
I mean, they weren't bad, but they did taste a little funky. Aurelia couldn't put her finger on it. She took another bite of the tortilla, trying to place the flavor.
"I laid it," replied the harpy, as if it were the most obvious answer.
The devil girl spat out her food, and began choking. She reached for her roommates glass of water, and downed the whole thing. She laid it? Sure, harpies laid eggs, and since Ximena was a garuda, it made sense that she would too.
"Oh my god, Ximena," she said in shock, as she pushed her plate forward. "Why would you feed me something that you birthed from your own body?"
The blonde shrugged, "What's the big deal? You eat chicken eggs, so why not harpy eggs? I lay one once a month, so I might as well do something with it. Seems like a waste to just throw 'em away."
Aurelia suddenly began to feel ill. She watched as her roommate finished the last of her tortilla, before grabbing the half eaten one that she had pushed aside. The greater devil buried her face in her hands, as the two sat in silence for bit.
"Why do harpies lay eggs?" she asked randomly. "Don't you get your period like all other girls?"
Ximena stopped chewing, and stared at the older liminal, "I don't know why we lay them, honestly. Harpies give birth to babies, so I guess we're more human than bird. What about devils, I heard they can use magic. Is that true?"
Aurelia shook her head, "We can use echolocation, among a few other things, but there's no hocus pocus involved. We're no more magical than David Copperfield."
"Hey, I like David Copperfield," her roommate quipped. "He's the first human I ever saw that could fly."
Aurelia started to giggle, as did Ximena, as their laughter began to fill the living room. The greater devil leaned back into her seat, and gazed at ceiling, before titling her head towards the harpy.
"Why did you come to VCU?" she asked.
Ximena chuckled a bit, and leaned back in her seat as well, "Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been fascinated by planes. I don't really know why, I but I always thought they were cool. My dream is to be a pilot."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow, "You can already fly, though. Wouldn't you want to learn how to do something that you can't?"
The harpy shook her head, "You laughed when I joked about David Copperfield, but humans can't fly. That's something you and I take for granted every day; instead, they developed a machine that would allow them to fly. Earlier, I said that harpies aren't birds, because birds are awesome. They can fly for thousands of miles without stopping. Falcons can travel faster than most supercars. I'm a fast flier, but I'd struggle to break interstate speeds in a straight line, a hundred miles would be a marathon for me."
Aurelia nodded in agreement, as Ximena continued, "Planes can travel further, and even faster than birds. Jets can even break the sound barrier! I'll never be able to do that myself. Every time I've flown in a plane, I've looked out the window, and gazed down at the Earth below. I look at the white clouds, and it just fills me a sense of freedom that I just don't have whenever I fly on my own, you know."
The devil started to ponder her words. She had flown twice, and had never really thought about any of that while in the air, maybe because she viewed planes as just another form of transportation. She also didn't have the clear enthusiasm about them that Ximena did. She had been on roller coasters, and those were fun as hell. Aurelia didn't really understand it, but she could respect her roommates dream. She wanted to be a mathematician, even though she had already mastered basic arithmetic. She supposed that could have been similar logic.
"I've spoken to papa and mama already, and I plan on joining the AFROTC program on campus next year," said Ximena. "I didn't have the grades to enroll out of high school, so I had to wait a year."
"What is ROTC?" asked Aurelia.
"It's the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps," the harpy explained. "You should totally join with me, Aurelia. Oh, it'll be so much fun!"
"The military?" the greater devil raised an eyebrow.
She didn't know about that, as it seemed a little too far out of her comfort zone. Besides, that would definitely have to be something she'd need to discuss with her parents first. Both her mom and dad were refugees, having came to the United States from Romania after the first world war. Before the Cultural Exchange bill was signed, her kind had been persecuted against across Europe. She didn't know how they'd feel about their daughter becoming a solider. It really wasn't something that she wanted to do either. She was going to have to pass on that one. Aurelia watched as Ximena reached into her bra, and pulled out a stack of folded up bills.
"This is the money that I owe you for buying us groceries with your charge card that one time, plus a little bit extra for putting up with me," the harpy explained.
Aurelia's eyes widened, as she took the money that had been promised her, "Ximena, where did you get all of this money?"
The harpy held one of her clawed hands to her lips, "Unfortunately, that's a secret, so don't worry about it."
The devil girl shrugged, "If you say so."
Ximena laughed, "I'll tell you about it some other time, my friend."