II. The Arsenal

It was an empty unit at first. I lay down on the living room as the daylight illuminated through it. There was a curtain but the thin fabric allows light to pass through it. You could say it just let appropriate amount of light to pass through: not so bright, not so dim.

The cool polished wooden floor sure felt nice to lay my tired body rest. The Initial handover of an apartment unit was like this: An almost bare, empty place. There is the kitchen, it should be included, but appliances, furniture, other living required items, none. Still feeling the coldness of the wooden floor that felt heat of a human body for the first time, I nearly went half-aslept. I left out words of someone that will soon-to-be tenant of the unit.

“Humu, this place will soon be mine.”

I lay still, I almost fell asleep, or did I already? I was startled by the door opening. It was sudden, but enough to woke me up from my half-aslept self.

“I just finished coordinating with your parents outside. They have signed your contract documents too. I never knew you we’re the youngest daughter of the highest profile clan living in this town. You know you're a truly free spirit. I wondered if your parents would be fine back at your house. Won't they be worried that their youngest is out there living at a place completely new to her?”

Such insolence, to wake me up from my deep slumber

“Landlady, you could’ve knocked before you entered. I was sleeping. Such an embarrassing sight to see. Also, answering your question: I was just freed recently. I could always call my personal maids and butlers whenever things happen, so I guess it should be fine.”

“Hmmm... If that's what you say, then you can see me at my most embarrassing moments too. We’ll be living on a same complex from now on, you don’t need to be shy. But please be mindful of the rules. I got your parent's contact info. I will be immediately giving them a call and retrieve you back if ever needed, I suppose that would be a part of our agreement too.”

I’m not surprised, she really is someone who does not treat a person by status. She should be someone I can trust, for the time being.

“Fine fine, let me sleep for a while longer. And please tell my parents to have someone pick me up at 6pm.”

The apartment unit became a small cradle of mine, but at least I was free to live my life to the fullest here. That was what the eight unit at Ingrid apartment complex became.

---

A week after I have finally furnished the small unit that I’m living. I kept it as minimal as possible:

A single couch

A tea table and tea set

A fridge

A futon to lay at the living room in case of winter

A heater

A laptop

An AC

I didn’t even used the room. At normal nights I just lay myself down on the floor, look at the ceiling, and fall asleep. At cold nights I lay the futon, turn on the heater, lay down, look at the ceiling, and fall asleep.

During daytime I spent all the time I have surfing the internet. I considered this expanding my knowledge even more. There were lots of things internet provided that was not being taught by my previous learning courses.

I didn’t even know how many days had it been.

Miss Landlady often brought me food, but at times, I just go out to the nearest grocer, buy ingredients, and cook whatever I want for the day. I did not worry about the taste, it should be same as those being served at five-star restaurants anyway.

I was a lazy one, but not enough to pile up trash on my little cradle. I always kept it clean, and minimalist. PERF-STYLE!

During sunset I always brought the single couch outdoors and enjoyed myself an evening tea.

At times I look at the mirror, these white single dress really did not match my style. This long silky hair, this feeble looking little body. I really looked like a ghost on an abandoned unit. I did not rumours to spread that miss landlady had been keeping a ghost on her apartment complex.

I browsed the internet, looked for fashion styles and one piqued my interest: Gothic style dress. I grabbed my phone, reached out my parents and talked to them:

“Ma, Pa, I’m bored. Buy me this dress.”

That day after that, I received a credit card. I didn’t expected this, but I’m not that shocked too. I just imagined how carefree my parents were with regards to me. Does me living in the most normal way really had a great bearing for them?

I swiped a set of Gothic dresses, a set enough for the whole week. I swiped a laundry machine too. It’s about time I learn how to do laundry and stop bothering miss landlady every weekends already. Washing several thin pieces of white straight dress and a set of underwear too was not that much workload added but still, it's additional work on her end. I could bother her on other things so I thought I should stop some too.

After that, another set of days, weeks, months have passed that I have lost track of. I repeated the same routine I was doing. I’ve tried several other hobbies, played several games online, and eventually quit. But not really because it’s not fun, but because I get tired of it already.

Having several thoughts in mind on how to improve my daily lifestyle, I came up with an idea.

“Humu, it’s about time I remodel that empty room.”

I was not afraid of ghosts. It didn’t particularly matter if there were stories about an apartment complex in which an unused room in it is manifested by one. But of course I’d be troubled if it's true. I had been sleeping at the living room alone. I’ll jump the shit out of myself if I suddenly woke up at 3am and there’s a floating head above me, or a creeping unidentified mass of meat out of the kitchen. I felt I needed protection against those.

I prevented my mind astray from my current topic of being bored and as to why did suddenly bothered explaining about ghosts:

My mind’s pretty distorted. That's probably why.

“Okay~ I’ve decided to build an arsenal.”

Anything would do, from old blades, to bows, to handguns smgs and rpgs. I needed armors too,

Kevlar was it? Oh flashbangs, teargas, Molotovs?

Endless flow of ideas came into my mind.

“Sledgehammer… Oooooh yeeeaaah~”

I listed everything I wanted to put. I just didn't know if the space on the room will be able to hold them all. Anyways, I grabbed my phone again and made a call, but this time not to my parents, but to the miss maid that was entrusted to serve only me. I wondered what she’s doing at home from the moment I started living alone.

“Hey Miss Maid, It’s Kyrie, I need you to arrange a few things for me. Keep this a secret from Ma and Pa, this is pretty much illegal.”

I told Miss Maid everything, everything that my ‘Arsenal’ covered.

“Eh… EEEEH?!” –is what I last heard of her. I still insisted for her assistance to me with regarding the matter.

---

That weekend, a huge truck parked by the side of the road in front of Landlady Ingrid’s apartment complex. Several of huge crates were unloaded, along with my personal maid too. Huge muscular employees started carrying the boxes towards my unit.

While at front of the truck, I saw miss landlady sitting at her veranda, holding a stick of cigar, and really shocked. The What is this girl even doing? was written all over her face. I waved at her and smiled. I turned around after and signed the necessary documents.

I really feel bad for miss maid and miss landlady for this. Oh well, this is better than being bored.

After the loading of the boxes to my unit, it’s finally the time for the unboxing.

There were crate covers everywhere, all of the box contents were real, some were glistening iron, some were matt coated black and green, some were on camo paint. Ah~~ the tingling sensation I felt couldn't be stopped. Besides: they were all authentic

“Humu, this is for the better” -Of course I knew it did not, but It was really a failsafe plan without me, my maid, and miss landlady being caught. I've thought it through and through.

Also handed over to me was a whole binder containing the registration documents and certifications. Of course they’re forged! I haven’t underwent Special Forces training but I’m pretty confident I’d pass with special rank anyways. I expected that much from myself already.

I began arranging them onto my room. It took me lots of time positioning them onto my desired positioning. From the most ancient blades, to the most modern swords, shurikens, spears, ‘The Sledgehammer’, and up to the smallest to biggest guns. I could not carry the RPG so I just lay it at the corner, including its shells. Some of them had stands, some of them are hang on the wall. Everything according to how I wish.

I placed an office table and computer chair at the center of the room and placed my laptop there. With that, the construction of my 'arsenal' had been completed.

---

“Ah, I really feel bad for miss landlady for housing such a naughty girl as myself. This one’s special on the house, but I guess I can lend it to her. I don’t want such a fine lady like herself live without a way to protect herself.”

I went down to miss landlady’s unit. It’s the first time I’ve tried this spy rappelling rope. It had an automated rope adjusting system that let one descend slowly without even breaking a sweat. It’s like one of those generic spy movies. All I have to do is press the button.

I descended like a Gothic Lolita spy while holding my present.

At that exact moment she was sitting on her veranda as usual having a cup of coffee and a smoke, as expected from miss landlady.

Fu fu fu, she’s perplexed, as expected of me. -While descending I tried to act way cooler than usual, saying the purpose of my visit.

“Humu, miss landlady Ingrid, I grant you this Special Mister Double Barrel to protect yourself from all the greatest disasters and—”

Whack!

I was hit by the traditional nerfing fan.

With a lump on my forehead, I handed over ‘Mister Double Barrel’ to miss landlady.

“Gosh, I can’t believe you. This is what you have been doing this whole day? Rich kids really have it easy, huh? I really doubt this had been delivered legally with legal documents. Quit trying to cause me any huge mess. I'm going to call your parents now and have these items pulled out”

Come again? After all the effort I’ve put in on this 'arsenal' I built, this is all you’re saying?

“This is not just for hobby miss landlady please don’t misunderstand. This is for the safety of the whole apartment complex.”

“I really feel that you are up to something ridiculous here. Just always remember not to put me out of business. I’m warning you this time. If those will be only for display then I will allow them. Do not ever use them. count this as a warning.”

She looked into ‘Mister Double Barrel’ and showed interest to it.

“I’ll hold on to this for a while. I will be processing legal registration for this one. You might as well do same to the others. Don’t make me confiscate all of your other toys in there.”

“Humu. Now miss landlady, if you could also hold on to these documents too, they are registration papers of Mister Double Barrel there. Don’t worry they’re purely forged without a hitch so we won’t be caught by the law.”

Whack!

I was hit by the traditional nerfing fan again/

“Don’t bother, I’ll process legal papers tomorrow. Geez I just said not to put me out of business.”

And with that, miss landlady obtained ‘Mister Double Barrel’.