"You're Vian," Pre said, mouth working faster than her brain was.

"Yeah, last time I checked," Vian replied. They were still craning their head around Pre to look into the room. They were shorter than Pre thought, barely reaching the height of her shoulder. "Why are you standing here gawking at those dinks?"

"Oh! Um. Dinks? Oh! The Diamonds. Haha," Pre chuckled, shutting the door behind her as if she hadn't already been caught red-handed. "I was just looking for Xinder. I'm Preah Devisana. His plus one."

Vian arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow at that. "You? I didn't think you were his type."

"Oh, yeah, of course, definitely not. Just friends. Childhood friends. Best friends, really. But, ahem, not, um, linked."

"Right," Vian said. "I was worried for a second there. Xinder's been biting off more than he can chew lately, if you know what I mean." Instead of going into the Diamond Lounge, Vian sat in one of the armchairs instead. They practically glowed in the dingy employee hallway.

Pre hesitated. She didn't want to pry into Xinder's life. But she also couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't telling her the whole truth. Besides, when else would she get a chance to talk to someone like Vian? Making up her mind, Pre took a seat next to them.

"Actually I don't know what you mean," Pre said. "Is he in trouble?"

"With Connext? Not any more than usual. But seems like there's been trouble at home with him and loverboy. They've been moping around the last few events. Always sneaking off to argue in a corner somewhere."

Oh. Pre knew things were bad but she didn't know they were that bad. "I'm sure it's just a phase," she said. "They'll get over it. They always do. I remember after their first first date, Xinder wouldn't call him for a week. He was too freaked out by it all."

Vian snorted, a strangely harsh sound coming from their otherwise porcelain demeanor. "Well who wouldn't be? The whole thing is ridiculous."

That's when Pre realized that Vian might be as inebriated as she was. Why else would they be lurking in corridors, talking to an unranked nobody, criticizing the very system which skyrocketed them into riches and fame? They weren't what Pre expected at all.

Somehow they were even more gorgeous in person. Gleaming black hair with hints of blue reflected in the darkness. It was cut short, barely reaching below their ears, and emphasized the sharp angle of their cheekbones. Their gaze was haughty; their cobalt eyes cold and cutting. And their lips. All the angles of their face seemed to point towards that sultry mouth, like a vanishing point in a painting.

Their outfit was simple but seductive. At first glance, their top might be mistaken for a cheap black t-shirt. But from the way it fit their lithe body, it was obvious how expensive it must be. Tiny yellow shorts peeked out from underneath the t-shirt, then it was just bare legs allllllll the way down until a pristine pair of white high-top sneakers.

Those sublime legs, draped over the armrest of their chair, were only inches away from Pre's face. Pre didn’t know if they were doing it on purpose, or if they were just oblivious to their allure. Either way, Pre was having a hard time breathing.

"You know what love is?" they asked abruptly.

Pre fumbled, caught off guard. "Um, I mean, I think I know what love i-"

"Nah," Vian said with a dismissive wave of their hand. "You have no fucking idea." Their eyes narrowed, a sudden fury overtaking them. "You think you know? You think? Thinking is the opposite of love. Thinking is nothing. If you're in love, you're in love. You don't think it. You know it."

It didn't sound like they were talking to Pre. The words, the anger, were all directed at someone else. They were angry, but that wasn't everything. Sadness simmered under their surface. It was an old sadness, one that had fermented into rage. Maybe they were always like this. All the sexuality and glitz and glamor- they were just holo-disguised walls.

“Hey, uh, Vian?” Pre said after Vian was silent for a time. When they didn’t respond, Pre kept going. “I know I’m, like, literally nobody. But I wanted to tell you: it’s okay if you're not ok."

"What?"

Their voice held a warning but Pre pushed forward. "It's okay if you're not okay," she repeated. "Like, if you and Shain are having troubles, that's understandable." Then she added, "not that I'm implying that you are! It's like how Jawn and Xinder are having difficulties right now. They try not to let people see it because they feel like they have to be role models. But maybe our role models don't have to be so perfect, you know? Maybe the best example to set is a realistic one. One that doesn't make people feel bad when they don't live up to it."

Silence. Pre fought back the urge to say more. The moment was too surreal. Who was she to sit here and lecture Vian, Vian for hex sake, on love and relationships? She wanted to disappear into a hole, run away back through the holo to the rest of the party where she sort of belonged. But Vian had her pinned, their eyes holding Pre down underneath them.

"Well," they said finally. "You are certainly well-versed in relationships, even though you're unranked."

Pre could feel the blush crawl from her neck up to her forehead. "I, um, learned a lot from Xinder."

"I'm sure you did." Vian's voice was suddenly calm, the holo-facade back up. They stood, smoothing invisible wrinkles from the bottom of their shirt. "What's your name? And pronouns?"

"Preah Devisana. Most people call me Pre. She/her."

"Pre," Vian repeated. Hearing her own name come out of their mouth heightened Pre's surreal feeling. Is this even real? Is this part of the holo? Did I take something in the library and forget about it?

"You make some interesting points, Pre. And you said some things I needed to hear." They moved in front of her chair. With Pre sitting down, and Vian's limited height, they were almost at eye level with each other.

"And maybe your role models can be imperfect," Vian continued, "but I unfortunately don't have the same luxury." They reached over, tucking two delicate fingers under Pre's chin and bringing her face close to theirs.

"What about you, Preah Devisana? Do you think you could be a role model? Show people what strong relationships are really like?"

They were so close. They were touching her. Pre felt electrified, her skin tingling around where Vian's met hers. All cognitive functions shut down.

She couldn't even remember the question. "I- I think so?" she whispered.

Vian's lips quirked up. "Maybe," they said. "Let's see."

They leaned in and kissed her.

Peaches. Their lip gloss tasted like peaches. Their lips felt like nirvana. As their slick mouth slid against her own, a feral need surfaced in Pre. She brought her hands up, tangling them in Vian's soft hair, urging them deeper. She didn't think about how she was making out with a Diamond, the Diamond. She didn't think at all. Everything was summer peaches and the sensation of Vian's lips and tongue.

They might have been kissing for two minutes or two centuries. Pre lost track of everything until the moment Vian pulled away.

"I'm sorry," they whispered. From this close, Pre could see flecks of gold and regret in their deep blue eyes. "I shouldn't have done that." 

"No," Pre said, hands still in their hair. Vian tried to step away but Pre clung on. "No, please. It's ok. Stay."

Maybe it was delirium from the kiss, or all the alcohol, but Pre could see swirls of light around Vian's head. They looked like the angels from the Prequel stories. Somehow, deep down, she knew that Vian had just changed her life forever.

"I have to go." Vian reached up, taking Pre's hands and guiding them back to her lap.

Pre, numb and dazed, let them. She was used to rejection. It hurt. But this was like losing a part of her body, as if an arm had been severed from her. It didn't hurt now; she was still in shock. But it would hurt like hell later.

"Good luck out there, Pre." Vian's hands lingered on Pre's for a moment longer. Then they were leaving, disappearing through the holo.

Pre's com dinged. She blinked, coming back to reality. With shaking hands, she pulled out her com and opened it.

There was a bright white word plastered across the top of her screen next to a number. They didn't make any sense. Then Pre noticed Vian's name next to hers farther down on the screen. Preah Devisana x Vian. She was seeing a ranking screen for the first time ever.

She looked back at the headline on the screen. It couldn't be. It was impossible. They hadn't even tested.

But there it was, undeniable:

DIAMOND - 100%