Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the concepts of the Xenosaga games. I'm just playing with them, and then I'll put them back in their boxes, Mommy, I promise. I'm making no profit out of this story, and if you sue me, you'll only get a few lint balls. I wouldn't bother with it, really.

I do own this story, and plagurizing it would make you a sad, sad, creepy little person. It'd also make me angry, and I bite. So save yourself some rabies shots and don't even try to nick it, okay?

Currently unbeta-ed. If you'd like to volunteer for the position I'd love you forever.

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Chapter Two

"No. Way," Shion said firmly, her foot tapping impatiently against the dressing room floor.

"No way, Miyuki, there's entirely too much of me showing. I am not stepping one foot outside this room, so you might as well--"

"I gave your clothes to the donation center across the street," Miyuki interrupted her cheerfully. "So, unless you want to come out here in your underpants, I'd say you're gonna have to go with my judgement and buy that outfit... and maybe this one too. This dress looks pretty smokin' on you, if I do say so myself."

"YOU DID WHAT WITH MY CLOTHES!"

The cry of utter rage had every other patron in the shop turning wide-eyed toward the dressing room area, where an irate Shion Uzuki had just erupted from one of the rooms, expression promise horrible vengence on the one who had wronged her. "THAT WAS MY FAVORITE SWEATER! MIYUKI---!"

Miyuki smiled angelically. "Well, Shion, it'll be put to a worthy cause now. It had to be at least three sizes to big for you and made you look as flat as a twelve year old anyway. And besides, you look totally Lara Croft in that outfit!" The otaku programmer giggled gleefully. "Allen's gonna trip over his own tongue when he sees you!"

Shion scowled, folding her arms, "Who the heck is Lara Croft, and how is that going to save you from me wreaking terrible, terrible revenge on you when you least expect it?" Shion's brain was already scheming a devious scheme. Harold in Second Division owed her, and he'd probably be good for torturing Miyuki within an inch of her life.. Maybe something like the Christmas party where Shion and Miyuki had gotten drunk and Harold had convinced them that doing the Macarena-- an extremely old, extremely corny dance from centuries ealier-- on top of the party table would be a fine idea. Miyuki had sat in the office cake, and Shion had tried to balance the punch bowl on her head, resulting in a one-contestant wet shirt contest. It had taken them a year to hunt down all the photos.

An evil smile bloomed on Shion's face. Drinking and dancing, she thought, watching Miyuki babble. The other girl would never know what hit her.

"So, Shion, are you gonna get the dress too, or --- Uh..." Miyuki trailed off as she got a brief look at Shion's expression. "Meep?"

"I think I will get the dress, Miyuki... And you're right about this outfit. It's just the kind of change I needed," Shion breezed past Miyuki, snagging the dress easily from the startled girl's hands. "I feel very, ah.. Lara Croft," she tossed over her shoulder as she went to pay for the clothes.

Miyuki smiled tentatively. She had a very bad feeling coming on...

Shion came back, bearing a bag and a wolfish grin. "I think I need to pay you back for all of this Miyu-chan," she said sweetly, capturing Miyuki's wrist before the girl could flee for her life. "We," Shion said firmly, "are breaking in these new looks with style. We're going to Peony River."

"Peony River?" Miyuki perked up at the name of the trendy new club that she'd been dying to go to. Peony River was the reason she'd been on the apple diet in the first place, and she had to admit, the result was-- "Heeeey," Miyuki looked at Shion askance. "I thought you said you'd rather roll naked down a hill chased by a horde of horny Gnosis than set foot in a club like Peony River."

Shion grinned at the other. "That was when I was gonna be sporting the drink tab at the end of the night," she said cheerfully.

"Anou?" Miyuki blinked. "Ah, I.. Okay, why not! Peony River, here we come!" Miyuki started hauling Shion out of the store like an eager puppy.

Hook, line, and sinker, Shion thought, smirking.

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A/N: Yes, there has been much debate on why Shion suddenly went from "cute, geeky girl-next-door" to "sex kitten adventurer"... this is my take. Blame it all on Miyuki the otaku! XD Peony River, by the way, is a song by Nan Quan Mama. The mp3 is one of the songs that I was listening to while writing this. Sorry about the shortness of the chapter -- it's transitional. We are about to get into major plot here, so hang onto your socks.

COMING NEXT CHAPTER: Drunken!Shion, Confused!chaos, Giggly!Miyuki, Scared-of-his-ex!Tony, and Shirt-Ripper-Girl! Enough hangovers for the entire cast! It's gonna be a wild night at the Peony River, and no one shall leave alone! Muahahaha.