notes – oh man, sorry to all the readers, I was kind of blocked for this chapter, haha. Hope you enjoy (:

3.

She's running dangerously low on sugar in her blood when she finds the tiny box in Panty's drawer. Stocking immediately dismisses it as a pack of condoms, and it doesn't seem sweet or edible. She's prepared to toss it aside and continue to rummage through the filthy room in search of money to replenish her stash of frosted cupcakes and melt-in-your-mouth candy canes, but her curiosity smothers her craving (just barely).

She places the small velvet box in the middle of her palm and flicks it open with her thumb, and the necklace coiled in up the cushiony interior is all winking diamonds and glamorous sparkles and looks like snowy mint licorice. Stocking had always been more of a pearl-sort of angel, they were bigger and rounder and reminded her of the tranquil image of juicy gumballs.

She isn't quite jealous about the fact that Panty's accessories now have a welcome addition (those gold bangles were all brown and rusted now). Rather, Stocking needs to find out who gave her the necklace, and how much sex did she have to power (or breeze) through to get the diamonds on her scrawny collarbones.

Stocking hears footsteps up the hallway to Panty's room and takes the last few seconds to dive through the numerous lacy undergarments in the drawer to excavate spare cash or anything she can sell to earn funds for her sweets. The next moment though, her sister is screaming at the open doorway and tackling her onto the lumpy bed. Stocking wails out in a panic because she doesn't know when was the last time the sheets had been washed, but knows how much men Panty's had over since the weekend.

"Cut it out!" Stocking insists as Panty tugs at her hair and threatens to yank the head off Honekoneko.

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

Her sister swipes the necklace out of her hand and leaps off her, hurrying to fling it into the drawer of wrinkled panties. "D-don't look through my stuff, you mangy sweet-freak," Panty whines through gritted teeth. She looks more anxious and nervous than angry. Stocking raises an intrigued eyebrow at the spectacle.

"Oh, someone special gave that to you?" she whistles as she rises up from the floor from where they'd toppled off the bed. She combs her hair down with one hand and smoothes the skirt of her dress. Panty hops on the spot, deliberately avoiding her sister's eyes.

"Well. yeah, but I don't give a shit," she mumbles, rolling her mascara-lined eyes for added effect.

When Stocking takes one step towards the drawer, Panty has already taken off her panties, aiming the gun at the middle of her sister's temple with the most threatening glare. Stocking smirks.

"Let me guess, Brief?" she drawls it out, slow and teasing.

Panty roars, sounding the battle drums.