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vii-strawberry · 6 months ago

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happy birthday luna!!

The force of Nyx’s slam reverberates through the table, causing [REDACTED]’s fine china to rattle. ‘’It’s time,’’ she announces with a stern voice, ‘’Operation Luna’s Birthday. OLB for short.’’ The petite woman’s gaze is fierce. She’s ready for battle. Her friends, on the other hand, are not as riled up. One of them is a beautiful tall lady, whose name is Miyuna. Yuna for short. Miss Viandecourt if she doesn’t like you. The other one, a pretty brunette whose eyes pierce through your soul, looks a little bit confused.

Silence fills the air, until the tension is broken by the beautiful dark-haired Miyuna. ‘’Nyx…’’ Her tone could be best described as exasperated. ‘’I love you, but you cannot do this a second time.’’ She doesn’t break eye contact with the other woman. The latter looks offended.

‘’Why not!?’’ she defensively blurts out. ‘’My last plan was executed perfectly.’’ Her melodic voice is boastful. Nyx is, after all, a prideful woman. Perhaps a little bit too prideful at times. Nonetheless, she basks in the glory of her self-proclaimed scheming and cunning mind. If someone was in need of a mastermind for a heist, then Nyx would be the woman for the job. However, her last plan had been heavily criticized by lobbyists (her friends), despite the flawless execution (they had to put [REDACTED] inside the trunk of a car).

Yuna raises a well-groomed eyebrow. ‘’Because the last time you planned a surprise birthday party, you had us kidnap our friend.’’ As to make a point, she gestures towards [REDACTED], who sits still and enjoys her tea. Occasionally, she’ll chime in with a ‘’mhm’’. Yuna crosses her arms. ‘’Actually, I’m still bewildered at how you managed to convince us to do that, even.’’

Nyx smirks and leans back on her chair. ‘’Because I’m charismatic as fuck.’’ She winks.

‘’Hmph, you could become a politician,’’ Yuna snickers and takes a sip from her tea cup, ‘’or you could become the next Icarus.’’ She studies the cup’s swirly golden pattern. It’s a beautiful contrast against the glossy pink porcelain. Finally, she sets it down on the coaster.

The third woman, who had been sitting silently and listening, suddenly chimes in. Miyuna and Nyx turn their heads to their friend. [REDACTED] puts a delicate finger on her chin, showcasing her ball-jointed tattoo. Her eyes are raised skywards as her face displays a querying expression. ‘’We wouldn’t be able to kidnap Luna anyways. She’s as strong as 10 regular men. The three of us don’t even hold a candle against her,’’ she explains in a matter-of-fact voice. ‘’And I only have access to human sedatives, we’d need horse tranquilizers to take her down.’’

The last bit of information gets a strong reaction from Nyx. She knits her eyebrows together, forming a puzzled look. ‘’Why are you talking about her like she isn’t even human? Horse tranquilizers? Please, she’s a college girl, like the rest of us, even if she's absurdly strong. Besides, we’re not going to drug her. What the hell.’’

The violet-eyed Miyuna shoots a concerned look [REDACTED]’s way. ‘’So are we not gonna question how you have access to sedatives?’’

The doll-like girl only shrugs her shoulders. ‘’Anyway, take what I’ve said with a grain of salt. After all, I haven’t graduated from med school yet.’’

In frustration, Nyx slams the table once again. This time, [REDACTED] gives her a stern look. ‘’Stop doing that. You’ll startle the girls.’’ The brunette nods in the direction of her couch. The three women could’ve sprawled out on that comfortable plush sofa, if it hadn’t been filled to the brim with various kinds of antique dolls. Nyx could never keep her gaze on them for too long. They stare back.

Don’t be mistaken, though. It doesn’t end at the couch. The apartment walls are lined with shelves, displaying porcelain dolls. The three college girls are sitting around a circular table, decorated with lace tablecloths and stacked with diverse finger sandwiches. There are four chairs around the table. One for Miyuna, one for Nyx, one for the hostess, and one for the bald porcelain doll belonging to said hostess.

Miyuna lets out a sigh and leans slightly forward. ‘’So, if we can get back to planning for a moment: what exactly are we doing for Luna’s birthday?’’

Nyx opens her mouth to speak, but gets quickly shut down. The violet-eyed woman curtly reprimands, ‘’No kidnapping!’’

‘’Alright fine!’’ Nyx raises her arms and rolls her eyes. Her fiery temper settles down, and she finally collects her thoughts enough to speak. ‘’I’ve been thinking, and yes– no so-called ‘’crimes’’ involved.’’ She finishes with an innocent smile. That smile of hers could be so deceiving sometimes. Yuna knew better than to trust it, though.

The taller woman plays with her hair. ‘’That’s a relief... If I can take you at your word. What’s the plan, then?’’

The petite girl continues, ‘’we know what she likes, right?’’

‘’Strawberries,’’ Yuna answers.

Nyx waves her hand dismissively. ‘’Yes, but I was thinking of something else.’’

‘’Cats!’’ [REDACTED] excitedly chimes in.

Crossing her arms, Nyx shakes her head. ‘’Not wrong, but try again.’’

Attempting a second time, Yuna replies, ‘’video games?’’

‘’Getting hotter,’’ hums Nyx.

‘’Arcades?’’ suggests [REDACTED].

Nyx flips her hair and flashes a brilliant smile, as if she’d won a million dollars. ‘’Bingo!’’

[REDACTED] claps, happy that she got it right. She looks expectantly at Nyx. ‘’So are we going to take her to the arcade?’’

The other woman confirms her friend’s query by nodding her head. ‘’Yes,’’ Nyx says as presses her fingers together, ‘’but we need to somehow get her into one without arousing suspicion.’’

Leaning back and crossing her legs, Yuna thinks for a moment. ‘’Hm,’’ she starts, ‘’this might be difficult. After all, it’s very suspicious of us to take her to an arcade on the day of her birthday. She’s going to realize, and it’ll ruin the surprise.’’ She looks over to Nyx, who seems to be in agreement. ‘’So how are we going to disguise it?’’

Obviously, Nyx has already cooked up a plan. She straightens her posture, making sure that both of her friends are attentive to what she’s going to say. ‘’Well, first of all, we’re going to rent out an arcade. Secondly, we will have to trick her into going in. Thirdly, we’re going to need bait for that to happen.’’

‘’How are we going to bait her?’’ [REDACTED] timidly asks.

Nyx leans in, a mean gleam in her eye. ‘’She loves cats. If she saw a poor, injured kitty, she’d be compelled to save it. We’ll need some back-up. Here’s the plan.’’

‘’Christmas party on the 25th at 8 PM, don’t be late or else you’re a real stinker!!!’’ reads the text message that’s displayed on Luna’s phone screen. She’s not quite sure how to use all of the applications yet, but Nyx had insisted that she would download this particular one. It’s good for keeping in contact with each other, apparently. [REDACTED] claimed that the application had ‘’cute stickers’’, meanwhile Yuna had said ‘’everyone’s using it.’’

The long-haired beauty walks down the streets of the city. Today is Christmas Eve, and she plans on celebrating it with the people she cares about the most. She’d invited a fellow classmate, someone from her art class. Since this is a student party, and not a private celebration, she assumed it was okay if she brought along a plus one. Luna isn’t particularly the biggest fan of parties or large gatherings in general. She prefers to be cozied up in bed, playing her favorite games. But her friends had invited her, and they said everyone was going to be there. Spending an evening with her girls doesn’t sound so bad.

The glistening pure white snow crunches underneath her boots. Next to her is a tall young man with green and black hair. He walks close to her, nearly touching her shoulders. Luna’s face lights up like the stars in the night sky, her eyes full of wonder as she takes in the breathtaking scenery. The city is beautiful at night, yes, but it’s even more magical during winter. The ground’s completely covered in white. Meanwhile high above, Christmas lights and decorations are strung up on buildings. Every store they walk past boasts enchanting decorations: reindeers, little santas, and neon signs wishing everyone a merry Christmas.

Apparently, the party is located at a downtown bar. Luna couldn’t figure out the GPS (is that what they call it?), so Sol is the one showing the way. He periodically glances down at his phone, making sure that they are walking in the right direction. People pass by them, most of them are going home to their families. After all, it was getting late. Perhaps a little too late, because as they approach the bar, they notice that it’s completely dark inside. The sign on the door reads: Closed for Christmas!

A puzzled look spreads across Luna’s face. ‘’This can’t be right. Nyx said that it should be this bar.’’

Her classmate scratches his head. Although deep down, he’s letting out a sigh of relief. ‘’Maybe she gave you the wrong time. It’s closed. The party’s over.’’ He darts his yellow-orange eyes over to her face to gauge her reaction.

Luna shakes her head. ‘’No, I’m looking at her text right now. It says 8 PM.’’

‘’Are you sure?’’ Sol asks, looking at Luna’s phone screen. He reads it for a moment and raises his eyebrows. ‘’Damn. Maybe she played a prank on you.’’

The college girl jerks her body. She casts blue eyes on Sol’s face. They’re full of disbelief. ‘’No, Nyx wouldn’t do something like that!’’

This only causes Sol to scoff. ‘’You’d be surprised. This city is full of snakes,’’ he sneers. Under that tone of voice lies something more sinister. ‘’We should go. I’ll walk you home.’’

Luna thought that perhaps Sol was right. After all, this particular place looks desolate. Most of the shops on this street have already closed down for the night. Unlike the streets they’d crossed earlier, where people were still hustling and bustling about, this one didn’t have a single soul roaming around.

‘’Meow.’’

Luna swiftly turns around. ‘’Huh, did you hear that?’’

She freezes in her tracks the moment she sees a little white kitty in front of her. It appears to be injured, with a bandage wrapped around one of its legs. Luna lets out a little gasp. ‘’Oh no, poor thing!’’ she exclaims, as she starts following the cat. It’s more of an instinct, really. Nyx knows that Luna has a pure heart. That’s why it’s quite easy to trick her.

Peeking her head out from behind a wall, not too far away from where Luna and Sol are, Nyx watches her friend intently. She has to make sure that everything goes according to plan. So far, so good. However, there is just one thing that ticks her off. That strange-looking man. Why the hell is he here? She thought Luna would come alone. Damn it. However, as things are now, the probability of him getting in the way is low.

Behind Nyx stands Yuna and [REDACTED]. They’re all fashionably clad in winter coats and boots. ‘’It’s so cold,’’ mutters Yuna. Her breath comes out as smoke. ‘’I hope this goes by quickly.’’ Her friends nod in agreement. Everyone wants Luna to get inside the arcade as fast as possible. It’s perhaps 300 meters away from where they’re standing now. It all depends on Aaliyah now, who’s been diligently luring the cat to go in the right direction.

It’s honestly amazing that Luna isn’t suspicious of the whole situation. The cat isn’t limping at all, despite having a bandage wrapped around its leg. It also looks well-groomed and well-fed. It certainly isn’t a stray, and [REDACTED] had just wrapped its leg in bandage. She isn’t studying vet med, but human med is close enough, no?

Nyx knows how to play with people’s heart strings. Luna’s going to follow that pitiful little kitty into the arcade. The doors will be open. It’ll be dark. And then… Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, now.

The cat sniffs the air, following the scent of wet food, which Liyah had been tasked to carry around as bait. Her help didn’t come without a cost, though. Nyx had to reluctantly agree to buy her food for a whole week. Ack, her bank account suffers so. But that’s what she is willing to do for the people she cares about. Not that she’d ever admit that, of course.

Its white fur almost blends in with the snow when it makes its way to the arcade. Nyx has no idea where Liyah is. Her main concerns are as follows: first of all, a cat is, well, a cat. They’re unpredictable and have minds of their own. Second of all, Liyah could potentially be discovered. After all, running around town with several cans of opened cat food is suspicious, to say the least. Despite Nyx’s concerns, literally no one has been able to find where Liyah is. It’s strange, she leaves no footprints, no sounds and no trace of her existence at all. The only reason the girls know that she’s still cooperating with their plan is because Liyah will occasionally text them updates.

Luna calls out to the cat. ‘’Here, kitty kitty! I promise I won’t hurt you. Please, let me help.’’ The cat seemingly ignores her and continues trotting away from her. She picks up her pace, so that she can keep up with her white-furred friend. Sol, however, seems to be less enthusiastic.

‘’Luna,’’ he says as he follows behind her, ‘’something doesn’t feel right.’’

‘’I know, how could someone possibly leave this kitty all alone? How is it going to fend for itself with an injury?’’ she sighs in disappointment, as she keeps chasing the cat. Her face is flushed pink, and her hair is covered in half-melting snowflakes. ‘’We need to help it.’’

Yuna, Nyx and [REDACTED] make sure to follow along behind Sol and Luna, who are quickly approaching the arcade. After a short while, the two college students are standing outside of the arcade building. It appears to be closed. It’s completely dark inside, but the doors to the place are wide open. If it wasn’t for the fact that Luna regularly visits this place with her friends, she would’ve thought it was abandoned. No Christmas decorations are hung up, not a single soul inside it seems like.

Something is definitely wrong, though. Luna feels as if she’s being watched, despite her not being able to spot anyone inside that place. The cat suddenly stops before the entrance, hisses, and darts away faster than she can react. ‘’Wait, Mr. Kitty!’’ she shouts after him, to no avail. Luna is ready to dash after it, but Sol is quicker. He grabs her arm.

His weary eyes meet hers. ‘’Luna, I think we should go home. It’s too cold outside.’’

She immediately protests, ‘’but the cat–’’

‘’--Is going to be fine. Look at how fast it ran. It has most likely already healed from its injury. That coat was glossy white, too. Someone is taking care of it, I assure you.’’ He smiles, an attempt to reassure her. His grip on her arm doesn’t loosen, though.

‘’Fuck,’’ Nyx mumbles underneath her breath. ‘’Why didn’t that stupid cat go inside!?’’

‘’It must’ve been spooked,’’ Yuna sighs. ‘’It’s a cat. There was always going to be a risk of it running away.’’

Nyx throws her head back dramatically and groans. ‘’But we were so close!’’

Yuna fiddles with her scarf. ‘’Ugh, does this mean we have to enact Plan B?’’

The raven-haired woman looks exhausted. ‘’Yes. Plan B.’’

[REDACTED] pulls out something from her pocket.

Nyx shoots her a confused look.

She simply tilts her head in response to Nyx’s confusion. ‘’You said we needed Plan B?’’

‘’I don’t think she meant the literal Plan B,’’ Yuna explains.

‘’Oh.’’

The taller woman among the girls looks at Nyx. ‘’So, Plan B?’’

Plan B sucks. The elf costumes are itchy. And it’s freezing cold. At least Miyuna looks half-decent as Santa. [REDACTED] and Nyx, however, look ridiculous. Luna’s nervosity makes itself apparent by her fiddling with her fingers. She has no idea what is going on. Sol is suspicious of the whole situation. He narrows his eyes at the three cosplaying weirdos in front of him. He’s standing in front of Luna, as an attempt to shield her from said weirdos.

‘’Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas!’’ [REDACTED], dressed up as one of Santa’s little helpers, greets with glee. Nyx shoves an elbow at her.

‘’That’s not your line,’’ hisses the other elf. She proceeds to shoot Miyuna a menacing glare. Yuna hesitates. Her left eye twitches. Nyx doesn’t budge, her staredown is downright devious.

Yuna sings a little prayer in her head, and ultimately forces a smile. The good thing about being a performer on the ice, is that those skills are transferable to everyday life. Flashing fake smiles is something she is very much used to. ‘’Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas!’’ Immediately after saying that, she wants to run away and hide inside a hole.

‘’Uh, merry Christmas?’’ Luna replies back with an uncertain tone of voice. She avoids eye contact. Sol, on the other hand, is still staring down the three strangers. [REDACTED], Yuna and Nyx feel a chill go down their spines. That guy is bad news. The three girls exchange a look with each other. They’re all thinking: we need to get rid of that guy.

‘’We’re Santa’s little helpers, and we’ve come here to share the Holiday spirit with you!’’ Nyx tries to sound as merry as she can. She points towards the dark entrance to the arcade. ‘’We’re giving away free gifts inside this arcade!’’

Luna flashes a hesitant smile. ‘’Oh, that’s great.’’

The dark-eyed elf raises an eyebrow. ‘’So, don’t you want to go in there and get yourself a little free gift?’’

The brown and purple haired woman shakes her head. ‘’No, I’d rather that kids who don’t have the opportunity to do so get a chance to celebrate Christmas. I don’t need anything.’’ Classic Luna. Putting others before herself. Normally, this is an admirable trait. In this situation, though, it’s more of an obstacle.

[REDACTED] wipes away a tear from her eye. ‘’You’re so sweet!’’

Nyx growls. ‘’Too sweet. Jesus fucking Christ, woman.’’

‘’Excuse me?’’ Sol’s voice drops. He straightens his back as an attempt to hide Luna behind him. His eyes darken, and his eyebrows are knit together. The tension in the air is so thick, a knife could cut through it. The temperature, if possible, drops even more.

‘’Listen.’’ There’s a tinge of annoyance in Nyx’s voice, despite her best efforts to hide it. ‘’We have enough gifts to go around. Just get in there and have fun!’’

Luna turns her head around to observe the entrance of the arcade. It’s dark and silent. There’s no sound of giggling kids, no sound of presents being unwrapped, no sound of anyone being in there. Despite all of that, she feels that someone or something is watching her. A lump forms in her throat. She really doesn’t want to go in there.

The young man takes a step forward. His whole demeanor is hostile. ‘’Listen,’’ he manages to spit out, ‘’leave us alone. Now.’’ Sol’s knuckles are white from clenching his fists.

Yuna tries to intervene. ‘’Maybe we should–’’

‘’And who are you?’’ scoffs Nyx. ‘’Some kind of wannabe hotshot? Leave us alone, you creep!’’

Those are fighting words.

The wrong kind of words.

Within seconds, her feet are dangling in the air. Sol is holding her up by the collar of her stupid elf costume. His eyes scream murder. Her eyes scream panic. The blood in Nyx’s body runs cold, and it’s not because of the negative temperatures outside. The others start to panic.

‘’Oh my God–’’

‘’Sol, let the elf down!’’

Before any of them can do anything, a dart whistles through the air. It hits Sol in the leg. The man looks confused. Then confusion morphs into dazedness, and the next thing Nyx knows, she’s down on the ground again. Apparently, she’s not the only one. The young man, who’d held her up earlier, is also down on the sidewalk. Faceplanted in the snow. Now it’s Nyx’s turn to be confused. She spins around, and sees that [REDACTED] is holding some kind of… straw?

‘’What did you do!?’’ Yuna exclaims as she covers her mouth in shock.

‘’Oh, don’t worry. It’s not horse tranquilizer!’’

‘’What exactly is it then!?’’

‘’Just your run-of-the-mill sedative,’’ [REDACTED] hums in a sing-song tone of voice. A beat passes. ‘’For humans,’’ she quickly adds.

‘’Why and how did you have that!?’’

‘’I mean, I have more stuff than just that…’’

Luna just stares in horror at Sol’s unmoving body. She’s unable to move, like a deer caught in the headlights. These elves are not messing around. Her body is in fight or flight mode, and right now, all she wants to do is toss Sol over the shoulder and run. That is, until the little elf starts shouting at her. ‘’Get inside that fucking arcade, or else!’’

Nyx grabs the unconscious Sol’s head. She’s holding something against his throat (it’s a tampon). Luna’s eyes widen in fear (she has no idea what a tampon is). Yuna feels a twinge of guilt tug at her heartstrings. This whole plan was a mess. ‘’Okay, I’ll do as you say. Please, don’t hurt him!’’ Luna blurts out with a shaky voice. She steels herself and briskly walks into the arcade. The lump in her throat grows bigger.

When she’s finally inside, the lights immediately turn on. She expects to be jumped, robbed, left cold and abandoned on the floor. She startles as she hears a dozen pops. And then hundreds of colorful specks fill the air, dancing in front of her vision. ‘’Happy birthday, Luna!’’ the crowd of people shout. They erupt into laughter and cheers as Luna looks on, confused, still high on adrenaline. Familiar faces line up in her field of vision. Brit, Jess, Liyah, Ai, the other Luna, and so many more. They’re all holding empty confetti poppers.

Luna is too stunned to speak. Her jaw is on the floor. More people emerge. She recognizes Lily, Lilith and Kura. They’re all wishing her a happy birthday as she just stares, shell-shocked. After a few seconds pass, she finally scrambles her thoughts together, before stuttering out a: ‘’What’s going on?’’. Brit and Jess exchange a look.

Brittney is the first to reply. ‘’It’s your surprise party, of course.’’

Luna blinks. ‘’My what?’’ She doesn't have the time to ask more questions before she feels someone grab her by the shoulders. She jolts in the air, turns around, and sees a familiar face. However, that person is half-dressed as an elf, which confuses Luna even more.

‘’Your surprise party, duh!’’ Nyx exclaims, disguise shoddily taken off. Her dark eyes sparkle, like a little kid staring at their parents, expecting praise. She gets none, though. Instead, all she gets is a confused look from the taller woman.

Luna hesitates for a moment. ‘’But, what about the Christmas party?’’

‘’I lied,’’ Nyx bluntly confesses. ‘’To make sure you wouldn’t get suspicious. Pretty smart, eh?’’

‘’It somehow turned out worse than last time,’’ Yuna curtly cuts in. She rips her fake beard off as fast as humanly possible.

‘’What about Sol, is he okay?’’ asks Luna.

[REDACTED] appears behind Nyx and Yuna, no longer in elf costume. She gives her friend a reassuring smile. ‘’Your friend that’s outside? He should wake up in approximately 30 minutes. Don’t worry, I’ll have someone carry him inside.’’

Luna lets out a sigh of relief.

Red and her band are performing on stage. The lively music blends in with the sound effects of the games from the arcade machines. Finny and Aster are competing at one of them. Scarlet makes a bet on who the winner will be. Amy, Joy and Evie wish Luna a happy birthday as they pass her by to grab another slice of pizza. The birthday girl herself is sat at one of the many tables in the premises. Across from her sits her three closest friends, who had explained everything to her. The cat, the arcade, the fake party. ‘’So,’’ starts Yuna, ‘’this was, once again, Nyx’s idea.’’

‘’Yep, pretty brilliant, huh?’’ Nyx smirks. Yuna shakes her head.

‘’We drugged a man, Nyx.’’

The raven-haired woman rolls her eyes at the accusation. ‘’We? Who’s we? [REDACTED] did that. And I have to say, thank you for saving my ass back there.’’ She playfully nudges the brunette next to her.

[REDACTED] takes a bite from her slice of strawberry cake before replying. ‘’It’s alright. I do tend to have these things on me, as they can come in handy.’’

‘’When and why would you ever need to carry around sedatives?’’ questions Luna. She’s clad in a comically large tiara and a pink sash that reads Birthday girl!!!. In front of her lies multiple gifts. Some small, some big. All of them carrying love and appreciation from her friends.

Yuna raises her hands in frustration. ‘’That’s what I’ve been saying!’’

‘’Anyway,’’ Nyx clears her throat, ‘’back on topic. That stranger was certainly an… unpredictable factor. The plan was just to lure you inside the arcade. That’s it. No kidnappings involved. Honestly girl, I kind of blame you. I mean, I certainly didn’t expect you to invite a guy to a party. Well, everything turned out fine in the end. That guy’s still alive and breathing, and we managed to catch you by surprise!’’

Luna’s lips break into a shy smile. ‘’Yes, you did. But you know, you didn’t have to do all of this for me. I appreciate it, I really do.’’ She pauses. ‘’Although, next time, maybe we can do something at my place?’’ Her eyes are pleading.

‘’That sounds like a great idea,’’ agrees Yuna. ‘’I’m actually kind of scared of what Nyx is planning to do on my birthday.’’

Nyx bristles. ‘’Hey! My plans always turn out okay in the end. Your birthday party is in good hands.’’

All the girls, except Nyx, laugh. This causes her to pout and cross her arms. ‘’Whatever,’’ she scoffs, ‘’let’s play some games. Winner gets free drinks from the losers.’’

Luna giggles. ‘’I’m in.’’

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vii-strawberry · 8 months ago

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A gift for a dear friend of mine. I hope you're doing okay <3

The apartment that the young women are currently in could be accurately described as a pink wonderland. Light sifts through the blinds of the windows, dappling the space in golden warmth. ‘’Listen.’’ Nyx slams both of her hands down on the living room table. ‘’This is some serious shit, okay? This will require meticulousness, precision, focus, and ambition.’’

She scans the people in front of her with an intense glare. ‘’We can’t fuck this up.’’ The others gulp, they’d been planning this for months. One wrong move, and it would all be for nothing. Nyx breathes out, closes her eyes, opens them again. ‘’Any questions?’’

Miyuna’s perfectly manicured hand shoots up in the air. ‘’How do we make sure she doesn’t find out, though?’’

‘’Okay, as much as I love her, I wouldn’t call her the brightest bulb in the room. I don’t think this will be an issue.’’ Nyx waves her hand dismissively at Miyuna.

Luna doesn’t seem to be as convinced, though. ‘’It’s just that, uhm, this whole thing is so aggressive… Can’t we just do a normal–’’

Nyx bristles, as if she’d been offended by Luna’s remark. ‘’No! I’ve been planning this for months. My plans never go wrong!’’ She dramatically falls back onto her couch with a thump.

Yuna and Luna share a look. They seem concerned.

‘’Well,’’ Yuna starts, ‘’I think Luna has a point. This doesn’t feel very ethical.’’

‘’But it’s safe,’’ Nyx retorts. ‘’It’s foolproof. You distract her, I snatch her, Luna’s backup.’’

The two women, who are sitting on the opposite side of Nyx, shrug. ‘’Alright.’’ Yuna rummages through her clutch. ‘’I’ll put my trust in you.’’ She brings out her lip gloss and swipes it over her sheer pink lips. The black and pink haired woman smacks her lips together. Her legs are crossed, and her back is straight. The look on her face is quite serious. ‘’But if anything goes wrong…’’

A scoff escapes Nyx’s lips. ‘’Like I’ve said before, nothing ever goes wrong under my watch.’’ Yuna lets out a small laugh. Nyx furrows her brows. ‘’What, did I say something funny?’’

The other woman simply looks amused. ‘’Don’t you remember what happened on the 1st of April–’’

‘’Nothing happened on the 1st of April,’’ Nyx growls. Yuna laughs again. Probably because she sounds as intimidating as a chihuahua. This causes Nyx to groan and bury her face in her hands. ‘’I mean– it was one time!’’

‘’Alright, sorry,’’ Yuna clears her throat. She is, in fact, not apologetic at all. She turns her face away to hide a lingering smile.

‘’Anyway,’’ Nyx says, ‘’let’s just get this over with. Yuna, did you buy the supplies?’’

The taller woman nods.

Nyx shoots a look at Luna. ‘’You know what to do, right?’’

"Uh… Yeah?’’

‘’I’m gonna need something more reassuring than that.’’

Luna clears her throat. ‘’Ahem— yes, of course.’’

‘’Great,’’ Nyx beams. ‘’We’ll relocate to the planned spot after school, secure the target, and proceed with the plan.’’

‘’I think you’re trying too hard to make this sound cooler than it actually is,’’ Yuna hums.

She hates to admit it, but Luna and Yuna have a point. It felt kind of creepy to sneak around and spy on their mutual friend. On the plus side, it’s quite easy to keep track of her. All Nyx has to look for is a giant hamster backpack. Nyx’s friend seems to be accompanied by someone. Nyx thinks she spoke of him before. Sol, was it?

The brunette woman and the black and green haired man walk down the hallway of the university as they chat. As far as Nyx knows, her friend has already attended her last lecture. If the schedule she’d gotten her hands on was accurate, little miss hamster backpack is on her way home.

The only thing that’s bothering her, though, is that guy, who looks like he’s a regular at Hot Topic. Nyx needs her friend to be alone, so she’ll have to come up with a way to get rid of that human version of a Monster Energy drink. She looks down at her phone and sends a text to her group chat. Being nimble as a cat, she blends in seamlessly with the crowd of students as everyone’s on their way to classes.

Sol and Nyx’s friend make their way out of the school building. As if on cue, her phone vibrates. The woman, clad in cream and pink, reads the message she received from Miyuna. She shoots an apologetic look at Sol, excuses herself, and disappears to the back of the building, where the parking lots are.

Nyx lets out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, everything’s going according to plan. She stays a little longer to observe Sol. To her surprise, she notices him trying to sneak after her friend. And she thought that she was being creepy, what the hell was that dude doing? ‘’Oh no you don’t,’’ she murmurs as she rummages through her pink, bedazzled school bag. Luckily, Nyx is the kind of girl who has a plan for every thinkable scenario.

In her empty hand is now a water balloon. She takes a deep breath, aims it at Sol, and misses spectacularly. The balloon crashes into the concrete with a wet splat. Sol, startled by the sound, narrows his eyes and looks around the area. Nyx ducks into a nearby bush. After a few seconds, he leaves in the opposite direction, figuring out that someone’s probably watching him. Her aim might be absolutely atrocious, but at least she got the job done. She runs to the parking lot.

There, behind the school building, stood Yuna and their friend. Yuna has successfully stalled for time. They’re still talking when Nyx gets there. A smirk grows on her face. So far, so good. Nyx holds her breath, afraid that any small sound or movement will catch her friend’s attention. Her steps are slow as she draws closer and closer to her target. She rummages through her bag again. This time, pulling out a burlap sack (and yes, it’s pink, duh), and swiftly puts it over the brunette’s head.

Immediately, the poor woman starts kicking and screaming. Her shouts are muffled by the bag over her head. ‘’Oh my God, help me Yuna! I’m being human trafficked!’’ she cries out. Nyx makes eye contact with Miyuna, who looks very guilty. Nyx, however, is too focused on restraining her victim to properly process how she feels about the situation.

It was indeed a struggle, like trying to wrangle a bag full of cats. The target elbows Nyx in the face. ‘’Yuna, are you there? Did they get you too!? Gosh, run, run!’’

Nyx clenches her teeth, trying to suppress the pain that’s blooming throughout her face. If this messes up her makeup, then she’ll be really mad. She focuses her eyes on Miyuna again. Nyx blinks three times, signaling her to send a text to Luna.

The aforementioned woman appears behind the cars and takes the hostage from Nyx’s hands. She throws their mutual friend over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Luna looks very, very unsure. Like she shouldn’t be doing this, but it’s too late. Also, Nyx looks scary glaring at her like that. She knows what that look means. Don’t mess this up. She’s seen that raging gaze many times when they play Mario Party together. Nyx signals Yuna and Luna to follow her.

Luna takes the kicking and squirming woman to a nearby car. Nyx opens the trunk and waves at Luna. They stare at each other for a while. Luna mouths, ‘’Do I really have to stuff her in there?’’ She looks uncomfortable, like she’s being held at gunpoint.

‘’Yes!’’ Nyx mouths back. So Luna does as she says, because what the hell is even going on at this point.

The three friends enter the glittering pink car. Nyx sits down at the wheel. Yuna takes her place in the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Luna sits at the back. The latter clutches her head in her hands. ‘’Oh my God, did I really just kidnap my friend?’’

‘’It’s for the greater good,’’ Nyx reassures her.

‘’I probably traumatized her for life!’’

‘’She’s been through worse.’’

‘’What’s worse than getting human trafficked!?’’

The shorter woman pulls out Google Maps on her phone. ‘’7 AM classes on a Monday?’’

Yuna quirks an eyebrow as she looks around in the car. ‘’Since when did you have a car?’’

‘’Since I rented it,’’ Nyx dryly replies.

‘’... I honestly didn’t know you could drive,’’ Luna quietly says as she sinks into her seat.

The woman at the wheel whips her head back. ‘’What? Of course I know how to drive!’’

‘’I think this might be the most dangerous part of the plan.’’ Yuna clicks her tongue as Nyx shoots her a questioning look. ‘’Who did you bribe to get a driver's license?’’

Nyx lifts her hands up. ‘’No one, I swear I got it fair and square. Come on, Luna, you trust me right? I know how to drive!’’

Silence.

‘’... Luna?’’

The black and purple haired woman flashes an uncertain smile. She seems to be trying to come up with something nice to say. ‘’Uhm, you know…?’’ Unfortunately for Nyx, Luna can’t really come up with something to say.

Nyx pouts. ‘’You really need to learn how to lie.’’ She starts the engine and drives out of the parking lot.

After finally arriving at their destination, the young group of women get out of the car. Taking a closer look at it, Luna and Miyuna notice that it’s actually a very nice car. ‘’I know that you rented it, but how are you affording that while paying rent?’’ Yuna questions.

Nyx sighs. ‘’A few sacrifices were made…’’ Her stomach grumbles in response. She turns her head around to face Luna. ‘’Do you have the supplies ready?’’ The other woman nods, holding a big basket in her arms. Nyx smiles. ‘’Good, set everything up. Then we’ll let her out.’’

The worst part of it all was the noises coming from the trunk. Nyx almost felt a twinge of guilt, which she pushed down to the very depths of her hellishly black soul. Her friends, on the other hand, seem to fare much worse. Miyuna taps Nyx on the shoulder. The shorter woman turns around and cranes her neck up to look her in the face. ‘’This better be worth it,’’ Yuna purses her lips.

‘’Okay, it’s all done now!’’ Luna shouts from the field. Nyx goes to the trunk of the car and opens it. She drags the hostage out of the cramped space and leads her to the spot Luna set up. The brunette whimpers.

‘’Please,’’ she pleads, ‘’I don’t have anything of value, except my Angelic Pretty collection from 2010, I can give–’’

Nyx snatches the burlap sack off her head.

The brunette blinks in confusion, her eyes are as wide as saucers. As if in a daze, she looks around her surroundings. She seems to be in a flower field. Specks of colorful chrysanthemums cover the ground she stands on. The autumn breeze is refreshing, carrying a hint of floral sweetness. In front of her is a picnic blanket, covered in all kinds of delectables. From teacakes, to chocolate-covered fruits and berries, and homemade cookies. In the center of it all stands a birthday cake, covered in pink frosting, with the words Happy Birthday! written on top.

‘’What’s going on…?’’

‘’Happy birthday!’’ Yuna, Luna and Nyx shout gleefully. The brunette spins around. Her friends run up to her. Nyx is the most eager of them all. ‘’What do you think, do you like it?’’ she grabs her friend by the shoulders, shaking the confusion out of her skull. She puffs her chest out proudly. ‘’All of it was my idea!’’

‘’Yeah, just so you know, it was Nyx’s idea to kidnap you,’’ Yuna explains.

Luna shoots her friend an apologetic look. ‘’I’m sorry if I was too harsh…’’ She puts her arms behind her back and looks away. ‘’I didn’t mean to hurt you–’’

‘’Oh no, you didn’t hurt me. I’m fine,’’ the formerly kidnapped woman reassures. ‘’I had no idea you guys were planning all of this…’’

‘’I mean, that’s the whole point of a surprise party,’’ Nyx raises an eyebrow. ‘’You didn’t think we like, forgot your birthday or something, right?’’

The brunette is still taken aback. ‘’Well, you didn’t really have to do all of this for me.’’

‘’Are you kidding me?’’ Yuna cuts in. ‘’Of course we’d celebrate you, you’re our friend!’’ She grabs the hand of her friend and holds it close. A soft smile appears on Miyuna’s face. ‘’But I’m sorry if all of this was too startling. I tried to convince Nyx that it was too much.’’

Nyx scoffs. ‘’Look, it’d be too obvious if any of us had invited her home.’’

‘’I still don’t think the kidnapping part was necessary,’’ Luna mumbles quietly.

‘’Yeah sure, let’s invite her into my suspiciously blinged out car that she’s never seen me drive before. That won’t raise any red flags at all,’’ Nyx rolls her eyes.

Her friend looks surprised. ‘’Oh, you were the one who was driving?’’

Nyx puffs out her chest in pride again. She puts her hands on her hips. ‘’Yep!’’

‘’Oh. That explains… a lot.’’

‘’... What do you mean by that?’’

‘’It was a very bumpy ride.’’

Miyuna and Luna laugh. Nyx doesn’t look amused at all. ‘’Hmph, whatever, let’s just get this celebration going.’’

The four of them walk towards the picnic blanket, where they sit down and indulge themselves in cake and tea. The girls talk with each other and laugh as they discuss Nyx’s incredibly risky plan. They came to the conclusion that even though it was successful, they probably wouldn’t repeat it a second time.

‘’I felt so bad back then,’’ Luna sighs. ‘’Again, I’m so sorry.’’

‘’It’s fine,’’ their brunette friend reassures as she takes a sip from her teacup. ‘’I’ve been through worse.’’

Luna tilts her head. ‘’Like 7 AM classes on a Monday?’’

‘’Oh no, someone actually tried to kidnap me once.’’

‘’What!?’’

‘’But that’s a story for another time,’’ she waves her hand dismissively, as if getting kidnapped was just another Tuesday afternoon for her. She smiles down at her teacup. ‘’Thank you girls, really. I usually don’t celebrate my birthday at all.’’

‘’Then we’ll have to keep planning surprise parties for you,’’ Yuna smiles. ‘’Minus the kidnapping.’’

‘’Come on guys,’’ Nyx snorts. ‘’It worked out in the end!’’

Luna and Yuna shake her. ‘’Still a bad idea!’’

#THE GIRLES OMG #RAHHH COQUETTE MCSS <33

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