"Ugh, I can't believe I agreed to this!"

Ash grunted and strained as she continued driving her handheld vacuum over the double bed. The dust making her cough and splutter didn't help, and the face mask she'd covered her mouth with wasn't doing anything to keep it out. Eventually her efforts paid off, as she managed to get the mattress clean and placed fresh covers and pillows on it.

"Okay... that oughta do it..."

The rest of the spare room was much easier to clean, being almost completely barren aside from the bed and a small fold-up desk. Her work finished, Ash peeled the mask off and slumped down on the side of the bed, letting out a long, cathartic sigh. As much as she'd tried to swear off dwelling on the past, her mind kept drifting back to two days prior, where she made the mistake that had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

Ash had her headphones in, bopping her head along to her playlist as she silently mouthed the lyrics. Rosita, Johnny and Meena were all sat talking to Buster in the lounge, and Ash gave them a small wave as she entered. She then took out one of her headphones, catching bits of their conversation as she headed to the buffet table and grabbed herself a plate.

"Suki said she'd make arrangements herself, but then I told her I'd handle it." she heard Buster say. "Don't suppose any of you are willing to accommodate?"

"Nooshy's already at my place, Mr. Moon..." Johnny said. "And I don't think my dad has space at his garage..."

"Yeah, my house doesn't have any room either..." Meena added.

Rosita then cut in. "What about your place, Buster? The one you have upstairs?"

"Things are still a little crowded up there... suppose I could clear some space, but this is pretty urgent." Buster lounged back as he cupped his chin. "So seriously, nobody's got space at home, huh?"

"I do..." Ash suddenly blurted out, then went back to her nonchalant humming as she filled her plate. She turned back to see everyone looking to her, and shrugged. "Yeah, I got a spare room back at the apartment... I don't use it, so might as well..."

"Oh, that's great!" Buster brightened up. "That's so nice of you to offer, Ash."

Ash's eyes widened a little. She wasn't sure if she actually wanted them to move a ton of equipment, assuming that's what they were talking about, into her home, but since Buster and the others were still staring at her, she didn't seem to have much choice. "Uh... yeah, sure Moon... glad to... offer...?"

"Well then, I better call Suki..." Buster ran off to his office. "You're a real life saver, Ash! Porsha's gonna be thrilled!"

"Hang on... Porsha?! As in... Jimmy Crystal's Porsha?!"

BZZZZZZZTTTTT! The sound of the doorbell startled Ash out of her reminiscing, jolting her off the bed and stumbling face-first onto the floor. She groaned as she propped herself up on her elbows, checking the watch on her wrist.

"Oh, for the love of...! Ugh... of course she had to be early today of all days!" Ash pulled herself to her feet, brushing her quills back and patting her creased shirt down as she headed out of the bedroom. She made her way to the door and flung it open, tilting her head up to meet the new arrival's much higher gaze.

"Hey, roomie!" Porsha lifted up her sunglasses up with the biggest, toothiest grin on her face, though it sank slightly when she saw the unamused look Ash gave in return. "You don't like being called roomie? Okay, fine... sorry..."

She was clearly struggling to keep a hold of all the bags and cases she was carrying, and tried her best not to drop any as she came through the doorway. "Gotta say, I'm really glad there's an elevator here, cause I was not gonna carry all this up those stairs!"

"Yeah, um... hi, Porsha..." Ash forced a tolerant smile, taking a few steps back to let Porsha kick the door closed behind her. "You doing okay?"

"Oh my gosh, I feel great! Yeah, I'd give you a hug, Ash, but my hands are full... just, um... 'scuse me..." Porsha struggled to manoeuvre her way through the hallway, jolting up a bit as her backside touched the back of Ash's head. "Ooh! Hey, your fur's really sharp, y'know that..?"

"Yeah, that's kinda the point of quills."

"Oh, got it... better keep away from those, then..." Porsha chuckled, then grunted a bit as she continued trying to make her way into the main room. Ash noticed a few of the items falling out of her bags and trailing on the floor, so she kept close behind to catch or pick them up.

"Don't you still have guys to carry around all this stuff for you? Butlers, manservants, all that...?"

"Nah, those were just Daddy's security guards."

"And hitmen..." Ash scoffed under her breath.

She waited until Porsha had made it into the main room before getting ahead of her. Some of her sheet music and recording equipment was still scattered in various places around the couch, so she quickly bent down to pick it up.

"Yeah, sorry about the mess... don't really get visitors. I was cleaning up, but you came early."

"Oh, I totally get it... yeah, my room back at the mansion was, like, way messier than this, trust me..." Porsha laughed. "And yeah, I'm a little early... just didn't wanna be carrying around my stuff all day, y'know...?"

"Right..." Ash cleared her throat as she stood back up, hands on her hips. "Okay, so uh... well, I did clean your room, so that's over here..."

"Oh, I still get my own room?!" Porsha seemed surprised, but no less excited as she let Ash lead the way. "Awesome. When Mr. Moon said we were gonna be roommates, I thought we were gonna have to, like, share a room, like you see in those college movies."

"Hmm... well, not to be blunt, but I definitely wouldn't be letting you live here if we had to do that." Ash opened the door, giving Porsha some space to get in. She propped herself against the doorway while Porsha put down all her things and sat back on her new bed. "If you brought your own pillows, which I'm sure are very expensive, then it's okay if -"

"Y'know, I was gonna do that, but these are actually really nice..." Porsha exhaled as she relaxed a bit on the plain white pillow. "Hmm... feels like sleeping on a marshmallow... like I could sink right down to the bottom... yeah, these are great, thanks..."

"Okay then... um, what else... oh, you'll probably need this." Ash reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, silver key, throwing it over for Porsha to catch. "Had it cut for you yesterday. I'm not one of those morons who keeps a spare under the welcome mat, so that's the only one you're gonna get."

"Oh, cool..." Porsha started twirling the key on one finger, blushing when she nearly dropped it. "So, what else do I use it for, besides the door? Do I need it, like, for the bathroom and stuff?"

Ash had a completely straight look on her face, and her voice was equally deadpan to match. "You literally just use it for the front door. It's an apartment, not a hotel room."

"Right, yeah... sorry, I've never actually been to an apartment before, so I don't really... yeah, whatever..." Porsha itched the back of her neck. "So, uh... what'd you do with this room before? Did you have another roommate?"

"Ugh... not exactly." Ash rolled her eyes, trying her best not to unearth some nastier memories. "But y'know... it came with the apartment, so... it's never really been used. It's probably a little, uh, vanilla, compared to what you're used to, but..."

"Nah, I think I can work with this..." Porsha glanced around, almost like a painter observing a blank canvas. "Yeah, I got a few ideas on how to add some flair."

"Not too much, I hope..." Ash muttered under her breath, though Porsha didn't seem to hear her. She thought for another moment, then clicked her tongue. "Hey, I just remembered... you eaten yet? Cause I thought maybe we could order a pizza, or a take-out or something later."

"Oh yeah, I'd love a pizza. Or whatever's going. But I guess you know what's good around here, right?"

"Uh, yeah... yeah, the pizza place is pretty good. I'll call them later..." Ash cleared her throat, then grabbed the doorknob and headed out. "Okay, I'll leave you to your, uh..."

"Oh, hey Ash!" Porsha suddenly called again, prompting Ash to hold the door open with an unenthusiastic look on her face.

"Yep...?"

"Thanks for letting me stay here."

Ash's eyes widened a little, and she took a moment to say anything. Eventually, she let a little smirk slip across her face. "Right, you're, uh... you're welcome, I guess..."

It was dark outside by the time the food came. The two new roommates had a few idle conversations, mostly about their mutual work with the Moon Troupe, though they spent most of it feasting on the two large pizzas that had just been delivered.

"Mmm... oh my gosh..." Porsha had her mouth half-full as she wiped away some of the cheese from her lips. "You were right about the pizza, this is amazing...!"

"I see you're enjoying it..." Ash chuckled, covering her own mouth as she let out a belch. "Ugh... 'scuse me... you done with that...?"

"Oh yeah, here..." Porsha passed her the empty pizza box. Ash hopped off the couch and and took the other box from the table, carrying them both into the kitchen. She came back to see Porsha stood up from the couch, studying the guitar that was hung up on the wall. "Everything okay, there, Porsha...?"

"Huh...?" Porsha turned to face her. "Oh yeah, it's great, I just... isn't this Calloway's autograph on your guitar...?"

"Hmm, yeah..." Ash stood with her, a nostalgic grin on her face. "Clay signed it when we finished the Out Of This World tour. I mean... you're not gonna meet Clay Calloway and not get his autograph, right...?"

"Yeah, but... you actually sang with him, like, onstage... that kinda tops an autograph, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah, it was awesome." Ash chuckled. "But it's good to have a souvenir. Something to remember it by."

"Ah... that is... actually a really good point..." Porsha bit her lips a bit, clearly disappointed in herself for not having the same idea. Her attention then turned to the other items on the walls, eventually settling on the small bronze hexagram that hung beside the window. "Ooh, I think I've seen that thing before a couple times... is it some kind of uh... whaddaya call it, um... coastal-e-ation?"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You mean constellation?"

"Yep, that's the word."

"Well, no... that's a Star of David." Ash picked up the last few plates, still talking as she brought them to the sink. "It's from my parents. They gave it to me when I moved in, so y'know... keeps a little bit of home with me."

"Oh, so it's like a family thing?"

"Well technically it's more culture than family, but yeah." Ash came back to see Porsha knelt down in the corner, holding something in her hands. "Uh... what's that you got there?"

"Dunno. Just found it on the floor..." Porsha turned around and held up the yellow flyer. It was advertising a live music night at The Fat Cat, with some big bold letters drawn on in red sharpie: LxA 4-EVA!

"Oh yeah... Fat Cat... that's from a couple years back..." Ash put on a dismissive tone as she approached. "It was actually our... ugh... my first gig in front of an audience. Y'know, before I joined the Moon Troupe."

"Oh, cool..." Porsha then looked back at the red writing. "I'm guessing A is for you, Ash, but who's L...?"

Ash then took the flyer and crumpled it up, tossing it into the trash can behind her, without breaking eye contact with Porsha. "A distant memory, and he's gonna stay that way."

"Ooh... read you cloud and clear." Porsha nodded, before making a "lips sealed" gesture over her mouth. "So, um... anything else I should know about around here...?"

Ash spent the next hour or so leading Porsha around the apartment, showing her the various rooms and facilities and how, or how not, to use them. When they circled back to Porsha's room, Ash stood straight, like an official conductor. "And that concludes your guided tour, Ma'am. Please exit to your left."

"Ha ha, funny..." Porsha snarked, before she yawned and entered the room. "Though I actually really appreciate you giving me a tour."

"Yeah, no problem."

Ash then looked in, seeing Porsha fishing through her suitcase. She stifled a chuckle as Porsha found what she was looking for: a fluffy, vibrant red bathrobe with glittery pink trim. "Okay... now that's just precious!"

"Hmm, yeah. It was my Mom's..." A nostalgic smile crossed Porsha's face as she held the robe to her chest, almost like she was hugging it. "I know it's a little, uh... girly, but I really love how it feels. It always makes me think of her, cause she left it at the mansion when she... she, uh... took off..."

"Oh..." Ash's eyes widened as she stood straight, biting her bottom lip. She couldn't help but feel that she'd slipped up then, though she wasn't sure how she was meant to expect a bombshell like that to suddenly drop.

"I guess it's kinda like that star you have on that wall... little bit of home, right...?" Porsha then noticed the concerned look on Ash's face, and quickly tried to put her casual tone back on as she stood up. "Oh no, it's fine! She, uh... she left when I was little, my Mom. Y'know, so... that was like a long time ago. It's no big deal, really..."

"Uh, right... yeah, I get it... read you loud and clear." Ash nodded with a smile, repeating Porsha's "lips sealed" gesture from earlier. She could tell this wasn't a subject Porsha was entirely comfortable with, and completely understood why, so she chose not to press further with it. "But in all seriousness, it's cute. I bet it looks really nice on you."

"You think so...?" Porsha seemed genuinely flattered as she sat back, still holding the robe up. "Hmm... thanks."

Neither said anything for a good few seconds, before Ash finally broke the silence. "Yeah, so uh... I guess it's pretty late, so we should probably hit the sack, right? Y'know... good night's sleep, great day's work, that whole spiel..."

"Oh man, totally..." Porsha lay back on the bed. She noticed Ash leaving the room, and didn't even stop to think before she shot up and blurted it out. "Goodnight!"

Ash froze in the doorway, her hand still latched on the doorknob. Her eyes were wide and her quills all stood up on her head, as if all the air had been sucked out of the apartment. She must have stood there in silence for a good thirty seconds, before she slowly turned back to the wolf on the bed.

"What, uh... what was that...?" It was hard to tell if her tone was confused or interrogative, but it sent a chill through Porsha's bones as she sat up with her knees tucked into her chest.

"Nothing, I just... I just said goodnight..." Porsha gulped, then looked down. "Daddy and I used to say it every night. Y'know, sometimes, it... well, most times, actually... it was pretty much the only time we'd talk all day."

Ash relaxed a bit, still unsure what to say. "I just... I've not had anyone say that to me, since... well, since before I moved in with... um..."

"Oh..." Porsha lowered her ears, cringing in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry... it won't happen again, Ash, I promise..."

Ash still seemed zoned out as she started closing the door behind her. She held it half-open for a good minute or so, standing there while she argued internally with herself, before she finally peeked her head back in the room. She hesitated some more, then exhaled, letting a small smile cross her face.

"Goodnight, Porsha."

When she shut the door, Ash could still hear Porsha's excited giggling on the other side. She felt her smile widening a bit as she switched off all the other lights and went to her own room, pondering to herself while she sat up in bed.

She'd been expecting the worst all day, and though there were a few awkward moments here and there, the night had actually turned out a lot better than she'd been dreading. As she lay back and started drifting off, Ash couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, the mistake that had gotten her into this wasn't such a mistake after all.

"Hmm... yeah..." Ash yawned as she lay back and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, roomie."