#i was also apparently reading genius is a curse on it. i had somehow forgotten this. i thought i was reading it for the first time this yea

[lightyakami]

i got my psp running again for the sheer nostalgia of reading ff.net off of it and it's honestly a much smoother and more pleasant experience than using a smartphone but it can't actually access anything other than google because it's too ancient to navigate an SSL session. OH WELL. the good news is i did find one of my bookmarks to an old sachiko/L fic.

[noneatnonedotcom]

Wait. Am I The Winner? (sequel to wait are we the baddies)

this was all done useing dice rolls and is based off of a quest on space battles. everything you are about to read was random chance that i gave flavor to

Jaune base stats: 2.62 (limit break 4.19 stat difference=+60) Pyrrha base stats: 2.62

Shielding for jaune =2779 (alright so maybe a bit more than normal) armor 295 (a bit more manageable)

Shielding for pyrrha=253

Jaune rolls: 1d100+10 (two-handed weapon)

Pyrrha rolls: 1d100 Off hand 1d100+10 (sheild)

The third match between Pyrrha and jaune would take place in the vale arena, much like minstrel vale also prized it’s fighters though in recent years Pyrrha had taken much of the attention away from their more homegrown champions. But one man had changed that.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT’S TIME FOR THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!”

The roar of the crowd was defining, there was more than just blood on the line here. This was the two best of their generation one representing minstrel and the other vale. National pride was on the line and whether the fighters had been informed or not the losers country would be dealing with an influx of Grimm from all the negativity they’d be generating.

Minstrel couldn’t afford that. Not in its current state and so Pyrrha had no choice but to win.

But jaune couldn’t afford to lose either.

“IN THIS CORNER REPRESENTING THE KINGDOM OF VALE, MAY I PRESENT TO YOU THE COUNT OF PATCH, THE KNIGHT OF VALE, THE BIG BAD WOLF OF SIGNAL!”

The vale half of the audience went wild. But jaune’s ears picked out his girls easily, his aura enhanced senses cutting through the noise. To focus on them

That’s why he had to win, winning meant power, power could be used to gain whatever he wanted. And what he wanted was to make a better world for everyone. It was his duty as not only the last descendant of the royal line of vale.

“JAUNE ARRRRRRRRC!” But as jaune arc, lover and boyfriend to both ruby rose and yang xiao-long. So long as he was fighting for them he’d win.

He had to.

“AND IN THIS CORNER, REPRESENTING MINSTREL, THE INVINCIBLE GIRL! PYRRHA NIKKOS!”

Both fighters came out to the octagon armor on their bodies and weapons in hand.

Jaune carried eternal luminosity, a lance forged to act as a replacement weapon to crocea mors. It was a fine weapon, ruby had made it for him. Though in reality, it was more of a banner than anything else. The weapon folded out into a deployable banner woven with gravity dust. Useful when he wanted to make a statement and force others to kneel before him.

It had come up a few times in his fights against the organized crime of vale.

The real advantage was that it was highly visible. Making giving orders on a chaotic battlefield just that much easier.

The same was the case with his armor, custos solis. Made with yang in mind, and named accordingly. It was a vibrant set of armor, made up of golds, dark blues, and whites. It’s advantage so far had been that it hid his true power. His semblance having expanded his aura pool into the three-millions at this point. And there was still room to grow.

Without the armor, he’d seem utterly invincible and that’s the main reason why he wore it and compressed his aura as much as he physically could. It tricked the sensors at the very least. When he was ready he’d show the world his true power. But he needed just a little more time.

His third weapon lay on his hip, blackthorn, a sword forged of the purest hard light dust he could find. It wasn’t quite ready yet. He’d been told the purification of the metal had not been completed so it’s true power was diminished, never the less it was an exceptionally powerful tool. If somewhat costly in terms of aura usage. The thing would drain a normal person dry in a matter of seconds.

Jaune could use it all day and never get tired.

“AND NOW, WITH BOTH FIGHTERS READY LET’S SEE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY! LET THE FIGHT COMMENCE!”

Roll 1

Jaune: 64+10= 74 Pyrrha: 100 (Pyrrha came for fucking play!” +20=120

Jaune takes 46 damage

Jaune armor reduced to 249

She was on him immediately, her form perfect, her spear striking him from all over, though his armor took the brunt of the assault. He tried to fight back but she was like water bouncing on the balls of her feet jabbing him with her spear like a boxer.

He was sure that a normal fighter would be unable to mount a defense against her but jaune did mitigate the damage she was able to inflict with his own footwork, waiting for the opportunity to strike

Roll2 Jaune: 18+10=28 Pyrrha: 92 (get that weak shit outta here jaune, you’re fighting the champ!)

Jaune takes 64 damage

Armor= 185

She upped her game then, moving faster and fire in her eyes focusing into a single point, she was here to beat him, utterly. Perhaps to show him the power of friendship after their last fight, perhaps simply because her kingdom depended on her. It didn’t matter she had landed blow after blow, jaune needed to do something

Roll 3 Jaune: 94+10= 104 Pyrrha: 80 Offhand: 17+10

Pyrrha takes 24 damage

Shield reduced to 226

THERE!

Jaune saw an opportunity and for the first time since their last fight, the people of the world saw the invincible girl take a blow. Not a major one, but solid as her aura flashed to protect her. Under his helmet jaune sensed the aura she’d used, it was strong. Perhaps one of the stronger ones he’d ever felt. Even in comparison to qrow. But nothing more than a drop in the ocean to him

She was on him again in an instant

Roll 3

Jaune:18+10=28 Pyrrha:45 Jaune takes 17 damage Armor =168

Jaune becomes annoyed activates dust tattoos +20 to combat rolls

And she was somehow faster and stronger than before, gritting his teeth jaune pushed his aura into the dust based tattoos on his body, an unimaginable pain flowed through him but he pushed through using the extra power to thrust into Pyrrha

Roll 4

Jaune: 81+30= 111 Pyrrha: 42 Offhand: 69 (of course can’t have a jaune fight without this (._.) )+10= 79

Pyrrha takes 32 damage, jaune’s armor is removed for the rest of the fight due to 69 roll Pyrrha takes a -25 to rolls due to distraction

Pyrrha’s shielding= 194

The blow landed but to Pyrrha’s credit she managed to bring her shield against him as he hit her. The crowd went wild for some reason but jaune didn’t pay attention to them. Only to the red-faced Pyrrha in front of him. He went after her again”

Roll 5 Jaune:69 (WTF JAUNE!) +30=99 Pyrrha:93-25=68 Offhand: 90+10-25=75

Pyrrha takes 24 damage armor destroyed by the force of jaune’s blow. Jaune takes -20 from distraction, Pyrrha takes -10 from embarrassment

Pyrrha’s shield =170 She wasn’t ready for it for some reason and when the blow connected it hit one of the straps holding up her armor, jaune cursed his luck as the beautiful redhead was stripped naked before him only her boots and weapons to cover her. Trying to shake off the distraction jaune went after her again as the crowd went crazier!

Roll 6 Jaune:75+10= 85 Pyrrha:90-35= 55 Off hand:61-25= 36

Pyrrha takes 30 damage, pyrrha has had enough! Activates semblance +50 to rolls -50 to jaune’s rolls Pyrrha’s shield = 140

The blow struck well as the beautiful woman seemed more concerned with covering herself from the looks of the crowd than from his weapon. He felt bad, he really did but this was for the good of everyone. And she was a warrior she’d understand.

There was no gender on the battlefield

Apparently she agreed because she suddenly glowed with power moving faster than he could track while he felt somehow slower just by watching.

By this point, they were little more than blurs to most people and her nakedness was forgotten in favor of raw aggression!

Roll 7

Jaune:30-40=-10 Pyrrha:74+15=89 Jaune takes 99 damage Jaune’s sheild=2680

A blow that would fell lesser men slammed into him. His eyes unfocused as the flash of his own aura blinded him. He had no time to react to the now greater pain coursing through his body from both inside and outside as she rained down blow after blow on him the crowd having grown silent with awe watching the two pinnacles of humanity battling it out in the arena

Roll 8 Jaune:85-40=45 pyrrha:75+15=90

Jaune takes 45 damage

Jaune’s sheild= 2635

More and more blows hammered into him and he was being pushed back even if he was finally starting to get his guard up it wasn’t enough, he wasn’t enough to fight this goddess on the battlefield

.Roll 9 Jaune:14-40=-26 pyrrha:41+15=56

Jaune takes 82 damage

Jaune’s shield= 2553

Jaune’s angry activates limit break +60 to rolls stat difference

Was this the end? No one could doubt his power as blows that shook the stadium hammered into him both combatants were beyond human, the crowd could see it but for all of jaune’s raw power, it was no match for the skill of the invincible girl. Even so, they felt honored to be able to see this fight. Neither had ever been pushed this far before and even veteran huntsmen were shocked at the levels of power on display.

Jaune’s eyes snapped open, the wolf of signal, that animalistic part of his brain that couldn’t accept defeat that kept going no matter what the cost to himself, equal parts pride and protectiveness. genius, and stupidity.

That’s what looked at Pyrrha when those deep blue eyes opened. And Pyrrha felt small for a moment, the entire world felt small looking at the unrestrained power coming from the boy

This was the apex hunter, the thing that even the Grimm learned to fear.

This was the big bad wolf of signal and he howled his rage as he rushed her his lance thrown aside in the madness his pain brought on. His fist flying for her head

Roll 10

Jaune:1+20=21 (alright not the best way to show off your next to final powerup) Pyrrha:25+15=40

Jaune takes 19 damage

Jaune’s shield =2534

Jaune throws away his lance, draws blackthorn +25 to rolls

Mussels tore as fast as they healed as jaune no longer limited himself by how much pain he was willing to endure and the force from his punch cratered the ground where pyrrha was but a second ago.

Ultimate power vs ultimate skill

The invincible girl vs the apex predator

For a moment skill seemed to win out as she danced around the raging monster his wild swings destroying the arena as he missed. Inching closer and closer to his prey mindless of the damage and pain he was inflicting on himself, his mad howls echoing in the now stunned silent arena

And then she landed and blow

One big enough to snap jaune back to himself and for a moment he simply stood there, his mussels twitching finally aware that Pyrrha had stripped him as well at some point.

The pinnacles of humanity stared each other down nothing between them, perfection for the world to see. The audience held their breath and

Jaune started to laugh

He laughed and laughed seemingly amused at the situation

“Alright Pyrrha, I admit it, you’re more skilled then I think I’ll ever be, you’ve done it you’ve mastered yourself to a point beyond human limits.” he stalked forward and something about the confidence in him made the women (and some men) swoon at the sight.

“You’ve earned a reward,” he said as he picked up the sword that had fallen off him earlier in the fight “something that I’ve never had to do for anyone else, of course, you’ve already seen more of me than I’ve shown to anyone other than my girlfriends so that question is what to show you now,” he said with a wink and a smirk

His eyes grew dark as his sword glowed with golden beauty. A smile like the bared teeth of a predator shown almost as brightly

“Let me show you what true power looks like!”

And they were on each other again. Perfection in motion as far as the audience was concerned. A golden blade fought against the invincible girl and eventually there was only flashes of color as they danced around the arena until finally

The two stopped fighting mid-swing as the alarm signaling the aura of Pyrrha had dipped below 25%

Could she have won if this were a real battle? perhaps, perhaps not. All that could be said in this moment was that the battle was over. Jaune calmly re-sheathed his sword and picked up his lance. The two combatants shook hands both smiling though jaune’s seemed more a smirk

And then they walked out leaving the stunned audience to collect themselves.

It was five minutes before anyone had the presence of mind to cheer

It would be two hours till they stopped.

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In the back room Pyrrha smiled as she listened to her friends gush about the fight, yes it truly was something she supposed. The main difference between jaune and her was the amount of aura they could bring to bear, she would have to look into being more efficient in the future. But later, she wanted to spend time with her friends.

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In the back room jaune coughed up blood as his abused body and soul finally gave in, he struggled not to cry in pain as it felt like his body was being ripped apart from the inside. There was a price for power, always. He could reach levels of strength that none could match but it didn’t mean he could survive using those powers. His anguish was lessened as ruby placed his head in her lap and yang gently rubbed his back

He passed out shortly after.

He wouldn’t wake up for a week.

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The world was shocked in the wake of their fight, overnight jaune and Pyrrha became legends. The fact that they accidentally stripped each other was morphed in the minds of all the watchers to be the fact that both fought with only their weapons and souls. That they had no added advantages or disadvantages. It was pure combat.

Something that came to be common later on as fighters sought to emulate them. Fighting naked against your opponent became a way of declaring your own power.

Jaune’s tattoos became something to emulate as well though obviously no one made their out of dust, the process was immensely painful after all. The world was divided on who was more impressive, jaune, or Pyrrha.

For his part jaune spent most of his time doing paperwork recuperating and spending time with his girls. There would be time to capitalize on his newfound popularity to advance his political career. But later. For now, jaune lay in a field of flowers watching his sister, yang and ruby play with Zwei

Life was good

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Ozpin subtly played with a knight piece as he studied the board, as well as a queen. The arcs were descendants of the bastards of the royal line of vale. The very same line he’d thought he’d ended with his life as the last king of vale during the great war.

He was powerful and would be a key to winning the war, as would Pyrrha

The only question was who’s piece was he?

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here’s the next chapter of accidental villain jaune, based off of the dice rolling system for a quest on space battles. it was all random chance and i think i did pretty good with what the dice gave me. what do you think?

[girls-scenarios]

Honestly, Little by Little (Pt. 1)

Idol: Lua (Weki Meki)

Prompt: Because of who she hangs out with, Lua has the reputation of a “bad girl” around school. You’ve never spoken to her before, and never wanted to, but through a chance encounter, you begin to realize that everything you’d thought you knew about her was wrong. Fem!Reader.

Writer: Admin Kiwi

A/N: Okay, I couldn’t just let Weki Meki comeback and NOT write something for them. I seriously don’t get enough Weki Meki requests and I’ve been binging their Mohae series so I just had to write something for Lua, who has surpassed Yoojung as the bias. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy, and go watch Weki Meki’s comeback Crush, it’s amazing! Also this ended up being so long as I wrote it that I decided to split it into two parts. I’ll try to have part 2 up soon!

Warnings: Underage drinking and minor drug use that I do not condone. Also a few innuendos, I guess you could call them. 

Part 2 Part 3

“Guess what happened to me today.” You looked up as your friend Hyunjin dropped her backpack onto the floor and plopped down at her desk, eyes wide and a grin on her face. How the two of you had become friends, you really didn’t understand. She was quite popular, pretty, funny, and loud, and she was in multiple clubs around school. You, on the other hand, were a bit of a nerd. You spent most of your time in the library, where it was quiet (which was how you liked it), and you’d never been to a real party. The only club you were in was the math club, and you prioritized your studies, unlike Hyunjin, who was a solid C and B student.

But somehow, the two of you had sat together in homeroom freshmen year, and ever since, the two of you had been friends.

“What happened?” You asked, only mildly interested as you looked up from the book you’d been reading. In the past two years, you’d come to realize that she often found weird things to be exciting. Like the time she’d cried out of happiness over a girl giving her a piece of bread.

“Lua hit on me. The Kim Lua. I almost died.” That.... That was different. Your eyebrows went up and you put down your book, giving her your full attention.

“Wait, for real? I thought she only hit on hot girls like Lisa or Yves.” Pouting, Hyunjin kicked at your leg, but missed.

“I’m hot! Shut up!” You grinned and moved further into your desk so that she couldn’t reach you.

“Seriously, though. I guess she’s really making her rounds. What popular girls hasn’t she hit on yet?”

“She hasn’t hit on you.”

“I said popular. I’m not popular.”

“You’re friends with me!” You shook your head.

“That doesn’t mean I’m friends with your friends. I’m not in the popular group. I’m not cool like that.” Hyunjin sat back in her seat, pout gone.

“I think you’re cool.” You laughed.

“That’s just you, Hyunjin. Anyway, don’t you have a thing with that Heejin girl? Why are you so excited about Lua hitting on you?” She shrugged and unzipped her backpack, pulling out her notebook.

“I do. But having Lua hit on you is exciting! She’s really cool when she talks to you and she has a really nice smile. I’m not saying I’d date her like I’d date Heejin, but it was nice to talk to her.” You didn’t really get it. Honestly, you’d be fine if you never spoke to Lua. Her group of friends was not one that you liked being around. They cared nothing about school and thought they were so cool, pushing the dress code with their crazy outfits and hair and jewelry and throwing wild parties. Plus, they were plenty scary. Suyeon, one of the upperclassmen in the group who was on the basketball team, was known for having a quick temper and cursing a lot. Doyeon, also on the basketball team, was known for her cool and almost emotionless demeanor. 

“Whatever you say,” you said, just as the teacher opened the door and walked in.

“Alright everyone, I’m going to need you to pass in the homework I assigned over the weekend once we start class.”

“Shit! I forgot, can I copy yours really quick?” Rolling your eyes, you passed over your homework. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

“You’ve only got few minutes, you’d better hurry.”

-

Later in the week, you were sitting next to your friends outside, eating lunch. The cafeteria was much too loud and crowded for you to want to go anywhere near it, and it was a nice day outside anyway. It was a normal day: you’d made yourself a sandwich for lunch, Hyunjin had forgotten her math homework again, you’d helped your seatmate in chemistry understand hydrogen borrowing, and then you’d gathered with your friends away from the loud cafeteria to eat lunch. It was going like every other day of your life since you’d started high school.

It was normal. That is, until Chaeyoung skipped up to the group, eyes sparkling.

“You’re late,” Seoyeon said, giving her a suspicious look. “What in the world were you doing?”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sat down, a grin on her face. “I was talking to Yoojung. You know, the cute, short girl who’s friends with all the delinquents?”

“Why were you talking to her?” Chaewon asked quietly, curious as she peeked over her book.

“It’s a long story, but basically I tutored her in math and ended up saving her from failing, and she ended up being really nice, so we talk now.”

“I really don’t understand why she’s dating Doyeon,” you said, shaking your head. “That girl doesn’t seem like she has any emotions.”

“I know you’ve never heard of it, (Y/N), but it’s called love,” Chaeyoung said, making you scowl and throw your napkin at her.

“Oh, shut up, it’s not like you’ve ever dated anyone either.” She shrugged.

“Good point. Anyway, I was talking to her and guess what?”

“What?” Seoyeon asked, scooting a bit closer with wide eyes. Everyone else was listening well too. Even Dami had put down her book to listen.

“She invited me to the party this weekend.” The entire time she’d been talking, Chaeyoung had been hiding her hand behind her. But now, she pulled it out to reveal two “tickets” in hand, grinning widely and wiggling her eyebrows. “She told me to bring a friend too. How crazy is that? This math club member just got invited to one of Doyeon’s exclusive parties.” Everyone’s eyes widened, and Seoyeon’s mouth dropped open.

For a moment, the air was still and silent as everyone stared in shock. You wondered if you were dreaming. There was no way one of your friends has just gotten invited to such a thing. Surely, this was some kind of joke.

“Is there a catch?” Seoyeon asked gingerly, voicing your very own thoughts. Chaeyoung shook her head.

“Yoojung wouldn’t do that. I’m telling you guys, she’s actually really sweet.”

“I know she’s sweet, but what about the others?”

“She said that she’d talked to them already and they were cool with me coming. Apparently Doyeon was the one to suggest inviting me.”

“That’s so weird,” Chaewon said, shaking her head in awe. “Why?”

“She’s thankful to me for saving her girlfriend from failing, I guess? I’m supposed to meet both of them for science tutoring next week, actually.”

“The resident genius,” you said, shaking your head. “Only you, Chaeyoung.”

“So, who wants to come with me?” She asked. Immediately, Dami and Chaewon shook their heads.

“No way,” Dami said, “I’m not a party person.”

“Me neither. I’m way too shy for that.” Chaeyoung looked at Seoyeon, but Seoyeon shook her head.

“I have to babysit that weekend. Sorry.” Before you knew it, everyone’s eyes were on you. You were the only left.

“Come on, (Y/N), I don’t want to go alone,” Chaeyoung said, giving you her best puppy dog eyes.

“I-.”

“Plus, you know Hyunjin, right? She’ll probably be there so it’s not like you wouldn’t know anyone.” This was an awful idea. You had no idea how to act at parties, because you’d never been to one. Plus, the music would be so loud, and you’d heard how these parties usually went down. Still, you didn’t want to make Chaeyoung go alone.

You sighed. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Yay! Thank you (Y/N), you’re my new best friend.” You rolled your eyes as she hugged you, already regretting that you’d agreed. You just hoped that Hyunjin would be there too.

-

“What?! You’re going to the party this weekend? How?” Hyunjin looked just as shocked as your friends had been when Chaeyoung had announced she’d been invited. She was so shocked, she’d actually sat up from her beanbag chair, where she was usually impossible to move. You sat across from her on the smaller beanbag chair, nodding your head.

“My friend Chaeyoung tutored Doyeon’s girlfriend Yoojung and ended up being friends with her or something. Now she’s tutoring both of them, so she was invited and told she could bring a friend.”

“Wow. That’s crazy. How did she convince you to go? You’re, like, super against partying.” You sighed and leaned back, looking up at her ceiling.

“None of our other friends could go and I wasn’t going to make her go alone. She’s better than most of us at socializing but she’s still awkward.”

“True. I’m going, so I’ll totally come over and talk to you. It’s going to be weird seeing you there though.” You laughed.

“No kidding. That’s not the kind of place I usually frequent.” She was back to her normal laying-down position on the beanbag, arms crossed.

“Anything I can do?”

“Yeah. Help. I have no idea what to wear or what to expect or how to act.” She laughed, loudly. Like she always did.

“How about I come over to your place, like, an hour before the party or something to help you choose an outfit?” You looked back at Hyunjin to give her a grateful smile.

“I’d appreciate that. Although I’m pretty sure I have nothing in my closet that’s party appropriate.” Her eyes sparkled, and you felt a sudden sense of dread.

“Then shopping time it is. Get your friend Chaeyoung to meet us at the mall. We’re going to get you party ready.”

-

The day of the party, the door rang an hour early, as promised. Chaeyoung was already there, picking nervously as her nails as you ran down to answer the door. Thankfully, your parents weren’t home, so you didn’t have to explain where you were going and why you were dressed like you were. And you were spending the night at Chaeyoung’s, since her parents were on a business trip, so you could avoid having your parents be suspicious.

You opened the door to two people instead of one. Hyunjin stood with Heejin beside her, and although you’d met Heejin before, a couple times, her beauty always took your breath away for a moment.

“Oh, um, hi.” You glanced at Hyunjin, and she gave you a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I meant to let you know that I was bringing her over, but I forgot. She knows how to do makeup better than I do so I thought it would be good for her to be here too.”

“It’s okay,” you said, stepping to the side and giving Heejin a smile. “Welcome to my house. It’s not much but make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, (Y/N).” As pretty as she was, Heejin was also sweet. “What kind of makeup are we doing tonight?” She held up a bag that you could tell was full of makeup supplies, and you shrugged, leading them back to your room.

“Whatever goes with our outfits, I guess.” Chaeyoung stood up from the bed when Heejin walked in, looking surprised.

“Chaeyoung, this is Heejin, Hyunjin’s girlfriend. Heejin, this is my friend Chaeyoung.”

“Um, hello.”

“Hello! It’s nice to meet you, Chaeyoung! I’m going to help out with makeup, if that’s okay.” Chaeyoung was taken aback at first, but quickly smiled back at Heejin. You knew they’d get along well.

“That’s okay. Should we get started?”

-

Your outfit felt tight, even as you rode the elevator up to the rooftop party. You’d never worn a leather shirt before, and you were never going to wear one again, because this one was uncomfortable. The long eyelashes on your eyes also felt unfamiliar and heavy when you blinked, but they looked nice so you didn’t complain. Honestly, you’d been surprised at your own reflection. You looked different, and you weren’t sure you liked it.

The music could be heard before the elevator doors even opened, but once they did, it was even louder. The thumping base could be felt in your veins, and you winced, hoping your ears would get used to it soon.

“The only reason they get away with it is because Doyeon’s family is rolling in money and owns this building. Otherwise the police would be here already,” Hyunjin said under her breath, just loud enough for you to hear as the four of you walked up to the party.

Yoojung was there, standing at the door behind a small table, and she smiled when she saw the four of you walking up.

“Chaeyoung! You made it!” Chaeyoung smiled back and produced the homemade tickets from her small purse, handing them over to Yoojung.

“Yep! This is (Y/N), my friend who I invited to come with me.” Yoojung grinned and leaned over the table, taking Hyunjin and Heejin’s tickets before turning back to you.

“Hello (Y/N), welcome!” Hyunjin and Heejin were already moving over to a piece of paper, and you watched as they wrote down their names. Yoojung followed your gaze and then quickly explained. “Oh, I forgot you guys haven’t been here before! I just need you to both write your names down there. For a head count, you know?” It was a bit confusing, and you didn’t understand why a party needed people to sign-in, but you wrote your name down anyway. Once Chaeyoung was done, Yoojung gave her a little wave. “You guys have fun! I’ll come find you once I’m done here, okay?”

“Sounds good,” Chaeyoung said, waving back at her with a smile. Then the four of you turned and walked deeper into the party.

The first thing you noticed was the bar, and you winced. You should have known that there would be illegal drinking here. There was also the smell of weed in the air, although it was faint enough that it didn’t seem like a lot of people were smoking it. The music was loud and coming from a DJ in the corner, and there seemed to be an area designated for dancing.

“Wow, the scale of this is huge,” Chaeyoung said, eyes wide as she took everything in. Hyunjin nodded with a grin.

“Yep. Doyeon does everything with a bang.”

“Wait, didn’t Heejin drive us here? You’re not going to drink and drive, are you?” Heejin waved her hands.

“Oh, no! I don’t drink. They have non-alcoholic drinks at the bar too. Don’t worry!” You liked Heejin more and more as you got to know her. You let out a sigh of relief, and then another thing stood out to you.

“Hey, why did we have to sign in?” Hyunjin stopped and looked at you with her eyebrows raised.

“Wait, they didn’t tell you?” You and Chaeyoung looked at each other and then back at Hyunjin, shaking your heads. “At every party, there’s a drawing for some sort of prize. Sometimes, if your name gets drawn, you get to date one of the girls for a week. Of course, if you’re in a relationship, they respect that and draw someone else, but it’s cool to see.” One of the girls. She was referring to the group of girls that Doyeon hung out with: Suyeon, Elly, Sei, Lua, Rina, and Lucy.

“Seriously? That’s actually nuts!” Chaeyoung’s mouth dropped open. “What will we do if we get chosen? There’s no way I’d survive dating one of them!” Hyunjin laughed.

“It might not be a date this time, sometimes they give out, like, gadgets and stuff. The time my name was drawn I got a necklace and earrings, but they change it up every week.” You still didn’t like the sound of it, and you glanced back at the table, regretting writing your name down. It was like Chaeyoung had said: neither of you would survive dating those girls. Both of you were complete opposites of them.

“Try not to think about it and have fun,” Heejin said. “Come on, let’s go to the bar. We’ll show you how to order.”

They did end up having non-alcoholic drinks, and Heejin ordered you and Chaeyoung two virgin margaritas.

“They’re good, I promise,” she said as she passed them over to the two of you. And she was right. The drink was sweet, but not too sweet, and without the alcohol, there was no burn. You took a tentative sip and watched as Hyunjin drank her real cocktail, rather impressed. Hyunjin acted like an adult already.

You ended up sitting near the railing of the roof, looking down at the city lights below you with your drink in hand. Chaeyoung sat across from you, and Hyunjin and Heejin had disappeared somewhere after Hyunjin’s second drink. You kind of didn’t want to know.

The music changed to something much more up-tempo and you turned to look as cheers rang out from around the dance floor. Lua was there, with Yoojung, but your focus was on Lua. The way she moved was amazing, and you let out a little gasp as she did the splits like it was nothing, easily jumping back up and continuing to dance right afterwards. Normally you wouldn’t be interested in something like this, but somehow you couldn’t look away. She was just too good to tear your eyes away as she moved across the floor to the beat of the song, doing moves that you didn’t even know were possible.

You watched, eyes glued to her, until the music changed, and she stopped dancing and let out a laugh, hands coming back up to fix her hair as she walked towards the group of girls who had been cheering, grin so wide it showed her dimples. Quickly, you shook your head and looked back down at your drink. She was still just a playgirl.

“I was thinking about dancing, but I can’t after that. How are they so good?”

“They probably practice a lot,” you said, dismissing it the best you could. “Once the floor is full, people wouldn’t even notice if you’re good or not. If you want to dance, you should.”

“Hey! Are you guys enjoying the party?” Yoojung seemed to appear out of the crowd like magic, making both of you jump. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you! I’m small, so I move around quickly.”

“It’s okay,” Chaeyoung said with a smile, waving her hand not holding the drink. “You killed it out there by the way. Where did you learn to dance like that?”

“Thank you! It’s one of my passions, so I practice a lot,” she said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “Lua is better than me, though. She’s been dancing since she was little. She can do everything from hip-hop to ballet.”

“Seriously?” You looked back over at her as you spoke. “I would never have pegged her as the ballet type.”

“Right? But she’s honestly amazing at it. I go to all of her shows and I’m still amazed every time. She’s surprisingly girly. Her favorite color is even pink.” Now that you thought about it, she did wear a lot of pinks, even if it was on her hats and bomber jackets or those bright pink pants that the teachers hated. She was even wearing a hot pink shirt now, albeit a crop-top with a lace-up front.

You glanced over at her, and when you looked back at Yoojung, Doyeon was walking up behind her. Even just her walk was intimidating, and you swallowed nervously, but Chaeyoung gave her a smile and a wave.

“Hello, Doyeon.” To your surprise, Doyeon gave her a small smile back as she wrapped her arms around Yoojung.

“Hey, Chaeyoung. You enjoying the party so far?”

“It’s a little different than what I’m used to,” Chaeyoung admitted sheepishly, making Yoojung laugh. “But it’s fun!”

“I’m surprised you’re drinking alcohol,” Doyeon said, to which Chaeyoung quickly shook her head.

“Oh, no! (Y/N)’s friend Heejin ordered these for us. She called them virgin, which means they have no alcohol. Right?” Doyeon chuckled.

“Right.” Then, her eyes landed on you. “You’re (Y/N), right?” You nodded, unable to find the words to speak, but Chaeyoung spoke up before you had to.

“Oh, yeah, this is the friend I invited, (Y/N)! She’s somehow friends with some popular people so I convinced her that she would have people to talk to if she came with me.”

“It’s nice to meet you, (Y/N). Thanks for keeping our Chaeyoung company.” ‘Our’ Chaeyoung? Apparently they really liked her.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Doyeon looked down at her girlfriend, and her features became soft.

“Anyway, I came over here to get Yoojung so we can do the gift announcement. Sorry to interrupt.”

“That’s okay!” Chaeyoung said, “By the way, what is the gift tonight?”

“Dating Lua for a week,” Doyeon said with a grin, resting her chin on Yoojung’s head, which made the younger girl whine. “It’s been a pretty popular one, so we brought it back for tonight. Maybe you guys will get lucky.”

“Ah, I don’t think I could keep up with someone like her....” You weren’t saying anything, but you agreed with Chaeyoung. How would a nerd like the two of you be able to date someone like Lua?

“You never know,” Doyeon said, “don’t be so hard on yourself. Anyway, we’ve got to go. We’ll come back over and talk once everything is settled, okay?”

“Bye Chaeyoung, bye (Y/N)!” Yoojung said, waving at the two of you with a wide smile as her girlfriend led her away. The two of you waved back until the two disappeared into the crowd, and Chaeyoung looked back at you.

“See? Doyeon isn’t too bad. Yoojung told me that she just has a hard time conveying her emotions because she gets nervous.”

“Doyeon? Nervous?” It didn’t seem real. That girl had it all. But you guessed if it was her girlfriend saying it, it had to be real. “I would have never guessed it.”

“I know. But when I talked to her she was genuinely nice, so I know Yoojung is telling the truth.”

“They both certainly seem to like you,” you said, making Chaeyoung squeal and bring her hands up to cover her cheeks.

“Stop it! I’ll end up blushing!” You laughed at her, shaking your head, but then the music died out, making you look over at the dance floor again. At the far end, the main group of girls had gathered, and Doyeon had a microphone in hand. Yoojung was holding a bowl full of folded up papers, and your heart jumped knowing that your name was in there. You almost wanted to rush up and take it out, but you would never have to confidence to do such a thing.

To distract yourself from the feeling of imminent doom, you looked over the group. Suyeon was there, and she looked a bit different than usual with her hair up. Lucy was there too, hands in her pockets looking kind of like she’d rather be back at the bar eating the snacks. Elly was leaning over Yoojung’s shoulder, listening to whatever Doyeon was explaining, as the microphone was still off. Rina and Sei were talking, Rina with her arms crossed as Sei messed with her bangs.

“Honestly, Sei is really cute too,” you said, squinting to see her better from your seat. “How did she end up in their friend group?”

“Honestly I have no idea. I think she was friends with Lua so she just ended up joining the group when Lua did.”

Speaking of Lua, she was standing next to Doyeon, slipping back into the bomber jacket she’d abandoned when she’d went out to dance. She didn’t seem nervous at all, but she was always confident when she hit on girls so you weren’t sure why you thought she might be nervous now.

The microphone clicked to life and Doyeon brought it up to her mouth, raising her eyebrows.

“Hey everyone! I hope you’re all having a good time, like usual.” There was a loud cheer, and you looked around. Everyone who had scattered around the party before had returned, knowing about the prize and wanting to see who had won. You could even see Heejin and Hyunjin standing off to the side in each other’s arms, watching Doyeon speak. “We’re now going to announce the prize. Is everyone curious?” Another cheer, and she smiled. “Why don’t I let our Lua introduce it?” She handed the microphone over to Lua, who grinned widely and stepped forward.

“Since it was popular the last few times, we’ve brought it back. Tonight’s prize is, wait for it.... Dating me for a week!” The crowd seemed to go crazy, especially the girls. You’d known that she was a player, but you hadn’t realized that it was on this scale. The girls at this party were crazy for her. Shaking your head, you tuned out whatever else she was saying and took the last sip of the margarita Heejin had gotten for you. You weren’t really interested in any of this, dating someone out of this group was not on your to-do list, and plus, the chances of your name being pulled were slim. There were so many people here that there was no way-.

“(Y/N)! Tonight’s winner is (Y/N)!” Doyeon held up a strip of paper, and her eyes moved over to your table as the crowd began to murmur, looking around because they didn’t recognize your name. For a moment, you sat very still, hoping this was just a dream. But it wasn’t. It was very, very real, and you knew it was when Chaeyoung hit you on the arm in her shock. “Congrats, (Y/N), it looks like you’ve got a girlfriend for the week.”

You wanted to run, but you were rooted to your chair, unable to move as everyone watched Doyeon and Yoojung lead Lua your way. How were you so unlucky? You could see Hyunjin and Heejin grinning and waving at you, and you wished you’d never agreed to come.

“Wow, (Y/N), who would have guessed you’d get so lucky at your first party!” Yoojung was practically bouncing with excitement, and you stared at her with wide eyes, panicking internally. You’d never even dated anyone, how were you going to do this? Was Lua really going to be your first girlfriend?

“Don’t be so nervous, Lua doesn’t bite unless you want her to,” Doyeon said, earning her a slap on the arm from Lua as she stepped forward.

“You’re (Y/N)?” Slowly, mechanically, you nodded. “I thought your name was unfamiliar. I guess I wouldn’t know it since you’ve never been to one of our parties before. But it’s nice to meet you, babe.” Your face flushed immediately at her use of the word, and she grinned even wider, eyebrows going up. “Should we get to know each other better?” Chaeyoung across from you squealed and covered her mouth, leaning back in her chair, and you made a mental note to curse at her later. This was her fault.

“Uh, I.” What could you do? You couldn’t lie and say that you were in a relationship because Chaeyoung was right there, and Hyunjin and Heejin were making their way over, and Hyunjin looked just tipsy enough to sell you out for the laugh. And it would be rude to just refuse. Was that even allowed? You were totally stuck with nowhere to run. Swallowing, you glanced down at your empty glass. “Sure.” What else could you say? You were just going to have to ride this out.

Lua wasn’t fazed by your hesitance to accept, probably just thinking that you were nervous. With her grin still in place, she held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s go over to the bar and get you another drink.” Internally, you panicked. But on the outside, you tried to play it cool, swallowing thickly as you picked up your empty glass and stood up, glancing at Hyunjin and Heejin, who both gave you a thumbs up. You really didn’t want to take her hand, but you felt like you had no choice, so you did.

Her hand was surprisingly soft, and you just hoped that you didn’t start sweating is she gave you a smile and tugged you away from the group towards the bar. Behind you, you could hear Hyunjin whistle. She was so being added to the list of people to yell at later.

“So, what do you like to drink?” She was talking to you. You tried to remember what Heejin had ordered for you earlier, focusing on the empty glass.

“Well, I don’t really drink. Heejin ordered this for me earlier without any alcohol but I don’t remember what it was. A margarita or something?”

“Have you never tried alcohol?” You glanced at her out of the side of your eyes.

“No?”

“Oh, that’s so boring! I’ll get you something without much alcohol so you can try it.”

“Um, that’s okay, I-.”

“Come on, you’re at a party! You can let loose here! If you end up not liking it, I won’t make you drink it, don’t worry.” What could you say? She didn’t seem like she was someone who would take no for an answer, and she was determined to get you to try whatever she was thinking about. Was she drunk? You didn’t know, since you’d never actually talked to her before.

The bar was crowded, but the crowd parted as she walked up, and you could feel the girls standing there sizing you up. You really hated having this many eyes on you, so you looked down at the floor and tried to ignore the feeling of their stares.

“Hey, bartender Jihyo! Can you give me two of the usual? Make one light, though, my girlfriend hasn’t really had anything strong before.” The bartender gave her a smile and nodded, turning around to begin making something, and you shuddered a bit at the mention of “girlfriend”. This was real, wasn’t it? Your first girlfriend was really Kim Lua. This wasn’t just a nightmare.

You listened as some of the girls talked to Lua, and she laughed along with something they were saying, until the hand in your own tightened its grip and you glanced up to see her holding a drink.

“Here. This one is yours. I think you’ll like it.” You took it gingerly. It felt different than before, knowing this drink actually had alcohol in it. Jihyo slid another drink over the counter, and Lua grabbed it and stepped back. When you glanced at her again, there was a gleam in her eyes that made you nervous. “Alright, follow me. I know somewhere more private we can talk.” Some of the girls whined, but Lua ignored them as she led you away, towards a back elevator that you hadn’t even seen before. It was slightly hidden behind elaborate plants on top of half-walls, but Lua seemed to know exactly where she was going.

The elevator was even nicer than the one you’d rode up on, and you looked around in awe, surprised at the scale of it.

“This elevator is so pretty, isn’t it? It leads down to the upscale private rooms so they had to make it a little bit nicer.”

“It is really pretty,” you admitted, nodding your head. You felt stiff and unnatural beside her, the drink in your hand foreign and the hand in yours even more so. Then, it struck you what she’d said, and you panicked a little inside. Private rooms. Where was this going?

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a small but beautiful hall, and she led you out towards the last door, hand slipping out of yours to pull a key from her pocket. You waited with your heart in your throat as she unlocked the door, eyes searching for any way out.

“Come on in!” The door swung open to reveal a suite, with a large bed, an elaborate bathroom with a giant bath, a desk, and two chairs to sit on in front of the bed, not to mention the walk-in closet and the vanity. The television was huge too, taking up half the room. You stepped slowly inside, eyes wide as you took it all in. Was this normal for rich people? You’d never seen such a room in person. This stuff only happened in movies. Except now you were inside one, and it was very real, and you were definitely not in a movie. “What do you think?”

“This is crazy,” you said, shaking your head. “How are we allowed to use this?” Lua winked and sat down on one of the plush chairs, motioning for you to do the same.

“This floor is designated for Doyeon and her friends, which means us. We could stay here all night, if you wanted to.” You decided not to think about the implications of that sentence as you sat down. “Have you tried the drink yet?”

“Haven’t had the chance,” you said, glancing down at the glass as she took a sip of her own. What would your parents say if they knew you were here instead of studying at Chaeyoung’s place? You could only imagine. You’d never thought that you’d have your first sip of alcohol while you were still in high school, but there you were. Slowly, you took a sip.

It tasted almost like the drink you’d had before, but there was a bit of a burn when it hit the back of your throat and you winced a bit. Still, the sweetness took away most of the feeling, and the drink wasn’t bad. You weren’t sure if you wanted to drink it all, though. Being drunk in a room like this was not something you wanted to happen.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s okay. I’m not used to the burn,” you said, lowering the drink and hoping that she wouldn’t pressure you into taking another sip.

“I guess it isn’t for everyone,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and taking another sip of her own drink and nodding towards the desk. “There’s water and stuff in the fridge if you’d like that instead.” When you looked over, you noticed the small fridge for the first time. The door to it was clear, showing an assortment of drinks inside, and you got up and wandered over to it. Placing the drink on the desk, you opened the fridge door and took out one of the waters, then walked back over to the chair and sat down.

“This is good,” you said when she raised her eyebrows, assuring her that you didn’t want anything else. Honestly, you just wanted to go home. Although there was something about her that was... alluring, almost. You kind of understood now why Hyunjin had gotten so excited over getting hit on.

“If you say so,” she said, leaning forward. “Anyway, (Y/N), tell me about yourself. I haven’t really seen you around.” Well, you’d been around. But you weren’t surprised that she hadn’t noticed you. It’s not like you were anything close to popular enough for her.

“There’s not really much to tell,” you said, shrugging your shoulders. “I’m friends with Hyunjin and Heejin, but that’s about all the popular people I know. I’m in the math club. The only people I’m behind when it comes to grades are my friends. As for hobbies? If doing homework is a hobby, then I have one. I like watching shows, too, I guess. I’m pretty boring.” Her face was unreadable as she watched you, and it was unnerving, so you looked down at the water bottle in your hands instead.

“I haven’t known anyone in the math club before. That’s impressive, though, that you’re at the top of the school in your grades! I could never do that.”

“All it takes is studying,” you said, and she fell quiet for a moment before laughing.

“You’re interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone tell me anything like that.” You looked back at her, eyebrows raised, surprised she hadn’t thought it was rude. “I mean, it’s true. If I studied, I bet I could get better grades.”

“Do you not study?” She shook her head slightly and took another sip of her drink.

“Not really. I don’t have the time between everything else I do and doing the homework.”

“What all do you do?” She grinned, like just talking about it made her happy.

“Ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop dancing. My dance teacher recently started training me to be more well-rounded so I can dance to anything, so that’s extra lessons too. Plus I’m a cheerleader at the school, and I’m in the dance club. And I do stuff like this. So I’m always busy.” You had no idea about any of this. You still couldn’t really imagine her doing gymnastics or ballet, but she seemed so passionate about it that it made you feel a bit bad for feeling angry about her not studying.

“How do you not get tired with that kind of schedule?” She laughed again.

“I do, trust me. But I love dancing and gymnastics so it’s easy to carry on. I think I’d die if I couldn’t dance.” That wasn’t something you’d expected to hear from her, but you nodded your head, looking back down at your water bottle. You couldn’t really understand where she was coming from. You loved school and learning, sure, and you liked math, but you didn’t feel like you’d die if you didn’t have them.

“It’s good to have something that you’re so passionate about,” you said, and she tilted her head slightly, watching you.

“I’m sure that there’s something you’re passionate about. Everyone is passionate about something. You just have to find it.” When you glanced up again, she was closer. So close that it made your breath hitch in your throat, both because of what she’d said and how close she was. You licked your lips, and watched her eyes follow it, your heart beating hard. She was leaning in, and you didn’t know what to do. You hadn’t even had your first kiss yet. Was this really how it was going to be?

Your phone rang in your pocket and you jumped up, startling her slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It’s Heejin, they’re all probably heading home and I have to go with them.” Secretly, you were relieved for the distraction, but when you looked at her, her face was slightly fallen.

“Oh. That’s okay. I’ll walk you back up.” She sat down her glass and stood up, giving you a small smile as she pulled out her phone. “Could I get your number?”

“Sure.” It would be weird to have a girlfriend and not have their phone number, right?

Your heart was still beating quick in your chest, and you wondered if she could hear it as you typed your number into her phone and handed it back.

“Thanks,” she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket and holding out her hand again. Although you were flustered, you took it, letting her lead you out of the room and up to where your friends were waiting by the door.

Later, finally in the car with the rest of your friends, you looked out the window, drowning out the sounds of their excited talking. Your phone felt heavy in your pocket, and for some reason, you couldn’t get the image of Lua’s small smile out of your head.

[stars-in-my-damn-eyes]

An Improbable Turn of Events - Chapter 1

Before I start: I just want to disclose that I don't write very often and this chapter is shit. I will probably improve with practice, but bear with me. Anyhow, this is a fanfic. It's a Bestiary fanfic (which is the creation of @the-world-of-the-bestiary). It features some Bestiary OCs of mine. I hope it is passable.

(Beta-read by @righteous-room-people)

It was a pretty big jar, all things considered. Variant had never really been an expert on jars, but she had enough passing knowledge to know that the one she was looking for was pretty large for a jar, and, given that it was covered in ornate symbols painstakingly carved into the glass, it was also rather easily identifiable.

Furthermore, the fact that it held a deep indigo crystal which floated slowly up and down within it as it pulsed with a soft lavender glow and illuminated the fine purple dust floating around it, made the stupid thing incredibly obvious and absolutely unmissable.

Even so, despite the odds, Variant found herself unable to locate it. It hadn't been in the secure, nigh-impenetrable safe where it was supposed to be, so she'd turned the stupid place upside down in her search for her good-sized and rather noticeable glowy rock jar - heck, she'd even gone through the underwear drawer and the sofa cushions - to absolutely no avail.

It seemed very likely that the glorified nightlight was lost.

Somehow, an object being kept in an almost ridiculously secure safe that absolutely nobody except Variant knew the incredibly long and complex code to had vanished into thin air.

The situation was not ideal.

Variant sighed to herself. Never let it be said that she was not a patient faun - she'd taken it upon herseld to look through every single nook and cranny of the house at least twice, which was a task made twice as difficult due to the fact that she only had one working arm. She'd search the house again, in fact, just to double-check that she hadn't somehow managed to miss the massive, obvious artifact she was searching for, but the occupant was rising along with the chilly, late-autumn sun.

She wasn't about to leave such a precious relic in her own house, after all - she visited Faun-anin once in a blue moon, and she had more sense than to leave the magic rock in an empty house for decades at a time.

Under the impression that she was making a sound decision, she'd opted to give the damn thing to a friend for safekeeping and now it was lost.

As she slipped out of the window, Variant cursed the house's owner under her breath. Sunny was incompetent and lazy, sure, but all he had to do to complete this particular task was to not open the safe, which, given the fact that he'd forgotten the code immediately after locking it, was a pretty easy task.

In Variant's opinion, he deserved to have his house ransacked. All she had wanted to do was slip into Faun-anin, grab the rock-jar, and leave immediately, but apparently nothing could ever go right for her.

She made her way across the town and got into her truck before anybody saw and recognised her. She started up the engine and set off, tragically jar-gem-less, and started to drive in the direction of the next settlement over.

And that was when the second thing decided to go wrong that day, despite the fact that the sun had barely risen. Today was not simply a bad day. Variant had had bad days before - on one memorable occasion, she'd accidentally set her jacket on fire whilst camping out in a barn in the middle of nowhere - and she could handle them.

No, today was not simply a bad day.

Today, Variant mused as she watched black smoke flow ominously out of her bonnet, was perhaps the worst day of her entire pathetic existence.

***

The sun was hovering just above the horizon when Variant returned to the little town she called home. She pulled her car into a small clearing that housed four other vehicles and sat back in the driver's seat, letting a loud sigh escape her lips. Now, to decide what to do about the jar. Gods damn her hubris - she shouldn't have been content with merely trusting that it was safe in Faun-anin. She should've ensured it was safe. Variant snorted at the irony of the situation - oh, the irony. She'd been downright stupid to assume that she'd be able to drop her guard once she'd stored the crystal with her friend. Sunny had told her that he'd protect it with his life, but that didn't mean he'd be able to do so. She'd gone after it too, after all, and it really was idiotic of her to assume it was hers for good after her success.

In her hubris, Variant had fucked up. Badly. To top it off, the damn crystal wasnt going to find itself, and Variant couldn't afford to let its whereabouts stay unknown.

It looked like she was going to have to clear her schedule for next few months.

But first, a more important task awaited.

The small café in town did fantastic sandwiches.

***

Centaur Enforcers weren't unheard of, but they weren't common either. Due to this, Variant could be reasonably certain that the centaur Enforcer looming over her car like it was an exhibit in a museum was in fact one Jennet... Jennet... actually, Variant had forgotten her surname. If she had one. Did centaurs have surnames?

Great going, Variant. First you lose your most important possession, then you end up having to drag your car to a mechanic at the break of dawn, and then you forget your own roommate's name. You're a genius, truly.

Jennet turned around, confirming that she was indeed Jennet, and half-smiled at Variant.

"You're not allowed to park there," she greeted.

"Other people are parked there," Variant shrugged.

Jennet snorted. "Other people are going to be told not to park there too, Variant. Shockingly, parking restrictions apply to everyone."

"Does it matter, though? I mean, I'm parked in what is essentially a hedge. Look at it. It's practically swallowing the cars."

Jennet offered another small smile. "If it's to your disliking, I suggest you move your vehicle."

"Shut up, Jennet," Variant scowled, rubbing her forehead with her good hand. The Enforcer regarded her quietly, apparently indulging Variant's request.

"Are you leaving?" Jennet, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. I was just headed home."

Jennet gave a her nod and stepped away. "See you there, then."

Variant dipped her head, returning the gesture, and started towards the vehicle.

"Hey, Variant," Jennet called after her.

"Yeah?" Variant opened the door, not bothering to face the Enforcer.

"Is everything ok?"

Variant became vaguely aware of the familiar feeling of a headache beginning to form tapping at her skull.

"Everything's grand," she said.

***

Jennet came home sooner than expected, but not by much. Variant had already gone to bed by the time she heard the creaking of the front door of the aparment opening and the tapping of hooves on the wooden floor.

"I'm back," Jennet announced.

"I realised," Variant muttered, loudly enough for the centaur to hear. Gods, she was tired. She hadn't slept at all last night, opting to do a bit of breaking and entering instead.

Jennet paused, tapping a hoof on the floor. "How much did you sleep last night?"

"Very little. Close to none."

Jennet hummed thoughtfully.

"Why ask?"

"No reason," the centaur said airily, opening a cupboard. "You just seemed tired."

No shit.

"That's why I'm going to sleep," Variant said, annoyed. "Right now."

Fortunately, Jennet took the hint, and didn't bother Variant with any further questions. It had been a very long and horrible day, after all, and she was looking forward to it being over.

Variant rolled over on her bed and tried to focus on the sound of Jennet making herself dinner rather than the fact the most important thing she owned had been stolen, and all she knew about if was that it had happened between about twelve years ago and today.

Fuck that gem-jar and everything to do with it.

***

The crystal pulsed with a lavender light, illuminating the dim office.

"So this is it?"

The troll and the faun opposite him nodded.

"That's definitely it," the faun said. "Right where she left it way back when. It apparently never occured to her to move it."

"More likely, she just trusted that it would be safe with her friend," the troll said bluntly, tapping their fingers on the table.

"Shut up, Wherever."

"Does it perform its function correctly?" hissed the man. "Can it really reverse probability?"

The troll, Wherever, sighed. "You told us to get the Valosyn Crystal from Faun-anin, and we did. Whether or not it works is not our problem."

His eyes blazed angrily as he shot a glare at the apathetic troll. "Then you will activate it, and if it fails to accomplish its task, you will not be paid. I do not hand out money to incompetents."

"I am very competent," Wherever muttered, with no real indignation behind their words. "But 'test the Valosyn Crystal' was not in the job description."

"Shut up, Wherever," the man snapped at the offending troll. Their faun counterpart smirked at them.

"Go on then, bro. Turn it on," Wherever smiled at the faun, who immediately stiffened.

"I hate you."

"I know."

He reached out tentatively and yanked the lid off the jar, taking the crystal out.

"It's perpetually on. If you want it off, stick it in the jar and that should hold it," he muttered, holding it out.

"Hmm," the man hmmed. "Well, I suppose we should try it out. Do you have any suggestions?"

"We shoot Wherever and see if they survive? Under normal circumstances, that's pretty unlikely."

"Or, we shoot you, since you suggested it," Wherever supplied. "Alternatively, we could test it in the long term."

The man's eyes glittered. "How so?"

Wherever shrugged. "Set a really obvious trap. Something that it's unlikely someone would fall for. Then, wait for someone to take the bait."

"I see," he said, looking at the troll appraisingly. "In that case, I have another job for you."