Misplaced and Disgraced

by ResidentZeldaBau5z

Rating: mature
Tags: Crossover, Human, Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Other, Sex, Adventure
Length: 5502

If you like an occasionally non-linear, episodic format, check this out. Basically, people mess around, shenanigans ensue, and maybe some serious stuff goes down. Who knows? I might even tackle something you've been asking yourself too!

If you know me, you know that I like HAV and HiE. I like the possibilities. So, I tried thinking of the most ridiculous scenarios possible. I ask myself questions about the common tropes and plot holes of these types of stories, and write to answer them. At least, I try to! I mean, haven't you ever asked yourself some these questions?

-If you dress as a character, how thorough are the changes?
-How much non-cosplay stuff can you bring along?
-If I dress as an OC, Fandom OC, or alternate character version, what would happen?
-If the costume was bad, could I end up being a character with similar aesthetics instead?
-What if I dress as the Merchant?
-Who exactly can be targeted and how?

Basically, I'll try to think up things that haven't really been addressed much and tackle them in as novel a fashion as I can manage. I hope you enjoy my ridiculous ramblings! I'll try to update this in my spare time, so expect updates to happen in sporadic bursts.

PS- I'm a big believer in picture essays. I am not above slapping GIFs (yes, multiple!) in the A/N or even within a chapter. I might even post a video or two (although this is a bit more common) in the chapter, but I'll at least try to contain them to hyperlinks. Mostly. Maybe not so much with the GIFs. Just bear with me please. I want to have fun with this, and I need to put my gif blog to use somehow! I'll try not to do it too much, especially if people don't like it, but just be forewarned!

PPS- The Mature Rating isn't expressly for what you think it is. Some of the later chapters might include stuff that can be pretty intense or may broach topics that might be a bit sensitive. Sure, I'll have the odd smattering of profanity and excessive violence (and maybe even a bit of naughty/dark humor), but I'll try to keep any detailed descriptions of gore or sex down to a minimum to keep the impact of such inclusions as tasteful and effective as possible. I can definitely guarantee that I'll try to keep even those moments a bit tame. I mean, I don't think my "innocent" heart is quite ready for that yet, lol.

PPPS- I am also a big believer in communication, exposition, and Chekov's Gun. You'll often see that I'll leave exposition notes in () to provide background information and context like lore and world building and character motivations so that I don't have to weave them directly into the narrative. I know that this can make the chapters kinda clunky, so I'll edit chapters with excessively expansive notes to move the notes into either the A/N or a comment. If they get too large (and trust me, the exposition for my exposition can sometimes have its own exposition, so these notes can get pretty expansive really fast), I'll try to use a hyperlink instead. In chapters that are really exposition heavy or have exposition notes that would hurt the narrative more to cut out, I'll just double post the chapter with the second chapter being the exposition free version. That way, you can pick your poison, as it were.

I'll also try to minimize the need for such things by using dedicated exposition chapters. Now, since the exposition for my exposition can sometimes have its own exposition, I'll probably be double posting the exposition chapters more often than the main narrative chapters. Moreover, please note that while such chapters are not mandatory to read, they will be extremely useful tools. They can help me remember plot threads and details that I would otherwise forget, and they will provide background information that is relevant to the plot. Remember, I absolutely love Chekov's Gun. This means that if you ever get confused as to where something came from, you have a point of reference to track all this information with. Although I'll keep using these methods regardless of reception, I also believe in communication, so feel free to theorize or ask me questions! I'm not afraid of adjusting my story or updating exposition chapters, or even just discussing ideas with readers.

Published 2013-08-30 19:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-11-11 02:49:53 UTC

This Is My Life Now! ...F@CK!!!

Fleeting Chance or Fateful Meeting?

There he was. Just standing there, seeming to almost float in the mists. It was late evening in the Everfree Forest and an unsettling fog had rolled in at around noon. I was lost, albeit the fog had quickly thinned out enough into a low, wispy mist. Foolishly, I had decided to set out anyways in my eagerness to reach a new mining and timber establishment that had been given authorization to become a full blown village. I wanted to get there and begin establishing good relationships with the local businessponies and traders.

I had picked up quality apple seeds and tools from the local town and also had many well forged tools and construction necessities in my cargo. I still had leftovers from my Canterlot cargo, mostly wools and cloths, with some thread. This was not mere chance. I am a merchant, after all. I had a good amount of supplies that this new village would need. In my haste to leave, however, I had taken the wrong road. I still had plenty of time back then and had assumed that Celestia’s sun would burn away the rest of the fog, allowing for easier navigation soon enough. Yet, the mist seemed to deepen the further I traveled into the forest. I had forgotten exactly where I was.

Fortunately, I ran into a zebra of all things! In exchange for all the low quality wool and cloth (which I fortunately had very little of at the time) in my cargo, the kind zebra set me on the right path and even agreed to send me off with several remedies, tonics, and salves that could treat basic wounds and help fight off common infections, as well as some medicines for stronger ailments common among new settlements in forested areas. Yet, for some indiscernible reason, she only spoke in rhyme and poetic structure. I was very grateful for my stroke of good fortune.

Still, despite the directions the odd zebra’s provided and my accurate map, the fog only seemed to deepen and I was soon lost again. I had lost all my bearings and was about to bemoan my luck for spitting in my muzzle (or was it a snout?) when I noticed a tall bipedal figure standing in the mist. The mist seemed to swirl around him and caused his light grey cloak to appear to be floating in a wraith-like manner. Actually, it seemed rather well made, with a snow white hem, a black metal clasp below the hood, and a red hem on the hood itself. I was beginning to wonder about where it could have gotten such a fine cloak and how I could get one myself. Then, it called out to me.

“Who goes there?”

Yes, definitely a male. It was either that or a really gruff female.

After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to answer truthfully.

“My name is Star Gazer. I am a peddler and merchant. I free-lance in astronomy and cartography. I work under Muddles McFluffle for the Skippy Flowers Merchant’s Association. I don’t want any trouble! Please sir, let me pass!”

To my inherent surprise, the figure let out a rowdy guffaw.

Taking his hood down, the mysterious biped smiled and replied mirthfully,” What a coincidence! Even in this new land, I cannot escape my nature!” while flinging out his arms in mirth.

It was then that I noticed his clothing underneath the cloak. He wore a green tunic that had sleeves, decorated with a black hem, and white pants with black reinforced boots. He also had what appeared to be a tool belt and… Was that a holster? Hmmm….. Interesting.  Holsters were usually used for weapons like daggers and batons. Upon further inspection, I noticed that underneath the clasp of his hooded cloak lay a strange amulet. Perhaps it was a pendant or memento of sorts? Even more interesting! Still, quite frankly, I was surprised and baffled at his response. His actions and garb had piqued my curiosity and I decided to act on my interest.

“Might I inquire as to whom you are, sir?”

At this, the figure bent over with the force of his laughter, his silver hair glistening in the last inklings of the sunset’s light, highlighting the crimson tips of his pale bangs.

Finally rising from his keeled over position, the strange creature walked over to my wagon. He looked like some sort of hairless ape with a mane on his head. At his sides were two odd items that bore an odd resemblance to…PISTOLS. Pistols were basically small cannons, advanced firearms that used the same mechanics as fireworks and other high grade ammunition based explosives to launch projectiles. They were so powerful and effective that the larger, stronger ones could even crack dragon’s scales. Celestia herself had recently outlawed their use, especially by the guard and the military. The only people who used pistols were bandits and outlaws and other such disreputable criminal scum…….. OH.

Fearing for my life, I looked at the strange ape, ready to beg for my safety. Then, I noticed his observant eyes. They had gone from a striking purple to a soft grey. Suddenly sharpening as we held eye contact, the grey became silver and then faded into a demonic red. Suddenly, they were purple again. Noticing this, the creature elaborated.

“Oh, you like my eyes? I could never decide what color I liked best, so I just let them shift between my favorite colors whenever I get too emotional. They should settle on a nice color soon enough.

Not taking my eyes off him, I replied, “They have. They’re purple. “

Chuckling lightly, he responded, “Yes, they have been rather partial to that color lately!”

Not waiting for my response, he continued, “I also noticed that my guns are making you uncomfortable. Don’t worry; I’m not a thief or any sort of criminal. These marvelous beauties are simply a part of my being. I won’t use them on you, for I have no need! I am fairly certain that you are no threat to me.”

I let out a small sigh of relief, but quickly caught myself, in case this was merely a ruse. I stared at the creature, still not assured until he spoke again.

“If it will help, I will answer your question from before. But first; tell me, what currency is employed in these lands? By any chance, do you accept denarii or euros?”

Still somewhat tense, I complied and answered.

“No, never heard of them. The universal coin here is the Bit, but- “

“Ah, splendid!” he replied, having cut me off. I really hate it when people do that.

“Now to answer your question, as we agreed. Hmm, where to start? Aha! Why, with the basics! For you see, it is not very relevant whom I am, but rather what. So I shall start there.”

At this, he paused, almost seeming to wait for my approval before continuing. I was about to speak, when he cut me off again.

“My name is Lucky Star.”

I waited a few moments with no further response. “Is that i-“

“No; I'm not from this land. I come from another world entirely.”

The creature looked at me coyly before pausing yet again. I sighed, having figured out the pattern. Resigning myself to the inevitable, I spoke up.

“Do you intend to have me entertain the silly notion that-“

As predicted, I was cut off again as the strange biped spoke.

“I am not a god or a spirit, or anything like that. No matter what you believe, no matter what anyone says, I'm really more of a familiar and servant than a deity. At the very least, that is how I view myself!”

Deciding to accept the “familiar’s” clearly deluded response for the moment, I decided to continue my impromptu interrogation of sorts.

“If that’s all true, then ho-“

“How did I come to this place? Well, that's one heck of a tale. I bet you wanna hear it! 50 bits first.”

I just stared at him openmouthed.

Never dropping his chipper smile, he asked, “Is that too hefty a price for such an indulgence?”

“Clearly.” I retorted with an annoyed edge to my tone.

“Well, I am not known as the Merchant's Guide for nothing!” he shot back mirthfully, followed by a quick giggle.

Wait, giggle? Not a chuckle or any other sort of more masculine laughter? Perhaps he truly wasn’t a male after all. Noticing my confusion, this “Lucky Star” suddenly stopped laughing. Damn, I never did have a good poker face when I was distracted!

“Is anything the matter? You seem to be confused. Are you al-“

Taking the initiative, this time I cut him off, as I had suddenly contrived a marvelous plan that could easily prove if this individual was truly a foreigner! I took out my currency pouch and began rifling through it to find the proper coins.

“Very well, Mr. Lucky Star. I agree to your proposal. Take these 50 bits and tell me your tale.”

Suddenly wary, Lucky Star spoke. “Hold on a moment. You said you are a merchant, correct?”

Equally wary, I retorted “Yes…. What of it?”

With a dissatisfied look on his face, he replied “Then you must clearly either be extremely rich, exuberant and careless, or you are just terrible at your job. Most likely, you are simply a horrible merchant. But then again…I suppose you may be plotting something. After all, you clearly appear to be a traveling merchant and peddler, and one such as I would know how cunning and wily such merchants can be!”

Before I could make it clear to him how offended I was, he held up his hand…wait, HAND?!? Well… He held up his hand to stop me.

“Based on the situation you are in, you are likely indeed a peddler AND a merchant, otherwise someone else would be handling your cargo for you while you sat in an office, handling business. Clearly, you are not wealthy enough to handle that, but are clearly very skilled, else wise you would not have such a high quality transport and such a large cargo. Your superiors must have entrusted this to you due to your good business sense and skill in transporting goods. This means that you must not be exuberant, careless, or bad at your profession. But, then again, no true first rate merchant, even a wealthy one, would be willing to pay an unreasonable price for a luxury or commodity, especially not without a good deal of haggling and bargaining. So that begs the question… " He paused for dramatic effect, and then continued, gazing at me to gauge my reaction the entire time.

"Why would you do exactly that? Clearly, you have a trick up your sleeve, a clever ploy or some tricky plot you intend to ensnare me with. Most likely, you intend to take advantage of the fact that I am a foreigner and give me the incorrect amount of bits for the service that I intended to provide. However, while this would normally be the mark of a conman, in this case, you most likely intended to pay the amount that would normally be asked for a story telling, as I could see you handling your coinage to pick out an exact amount. If you had really wanted to truly con me, then you would have simply given me a one bit coin and claimed that it was worth 50. Not that it would have worked on me, mind you, but it is a ploy that I can respect all the same.”

Taking a step back, he surveyed the damage he had done. Satisfied with what he saw, he bowed before me, smirking all the while. He was right. I never would have been able to bring myself to outright con the poor person as I had identified him as no threat to me by now, and I was actually starting to enjoy my chat with the eccentric character.  I just stared at him, dumbfounded for the moment. He was still bowed in that eccentric position almost seemed to be waiting for…Oh.

“Y-you’re right... How? How did you know?”

Finally getting back up from his 90 degree bowing position, he responded, “I am the Merchant’s Guide! I’ve been alive for so very long. Clearly, I know many things and can tell things about people that most cannot.”

Chuckling with his hand on his chin, he continued, “By how much did I attempt to overcharge you?”

He stopped rubbing his chin as I replied. “Such services are usually done publicly and then the listeners give anywhere from one to three bits for the story. Some may not pay at all, and others may give even more. However, for a private telling, the customer is usually expected to give around four or five bits, up to seven if there is a musician working with the orator. If other services like drink and food are provided, the price can go as far as ten bits, which is actually comparatively low when one examines the prices of other more popular or more modern forms of entertainment.”

Suddenly saddened, Lucky Star replied, “So I attempted to charge ten times the rate usually expected. What a travesty! No, I cannot allow this to stand!”  Suddenly, his demeanor became much more serious.

“How about in exchange for being the first being in this land to hear my story, you allow me to travel with you until you reach your current destination? Is this an acceptable fee?”

Surprised, I responded quickly, “Yes, that’s more than fair! Here, come along, I can share my blanket with you.”

Looking offended, Lucky Star retorted, “No, I am fine. I need little more than a seat. My cloak does its job well. So, we are agreed?”

“Yes, indeed!” Oh no. I think that zebra rubbed off on me. I don’t think I caught her name. Oh well. I’d have to come back to Ponyville anyways if I wanted to take the safe road to Canterlot. I could always establish better relations with that nice zebra when I came back. After all, business is business, and I smelled a possible profit. I got the cart moving and settled into my blanket as Lucky Star climbed into the seat next to mine.

.................................................................................................................................................................

*A little while later....

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“Hold on!”

I was surprised by my new companion’s sudden exclamation, and cried out accordingly. "Sweet scales of of profit!  What the heck was that for?!?"

“Sorry, but I wanted to make sure that you accepted my secondary services.” he replied, looking me dead in the eyes.

“What secondary services?” I asked in confusion.

“Why, the complimentary ones, my dear!”  he replied with gusto. “Allow me to explain. I still feel a slight amount of guilt for overcharging you so ridiculously, and I noticed that it is now evening in this certainly dangerous forest.”

It was true. The sun had almost finished setting. The moon was already rising. And the Everfree forest was famous for monster attacks.  Some merchants even referred to it as the Honeyed Jaw, as the promise of quick trade routes and rare goods had brought many merchants and explorers into the forest, especially the unexplored, un-mapped, and rarely traveled roads, only to have many either come out horrified and/or injured, with some never found again. Nodding my head, I motioned for him to continue explaining.

“You see, my guns are magical in nature, as they retain the aspects of my soul and mind, respectively. If anything should bother us, it shall meet a swift end.” All the while, he spoke with the most sincere smile. He reeked of danger and excitement! Being what I was, I could not help but feel exhilarated.

So of course, I replied, “Gladly! I shall feel all the safer for it. But a word of advice from me to you; Hide those pistols of yours when we near the settlement I am headed for. Unfortunately, our head diarch has outlawed pistols of any sort. Fortunately, cannons and fireworks are still legal, but you might cause quite an unwanted stir with those weapons of yours.”

Laughing, Lucky Star replied, “Of course! In fact, let me put them away now!”

Standing up, he drew his pistols and suddenly leaned forward, almost kneeling, and crossed his arms together, spinning the pistols in his hands as he did. In a flash of light, his pistols disappeared, leaving his hands empty.

Before I could say anything, he sat down and replied rather coyly, “I DID tell you they were magical, did I not?”

Of course they were! Magical, my arse! Clearly, they had some sort of cloaking charm or invisibility enchantment placed on them. I sighed and just nodded my head in acceptance. “Well then, can you begin recounting your story?”

Smiling again, Lucky Star replied, “Of course I can. Where should I start? Perhaps at the very beginning. Yes, that is where such things tend to start!”

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My name is Lucky Star. This is my story!  I come from a far off world. This world was a place called the Earth. However, it was not the only Earth. There were many versions of the Earth, and in mine, The First God and his servants, the Angels, their commander Christos, and the Divine Spirit had failed to defeat the most powerful Gods at the time, the Grekko-Roman Gods. The Grekko-Roman religion allowed for the union of other gods, and as such, many gods from other religions joined the Grekko-Romans, until the planet was divided into rough thirds.

One third, the largest, followed the First One in his bid to return to power and restore the kinder days of mercy and paradise. The other, smaller third was composed of The Grekko-Romans and their allies, who preferred the world as it was, full of magic, adventure, and able to defy the laws of science and nature.Those very same laws that had been set in place by the First One, who was the only God to have Dominion over Everything.

The rest of the world, especially around islands and shorelines, consisted of either small pockets of cults, other major and minor religions who refused to bow to either side, and atheist or scientific communities. Fortunately, the more neutral scientific and atheist communities controlled a large portion of the smallest third. After the Grand Stalemate, an uneasy peace settled in for both gods and men. This peace evolved over time as the humans, the main mortal residents of the Earth, advanced greatly and the entire world knew alliance.

Now most wars were ceremonial and few real skirmishes ever erupted. Still, rogue parties and criminals still persisted, and so did the differences between men and the quarrels between Gods. It was during this age that Fortuna, Grekko-Roman Goddess of Chance and Fortune, grew tired of her job. To make it easier and livelier, she divided her dominion in two and as a result, created Chance and Luck, the Daughters of Fortune.

Fortuna acted as their power source and her daughters carried out Fortuna’s will. However, many demanded the services of the three, from merchants and explorers to soldiers and sailors, especially gamblers.  To deal with the ever increasing workload and to lessen the complaints from Gods and Deities who felt that their dominions were encroached upon, Fortuna split her dominion even further. She created Lucky Star, the flaming Fox of Good Fortune and the icy Wolf of Favorable Chance, and she created my counterpart, Cursed Star, the silent Snake of Misfortune and the sneaky Shadow of Bad Chance.

The first time I laid my eyes on her, I knew I was in love. She was so beautiful and clever! I adored her nearly from the moment we came to be. She returned my affections, albeit slowly. Yet, she was always so sad.  For all her work, she was only cursed and spited. Many hated her. I only wished I could bear that sadness myself, so that she could smile once more. Then, an idea came to me. I claimed further dominion over Travelers and Merchants and then transferred my dominion over Fate and Gamblers to Curse. After I mastered the art myself, I taught her how to use her dominion to absorb and redirect her negative influence towards the enemies of gamblers and soldiers. I too, on occasion, did the same, transferring my blessings, just as often as I gave them.

Soon, we were equally hated and loved. In my perspective, I hadn’t done enough, not nearly enough. However, my lovely Curse was so much happier. For every complaint there was a compliment. While Fortuna approved wholeheartedly, her daughters were jealous. Because of our equal status, many people who relied on luck as often as skill took no chances and prayed to both of us in hopes of appealing to our newer, more unified nature. As such, they prayed less and less to Fortuna directly (much to her delight) and more to us. I didn’t mind the workload and neither did Curse, but I noticed the jealousy of Chance and Luck at us stealing their spotlight. As such, I asked if they would handle our prayers and beseeches in our stead while Curse and I took a few days to visit a friend of mine. They gladly agreed. If only I had known! They had taken advantage of my instincts to spring a terrible trap!

.................................................................................................................................................................

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” I cut in, suddenly confused. “You mean to tell me that you were in love with your sister and she loved you back?!?”

Lucky Star looked at me, suddenly appalled and slightly disturbed. “Heavens no, not at all! Why would you think such a thing?!?” I gave him a deadpan look until he got it.

(For those of you who aren’t sure what deadpan looks like, have a look at this: |

Looking relieved, he replied, “Oh, I see. No, Fortuna’s Daughters were created from her own being, as in her essence, and then given sub-dominions from Fortuna’s own Dominion. Technically, they share her blood and are directly of her. Curse and I were created directly from Fortuna’s split Dominion itself as distinct individual beings. No incest in this story! Sort of…”

I just looked at him again, this time with a slight frown. He shrugged and smiled sheepishly, “Many of the Grekko-Roman Gods and Goddesses had partaken in the act, although it quickly became remote and looked down upon by both men and gods.”

Oh.  “Well, why didn’t you say something earlier?!?” I retorted in annoyance.

“Because it is a touchy subject that makes many of the newer gods and their servants uncomfortable….”

“Oh.” Damn it! Now I felt bad. Lucky Star looked downcast and embarrassed. The poor thing was even blushing! Wait… I was struck by a sudden realization. ”Didn’t you say you were a-“

Cutting me off again, he hastily replied, “Yes, and I’ll get to that, just let me finish!”

“Fine, already! Whatever!” I said, waving my hand at him to indicate that he should continue telling his story. That admittedly weak retort was the only response I could muster after the awkward situation blew over.

“Now, where did I leave off? … Ah, of course!”

.................................................................................................................................................................

Among the other Gods and deities, I was only close to two. My oldest and closest friend was Lyrah.

(Pronounced lih-rah, for all those who would complain otherwise. That’s why I added an “h” to the name.)

You see, the Muses and Graces had convinced multiple other Gods and Goddesses to relinquish their Dominions over the various arts and crafts and compiled these Dominions into one large Dominion. Together, all the gods involved created The Muse, a single entity of the arts, one of the first New Age Deities to come into existence. NAD is often used to shorten the term. I am also considered a NAD. And no, before you ask, we never employed NAG, for obvious reasons.

She, of course, was the source of inspiration for Fortuna when she created Curse and me. The Muse created many familiar type deities that drew their powers from her Dominion directly, under her orders. One such entity was Lyrah, a relatively new deity familiar who not only had Dominion over the Harp and Lyre, but was the Guide of Minstrels and Bards. She also decided to take up the new Mantle of Electronic Music when it was invented.

Surprisingly, it expanded very rapidly in both form and popularity, spawning many sub-genres. However, Lyrah did not shirk her responsibility and managed to successfully service all her clients. Due to this, she quickly became one of the most powerful of The Muse’s familiars, even expanding her Dominion Territory to become the Guide of Disc Jockeys and Electronic Composers. Even so, she remained quite modest and shy, and quite popular among her fellows.

My only other friend was Draco the Constellation, Incarnate Form of the Heaven’s Celestial Dragon. He had recently merged his personal Dominion with the Dominions of several Dragon Deities who had relinquished their power and decided to claim new dominions.  At the time, I was very happy for him. I would only come to regret his ascension to greater power soon enough.

.................................................................................................................................................................

“Did you hear that?” I had thought I heard a noise in the distance. I have VERY good hearing.

“Yes, indeed I did!” Lucky Star replied merrily. Suddenly, he jumped up and loudly proclaimed, “I heard it quite clearly, but it is of no consequence yet. I shall let our little stalker be for the moment! Should it foolishly choose to endanger the safety of your cargo or yourself, there will be hell to pay!” With that ominous statement, Lucky Star quickly returned to his seat. I sighed and let my unease wither away as Lucky Star continued his story.

.................................................................................................................................................................

I was indeed taking Curse to visit a friend of mine. I ventured into the human’s realm and met up with Lyrah at a quiet, secluded spot she liked to frequent when she decided to use what little vacation time she had. That was the day that everything changed. I had told Curse about Lyrah and our close friendship prior to the first time they met, and Lyrah knew about Curse. What I had neglected to tell Lyrah was that Curse and I were about to enter a serious relationship. This would prove to be instrumental to our downfall.

Lyrah, Curse, and I sat around a small table, making small talk and generally having a grand old time! Then, the atmosphere changed when a waiter came to our table.

“Your order, Madame.” he casually stated. But it couldn’t be possible! The waiter carried a silver serving tray, and collocated towards the center were six drinks. The drinks were two ciders, two lemonade shots, and two slushes, one of Ginger Ale, the other of a popular Cream Soda known as Doctor Pepper’s. Four of the drinks were in small glasses. These drinks, the ciders and lemonades, were HARD. As in, they were alcoholic in content. The other two were in tall glasses. Of course, I truly believed that Lyrah didn’t like alcohol, and so I voiced my surprise.

“But Lyrah! You don’t drink! Clearly, there must be some sort of misunderstanding!” The waiter only looked at me in annoyance. Lyrah decided to speak up at that moment.

“No, I don’t, not usually…” Looking embarrassed and somewhat sheepish, Lyrah continued, “But I decided to drink today. It’s not the first time I’ve had alcohol, but it might as well be, as I rarely ever do drink."

With a shy smile and her hand behind her neck, she shrugged and proceeded to blush profusely! It was rather adorable.

Still, I had to make amends for embarrassing her. Turning to the waiter, I said, “Sorry for troubling you, kind sir. Please, accept this as a token of my most sincere apology!”

With that said, I held out a generous tip to the waiter, who immediately brightened up and replied, “Oh, but of course sir! Thank you; really, it was no trouble at all, as long as our dear customers are satisfied…” \

He trailed off and served the drinks he had. Pocketing the tip, he left our table, thanking me once again. Sometimes, I am a little too generous for my own good… I mean that sarcastically of course!

Turning back to Lyrah and Curse, I decided to ask about Lyrah’s sudden change of heart towards drinking.

“So why are you hitting the bottle now of all times, Lyrah? I mean, I could’ve sworn that after the fiasco during the Feast of Dionysus and Bacchus, you honestly intended to never-“

I was suddenly cut off by a small thud. Lyrah had already drowned down the four alcoholic beverages and was in the process of pushing the two soda beverages toward Curse and myself! Looking up from her slumped position, she replied, “This is a special occasion! I have something very important to tell you, Lucky! I just needed a bit of courage to do so. And the fastest way for both men and gods to find their courage is by looking down the end of an empty bottle! At least, Dionysus and Bacchus claim as much…”

Lyrah suddenly appeared a little disheveled and scruffy. I must admit, it was a good look for her. It encompassed all the attractiveness of an innocent maiden, yet still retaining the temptation of a more roguish and bold figure. And that adorable blush that adorned her face completed the picture!

.................................................................................................................................................................

“……… What?” Lucky Star asked as soon as he caught me staring at him.

“Well, it’s just… Do you have a thing for blushing girls? I mean-“

At that, Lucky Star put his hand on my shoulder. Looking me dead in the eyes, he replied, “YES. I think it’s absolutely adorable! It gives me a sense of the sensitivity that lies in a person, and that has always been a very attractive concept to me….”

Trailing off with that cheesy (and slightly creepy) line, Lucky Star continued his story after wiping the dreamy look of fantasy off his face.

“Anyways… Moving on! –Ahem- .”

.................................................................................................................................................................

At that point, everything started to go downhill. What came next surprised us all, especially me.

“Lucky… I just wanted… I wanted to say…” Now blushing profusely again, Lyrah gathered the courage to look me in the eyes and continued. “I’m in love with you.”

“Hey, that’s great Lyrah! Why didn’t you say something soon-… Wait. …. What?!?”

I just stared at her in open mouthed, flabbergasted shock. I glanced over at Curse when I had recollected myself and saw that she fared only slightly better than I did. Unanimously, we caught each other’s gaze and replied, “Uh oh.”

Lyrah stopped rubbing her arm and suddenly stared at us, panicked.

“Uh oh? What do you mean, uh oh?” She glanced back and forth between us until it finally clicked.

“Oh.” I wondered, was that all she had to say? She bowed her head, looking downcast. When she finally raised her head, she looked like she was about to cry. It was understandable, after what had just happened, but her expression was heart-wrenching. Curse and I could tell that her heart was shattering. That’s when Curse did something neither of us expected.

“Lyrah… I don’t mind sharing.”

“W-what?” Lyrah weakly replied, stopping her sniffles in surprise. Eyes widening as she caught on to Curse’s meaning, she replied in a flustered whisper, “Oh, oh no! I couldn’t possibly come in between you and Lucky! I didn’t know you two were… affiliated in such a manner. Really, don’t worry about me! As long as Lucky is happy…”

She trailed off, only to have Curse shyly reply, “That’s exactly why you deserve him just as much as me. And I did mean it when I said I don’t mind sharing.”

At this, they turned to look at me to gauge my reaction. Frankly, I couldn’t believe it! I was being bartered over like a cargo of goods in a merchant’s cart! While I could appreciate the sentiments of both girls, the thought of a polygamous relationship made me very nervous and uncomfortable. I was about to break Lyrah's heart! Still, I was torn! I couldn’t bear to put my closest friend through such pain! Yet, I felt that I was betraying my lover! What to do, what to do? Clearly, the obvious answer was to mumble incoherently and faint! It must have been, as that is exactly what I did!

.................................................................................................................................................................

“HAHAHHAHAHAH!” I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help myself! “Oh, that’s just precious! A little romantic pressure and you were down for the count! HAHAHA-uh… What are you doing?” I stopped laughing when I noticed that Lucky Star had drawn his pistols. Perhaps I shouldn’t have laughed so hard.

TO BE CONTINUED!