//-------------------------------------------------------// CHS: Smoke and Mirrors -by CrossRhodes88- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// New Initiates //-------------------------------------------------------// New Initiates Rhodes was waiting for Sunset outside CHS. 'Damn cold weather. Why the hell did I agree to this? What is this bacon-haired idiot trying to do?' He thought. Sunset emerged from the school with a girl in a Crystal Prep outfit and purple hair with a pink streak. "Sunset! Who's the damn egghead?" He asked. "Twilight Sparkle. She transferred from Crystal Prep. I want you two to get to know each other." Sunny said. "Ha! Like I need to get to know someone from a school I hate. What other dumb ideas did you have?" Rhodes asked sarcastically. "You're going to do this and you're gonna like it. Understand?" Sunset said threateningly. "Yes, ma'am!" Rhodes said as he flipped her off while saluting her. "Knock off the attitude. When we get home, you two are gonna hang out and find common ground. I'm going out with the other girls to see a movie and hang out at Pinkie's. That house better still be standing when I get back and Twilight better still be breathing." Sunny said. "Fine." Rhodes said dismissively. His rather aloof and uncaring attitude frustrated her. He was vastly different from Sentry, that much was obvious. Rhodes had shoulder-length blond hair, a light beard, ripped jeans, a hoodie, a bowtie, and fingerless gloves. Rhodes didn't care how he looked or any of that sort of thing. She calmed herself and took her two pals to her apartment. Two bedrooms, one bath. Not bad, but not good. It was mediocre which was perfect for someone with limited income. It wasn't run down, but it could DEFINITELY use Rarity's touch. Rhodes called it "rough and ready". He liked the rather broken aesthetic. It was on the second floor and the third door down. Sunny and Rhodes hadn't yet painted all of the apartment. Sunny painted her room in her favorite colors while Rhodes did his up in sky-blue and silver. The front room was still white but had posters of things the two roommates liked as well as pictures. Rhodes wasn't worried about how Twilight might perceive the inhabitants. He stopped caring long ago. "So, Twilight, we don't have many channels, but I hope it's enough." Sunset said. "I don't really watch TV." The nerdy girl said. "That's okay. I have quite a few books for you to read. Just place them back when you're done, okay?" Sunny said calmly. "Without a doubt." Twilight smiled. "Stay out of MY room. Please." Rhodes said. "He's a sweetheart when you get to know him. This is just an act." Sunset assured Twi. "I hope you're right." Twilight said. "He's a LOT better than Sentry. Course...you might find that out firsthand..." Sunny said. "What do you mean, Sunset?" Rhodes asked suspiciously. "Nothing." Sunset quickly said. They made their way into the room and Rhodes went into his room immediately...or tried to. Sunny caught his collar and pulled him back to the front room. "Rhodes, just TRY to get along?" Sunset begged. "Fine. But you owe me, Sunset." He said reluctantly. "Deal. Okay. Movie's gonna start soon. Gotta go. Food's in the fridge. See ya!" She said. Her two pals stood there awkwardly. Rhodes tried to go to his room, but the door was stuck. It happened now and then. "Lovely." He muttered. He flopped onto a couch and turned on the TV. "Read a book, meditate, don't care WHAT you do so long as it don’t bother me." He said nonchalantly. The timid girl went into Sunny's room and started thumbing through the books. Nothing she hadn't read before. She eventually left and meekly went to the front room. She sat next to Rhodes and looked up at him. He was watching a beautiful woman singing. She was dressed in a tight leather outfit. "She's pretty." Twi said. "Countess Coloratura...The prettiest woman ever..." Rhodes drooled. "Wow." Twilight said. Rhodes smiled as he watched the Countess move and gyrate. Twilight noticed a picture of the two of them at a concert. Rhodes was getting a kiss on the cheek from Coloratura. Rhodes looked like a lovesick puppy. "The worst part was when I had to leave. I love the Countess..." Rhodes said in a lovestruck voice. "Wow. She's pretty important, huh?" Twilight asked. "She's a statuesque goddess made flesh." Rhodes said with a loving sigh. "Blech! This is boring, Twilight!" Her backpack said. Rhodes eyed it with fear and backed up. "Spike!" Twilight said enthusiastically. "Is that a dog?" Rhodes asked. "Name's Spike. Twi's only pal at her old high school." Spike said. "This is weird and that's saying a lot." Rhodes said in a freaked out voice. "It's a long story." Twilight said. "That Countess has nothing on my girl Twilight. Twi's WAY prettier." Spike said. "Okay, at first, it was weird, NOW it's getting to the point where I am contemplating murder." Rhodes said. "Spike! He didn't mean it." Twilight said. "That's okay. I'm not sure if I could actually kill." Rhodes said dismissively. He sat back down and watched as Coloratura finished the song. "So hot..." Rhodes sighed. Spike tried to direct Rhodes' attention to Twilight. Nothing doing. "Look, mutt, I'm not interested in Twilight. She ain't my type." Rhodes said. "By the time Sunset comes back, I guarantee that you two will fall in love." Spike vowed. "Knock yourself out trying, pal." Rhodes challenged.