Fingers flying across the keyboard of her laptop, Ahri pursed her lips as she responded to the complaint the customer had lodged against her. It wasn't her fault if the bride insisted they take the pictures outside during high noon in an open field. Ahri had little to no ability to make these pictures "good". She'd spent so many hours editing and re-editing, and there simply was no way for them to come out better than they had. Finally letting out the breath she'd been holding in an attempt to keep her anger in check, Ahri triumphantly sent the email response back to the disgruntled bride and groom.

Ahri sighed, lounging back against the couch. The ache in her shoulders told her all too well that she'd been hunched over her computer for far too long. Checking that the day wasn't quite over yet, Ahri set aside her work. She could stand to have some time to herself. Mirror check, realizing she looked like someone who'd been in front of the computer far too long, a few more minutes to freshen up her face, brush her hair and pull it back into a loose bun, and clean her glasses, and out the door she went.

"Bye Bosco!" She called to her fluffy orange cat lounging by the door as she went, "don't burn the house down!" Ahri only received a silent, judging stare in response.

The daylight was just fading, bathing the city around her in a warm glow. It was a surprising clear day in Seoul, and the population was definitely enjoying it. Reaching into her purse, Ahri contemplated calling Seungah to see if she'd join her for some dinner. She'd spent most of her time off catching up on work, cooped up in her apartment. While it had a beautiful view of Seoul, Ahri hadn't spoken to "real" people in almost three days.

"Hello!" Seungah's cheerful face appeared on Ahri's phone, smiling and looking a little breathless, "What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"Just finishing up with a photoshoot," the younger woman was in the midst of wiping off some nearly black lipstick with a makeup wip, smudging some of it across her cheek carelessly, "do you want to meet up?"

"That'd be nice-oh, sorry, hang on. Jungshin is calling," Ahri immediately put Seungah's facetime on hold, and switched to the call of Jungshin, "Hi!" He smiled immediately at her, "long time no speak. Has the new class at Crystar been keeping you busy?"

"You can't imagine," he groaned, "we have an inordinate amount of punks this round. They'll probably all drop out before the end of the semester."

"Aw, poor you," she teased, earning her a slight pout from him, "stop that."

"Anyhow," he paused to say goodbye to someone off screen and then turned back to her, "are you near home? We haven't met up in a while."

"I know. I'm sorry. First time off in a while and I can't even enjoy it."

"Meet me at Star Diner? And maybe a movie afterwards?"

"Oho, are we having a date night then?" Jungshin only responded with a hearty laugh, making Ahri smile even more, "can we go somewhere that doesn't have 'star' in the title?"

"Sure," he named another place Ahri had never been before, but she quickly agreed to.

"Oh shoot. I was about to ask Seungah to come out with me. Do you mind if she meets up with us for dinner?"

"Sure babe," he shrugged, "but we're ditching her at the movie. Deal?" Ahri laughed, affirming they'd go to the movie without the younger woman, and ended the call. Switching back to Seungah, Ahri was immediately assaulted with an annoyed expression, "Um..."

"I know that look. You're ditching me for HIM aren't you? Oh my heart. How will I eer get over the heart break? My one true love taken away by another man. You scandalous woman you!"

"Haha. Do you want to meet us for dinner? Jungshin won't mind, and I'd like to see you." Seungah hemmed and hawwed a moment, making a production of the whole consideration of the request. Ahri rolled her eyes, waiting for her to respond. She paused to watch some advertisements in the shop window. It was for some perfume brand and their newest scent Acacia. And Ahri inwardly cringed when the image of red-headed Garnet appeared, the red perfume bottle in one hand while her other held her scepter, looking a little too much like a royal going through a coronation. They'd kept her in her usual red and gold dress, though she was drapped in chains of acacia flowers. Idly her right thumb traced the ring on her middle finger. The image was soon replaced by a close up, face shop of Tourmaline, hiding her face behind a fan and eying the bottle of perfume.

"Nahhhh, I'll let you two enjoy your evening," Seungah finally announced, "let's get breakfast instead? You can meet me on my way to Crystal Star. Gotta teach those youngsters a thing or two in the arena."

"Ha, you're not exactly old," Ahri paused again when screams filled the air, "what the-" What sounded like a screeching hawk amplified five fold drowned out the screams, and Ahri was running towards the source. Seungah on the phone was calling out to her, asking what was wrong, but Ahri didn't have a chance to explain. A crowd of people rushed past her, nearly toppling her over. The hawk-like screech rang out again, and Ahri had only a moment to drop to the ground before an giant, avian creature swooped down over her.

It was a hideous creature with three heads on a scaly gray body. It wasn't something natural on Earth by any means.

"I'll call you back Seungah."

"Ahri! Wait-!"

Call ended, Ahri dashed away from the still running populace into an empty alley. Taking a deep breath, and assuring herself no one would see her, she brought her right hand over her heart, the garnet and gold ring on her hand already radiating warmth.

"Crystalline Garnet – awake!" She called out, her world going dark for a brief moment. Flames errupted from her ring, encircling her body. Everywhere they touched, her clothing burned away to be replaced by her Garnet dress: a short red dress with long, billowing sleeves, decked out in gold accents. Around her chest came a gold and garnet plate, matching knee high black boots, and upon her forehead formed a crown that resembled golden flames, garnet stones littered throughout. Next her hair was engulfed, her blonde locks replaced with shorter, stark red tendrils. For the final burst of flame in front of her emerged her scepter, the red gem upon it bathing her in a final red light. Wrapping her hand around it, the world came back into immediate focus.

Hearing the screech and a man crying for help, Garnet wasted no time.

Rushing out of the alley, she found the creature with an older man pinned beneath it not too far away. The poor man was crying, hiding behind his arms as the avian monster loomed forward.

"Stop right there!" The monster froze, and looked up to Garnet, screeching in response, "Foul beast of the Alterverse. You who chose to step foot into our world," she pointed her scepter at it, walking towards them with purpose, head held high, "you now face Garnet of the Flame. You shall not be forgiven."

The dumb creature leapt off the prone man and soared towards Garnet, it's screeches becoming increasingly louder. Garnet winced, feeling her ears ringing from the noise. Distracted, she felt the beast come dangerously close, and she sidestepped with barely enough time to avoid a talon from clawing her side. The monster did a 180 in the air and again Garnet had to time her dodge appropriately to avoid being gutted by the beast. After three more times, and her ears buzzing from thr sounds it was making, she'd had enough. Steeling herself, she stopped and waited. It drew closer and closer, her ears ringing even more as the volume intensified. It was nearly to her...

"Garnet Red Flare!" She shouted out, the red gem of her dress and scepter all flashing to life, and then spewing forth flames. The flames wound around her weapon, and Garnet swung the scepter forward. A wave of red fire flew in front of her and engulfed the avian monster.

The creature's screeches were silenced as the flames consumed it. In a sparking explosion, it vanished.

Breathing hard, Garnet could hear the people begin to cheer around her. Feeling a little dizzy, she only spared a few moments to enjoy their praise and cheer before announcing her departure. Waving good bye, Garnet leapt up, going up higher than a nearby building she could land atop it. A few more leaps as such, using the rooftops as her escape, and Garnet finally felt adequately distanced from the scene of the fight.

Holding her hand up to her heart again, in a short red flash, her armor and dress vanished, leaving her in her normal clothing and as Ahri once again. No sooner had she transformed back, her phone was ringing with an incoming call from both Seungah and Jungshin. Sighing. Ahri sat down crosslegged right there, rubbing her neck that was sore all over again.

"I'm getting too old for this."