Once they stepped inside that intimidating black spacecraft, Shae and Ava didn't know where to look. There was so much to take in.

"Woah." Shae's mouth fell open in awe. I think we're about to be in over our heads.

"Hot dang." Ava grinned in excitement. This is what I came here for.

They'd just stepped into the gut of a real life armory. The room where they stood had manequins filling out entire suits of armor or shouldering specific accessories on display. Holstered into the walls were a series of swords, daggers, and combat bows displayed under delicate lighting, like wares in a jewelry shop glimmering beneath locked glass.

"Careful not to touch anything," Chim said teasingly, just before Ava was about to snatch up a gorgeous turquoise forearm bracer from off of a shelf. Ava paused mid-reach.

"Is that Chiminie?" A level, warm voice echoed from one of the corridors that branched out from this entranceway of armor on display.

Shae looked over her shoulder and noticed that Jin had quite suddenly disappeared. Odd.

Lilith strode casually into the room and right up to Chimin, wrapping her arms around his torso in a smooth hug and kissing him shamelessly on the cheek. It made him giggle.

"Chiminie, it's been too long my friend." Level warmth poured from Lilith's voice as she smiled up at the golden haired man.

"It truly has." Chimin took both of Lillith's hands in his, then proceeded to guide her through an elegant twirl, taking in the sight of her ensemble.

"You've outdone yourself this time, Lil," he said in earnest awe.

"Always so kind," she replied.

"No, I mean it!"

The short brim of Lilith's black, lacy dress floated and twirled, but it had the stiff fixture of a tutu—bouncing but never falling. The rest of her ensemble was an intricate, strappy arrangement of black leather, bracers, leg and arm guards, and a carefully crafted breastplate with a soft pink heart shape etched into it just above her chest.

"Dang," was all Ava could seem to say.

Shae's eyes swept over the shape of a small Geji sword, sheathed into the interior of Lilith's arm bracer. There were also two slightly larger Geji swords tucked onto the sides of Lilith's short thighs. The design of her armor created a seductive mess of movement meant to distract from these all-black accessories but not completely conceal them.

"Do you dual?" Shae blurted out.

"Among other things, yes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today is for introductions. Weaponry is for later." Lilith smiled at Shae and the warmth touched her dark, eyelinered eyes.

"So I take it you got Tae's message that we were coming?" Chimin asked. "The Ganche Games are coming up after all, and you know that Joon likes to be prepared for the worst."

"Tae sent me a wire earlier to make an appointment. Like we're strangers or something. And yes, I figured as much, though in my opinion they should have already started their combat training." Lilith put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Joon's a bit old fashioned that way, I think." Chim made a sympathetic look towards Shae and Ava.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Oh, Kim Namjoon...that boy needs a stiff drink and a good—" She cut herself off and giggled, putting a hand over her mouth and looking meaningfully at Shae. "Pardon me, I should probably save that kind of talk for later when it's just us ladies."

Shae's face went warm, unsure whether or not she wanted to hear what Lilith had been about to say.

"Where's Jin run off to, then?" Lilith wondered out loud. Her eyes narrowed. "I know he's with you."

"Here!"

All eyes turned to see Jin coming out of a random corridor of the shuttle. He had a sheathed Geji longsword in his hands, the case the color of soft pink cherry blossoms. He pulled the handle slightly and the sound of metal coming unfurled from its case singed the room.

"It's looking good," he said.

"It's not ready yet," Lilith clarified stubbornly.

"That's what you said last week," Jin complained. He walked right up to Lilith and stood looking down on her with assessing eyes, still holding the sword. He pushed it back fully into it's pink sheath with a loud PLUNK.

"I have a lot of projects. Clearly. I can't just do yours first because you ask me too."

"And why not?"

Ava and Shae exchanged a look.

"Because."

Jin scuffled just a little closer to Lilith's proximity. His body language was slouched and boyish while his voice was firm and resonant. He and Lilith made unflinching eye contact.

"Am I not important enough?"

Ava and Shae couldn't fathom what weird alternate-alternate reality they'd suddenly walked into. There was Jin in his baseball cap and good boy-vacation persona, and there was Lilith looking deadly and delightful in her black leather and dangerous dagger ensemble.

"You didn't call me the day after our last date." Lilith avoided his question entirely. Her tone was clearly annoyed and her slitted eyes unflinching.

Ava and Shae kept their gazes glued to the scene before them, not wanting to miss a beat.

"I was busy!" Jin whined.

"You were sleeping."

"I had a hangover." Jin confessed, his nose wrinkled in shame.

"I told you not to drink that last cocktail...."

"But it was so good!"

Lilith rolled her eyes and folded her arms. Her lips were pursed, but there was a slight uptick in one of the edges, as if she was trying very hard not to smile.

"You make the best cocktails. And shrimp rolls. And Geji modifications."

"And?"

"And I should have called."

"Aaaaand?"

Jin leaned his face down towards hers. His voice was low now. "And I should have come to see you again sooner. Without an audience."

Shae felt like she didn't know where to look. Her cheeks burned.

Ava's jaw was practically on the floor. Ava never could have fathomed Jin to be any shape or form of a romantic until that very moment. She thought that she might be dead. Or dreaming. She pinched her forearm to be sure. Yep: this is really happening, folks.

"And..." Jin's face inched closer to Lilith's, slowly, their noses almost brushing and his voice soft as a whisper now.

Everyone in the room is going to need a cold shower after this. Ava laughed nervously.

Then, just like that, Jin pushed the lonsgword into Lilith. She automatically reached out and took the Geji blade. Then Jin took a quick step back and smirked arrogantly down at her, "...Aaand Chim and I have a reservation at Imo's. Those Thursday Thirst Trains really can't be beat. But we'll come pick up the ladies when we're done."

The look on Lilith's face spelled D E A T H in vivid, vindictive form.

"Oh, before we go, I need to give you these!" Chim popped forward brightly and slid a thin black necklace around Shae's neck, then Ava's. "They're simple cloaking devices. You wear them, and hey distort your appearance so you look like yourself--but not. In case anyone else comes around. Lilith is trustworthy, but some of her clients...."

"Hey, c'mon, let's not get into all that negativity," Lilith said, her annoyance at Jin shifting to Chimin.

Chim just flashed an apologetic, golden retriever smile at Lilith with his arms up in surrender. Then Jin began pulling Chimin by the arm and dragging him back down the hatch of Lilith's ship.

Jin shouted without turning around, "And don't forget my Geji modifications!"

Lilith grumbled, "I swear, I should just break his—"

"You break it, you bought it!" he shouted smugly, not turning around but his voice still carrying through the inky black metal of the ship's hull.

Her small hands clawed around that gorgeous pastel pink sword sheath, as if she were wringing a neck instead of a weapon's case. "Kim Seokjin. You infuriating, gorgeous, wonderful human. One day, I may just strangle you in your sleep."