>Aww yeah, finals are done
>Time to do nothing for a few weeks before summer classes start
>You fumble with the grocery bags in your arms as you try to knock on your own apartment door
>Nobody comes, despite several loud knocks on your side of the door and the sound of a television on the other
>You put your ear against the door
>The random chimes, jingles, and looping background music mean that your roommate is playing a video game
>At least she didn’t leave through the window and forget to turn off the TV
>She’s done that before
>There are a lot of quirks of having a pegasus roommate that nobody thought to tell you about
>One of them is that if a window is large enough, it’s also a door
>You knock again
>“Casey, my arms are full! Open up!”
>You put your ear against the door one more time
>The video game noises continue
>You wait while with your ear to the door before conceding that it probably would have been faster to put down a bag and unlock it yourself
>No sense in wasting any more time
>You place a bag on the floor, fish out your keys, and let yourself in
>As expected, Pillow Case is using the PlayStation
>Those hoof-compatible controllers you bought for her were a bad idea
>She gets way too ‘immersed’ in story driven games
>She’s not even doing anything in the game she’s playing right now
>Just directing a boy band around an open field so they can pick up stuff
>You waddle your way over to the fridge
>Midway through putting away all the stuff that needs to be kept cold, a rule 63 version of Posh Spice in the video game declares that he’s come up with a new recipe
>Okay, there’s no way she was so deeply into the game that she didn’t hear you
>That’s idle dialogue that you’ve heard from this game a dozen times before
>You put away the rest of the refrigerated goods quickly so you can help Pillow Case with her gaming problem
>Strutting up behind her doesn’t get her attention either
>Leaning over the back of the couch also doesn’t do anything
>You do get a good look at her face, though
>Eyes fixed on the screen, expression blank, seemingly random ear twitches…
>This pone is totally in the zone
>It’s like strapping into the hoof-compatible controller means plugging into her brain
>The controller itself is a malformed lovechild of a pair of moon boots and one of those old Rock Band/Guitar Hero drum sets
>You’re at a loss for how Velcro-ing her hooves to that thing can hijack her brain the way it does
>Maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree
>It makes more sense that the way into her brain would be through her head
>You crouch down behind the couch to get a look at the back of her head
>Hmm
>You can’t tell if there’s a plug back there
>There appears to be a pony’s ponytail in the way
>This is easily rectified
“Pilly.”
>You flick her pony ponytail off to the left
>Nothing there
>Her mane feels nice tho
>Just to be thorough, you flick her pony^2 tail off to the right
>This does not reveal anything either
>“Nuh…”
>She turns her head slightly away from your prodding
>Perhaps it’s a wireless connection?
>Messing with her hair seems to be interfering with her connection
“Pillow Caaaaaase.”
>The ponytail on this pony must be a cleverly disguised antenna
>You flick it back and forth, getting a steady rhythm going
>“Nuhhhhhhh! Stop it!”
“I wouldn’t have started if you noticed me earlier.”
>“When did you even get here?”
>Success!
>Pillow Case has been liberated from the mind controlling controller
“I was knocking on the door two minutes ago.”
>She turns around just enough to see you
>“You were? I didn’t hear anything.”
“Of course you didn’t, silly Pilly.”
>“I’m not being silly.”
“Yes you are. You’re silly Pilly the Sony pony ”
>“I’m not a Sony pony either. I played tons of Pokémon Go.”
“Everyone played Pokémon Go, silly Sony pony.”
>She pauses her game and unstraps herself from the controller, turning around fully to lean on the back of the couch
>“Not everyone can say they’ve single-hoofedly kept Team Mystic from holding any gyms in this town for a whole week.”
“True, but not everyone has wings to chase down a wild Dragonite that’s halfway across town.”
>Casey shrugs one hoof off to the side
>“That doesn’t prove me wrong.”
“I’m not trying to prove you wrong. I’m trying to prove that you’re a silly pony, Pilly. You and your silly Sony Pony PlayStation.”
>“I already told you, I’m not being silly.”
>She brings her hoof back in to her chest as she raises her chin and closes her eyes
>“It is unbefitting of a mare of my bloodline.”
>Uh what
>Her bloodline?
>She ain’t said nothin’ bout no bloodlines before
“There’s no way you’re a noble or something.”
>“On the contrary, dear roommate. I am a descendant of King and Queen Set!”
>Not ringing a bell
“Was this covered in Equestrian History 101? I don’t remember this being in the syllabus. Or the final exam. Or anywhere.”
>Pilly’s eyes go wide in shock
>She rears back slightly from the back of the couch
>“Were they not in the textbooks?! For shame! Their dynasty is a patchwork of many cultures! Even today, the micro-fibers of their influence are woven into all aspects of your life!”
>Doubt.png
“Really?”
>She smiles proudly
>“Yes! The capital and foundation of their kingdom is in Box Springs. Quality cloth is our native currency. The dynasty flourished when the one we call The Comforter was our king.”
>Without warning, she flares out her wings and poses majestically with a hoof pointed off into the distance 
>“Soon we shall reach a thread count to surpass even that silken age! We will wrap up both worlds in our warm embrace!”
>There is no way you wouldn’t have heard of this if it’s as great as she’s making it out to be
“You’re making this up.”
>Her majestic pose droops
>Her smile and optimism are gone
>She looks disappointed with you
>What she says next conveys no emotion
>It’s a simple statement of fact
>“You don’t believe me.”
“I can’t. Where did you even get this from?”
>Pillow Case narrows her eyes and leans as far as she dares towards you over the back of the couch
>You are nearly nose-to-snout with her as she whispers to you
>“It is embedded in the Memory Foam.”
>For a moment, you actually feel sort of intimidated by this small, soft horse
>Then your brain catches up
“Wait a minute, was this just an excuse to make puns about bedding?”
>She goes back to her normal backwards sitting position with a genuinely proud smile
>“Yep. *Now* I’m being silly.”
>She giggles
>You can’t help but join her
>God, she’s so adorable you’re going to catch diabetes
>“All right, seriously though. I’m no Sony Pony. Let’s play some Smash Bros so I can prove it to you.”
>Pilly wants to Smash?
>Swiggity swooty
“Hey, if it breaks this RPG binge you’ve been on, I’m game. You get waaaay too into those things.”
>She hops off of the couch and swaps around the game consoles
>“It’s really fun to go through an entire series from start to finish, though! I just wish they’d kept the battles slow enough that I didn’t need a 4-hoof controller.”
>Smash Bros starts booting up as you walk around to the front of the couch and tug her PlayStation controller out of the way
“Not needing to magic-proof computers actually has its disadvantages. Who would have thought?”
>“It’s that or the ratio of hands to hooves on Earth. On an individual basis it skews towards ponies, but…”
>Actually, that reminds you of something
>You scoop up a normal controller
“Hey, can I get a one life handicap?”
>Pilly shoves the Nintendo controller over towards the couch
>It’s much the same as the Playstation one, but more colorful
>“What for?”
“Making me wait at the door.”
>She flutters up onto the couch
>“Someday, you won’t have an excuse for a handicap.”
“Someday. But until then, I will never admit that it’s because your Jigglypuff main is almost unbeatable.”
>She straps in to the new controller
>“What can I say? I’m the best at soft.”