set between s7 and s8!

“Jay, honey,” Allie says, leaning in close to Jaylen’s ear. “Don’t you think you’ve got kinda an unfair advantage here?”

Jaylen’s standing in front of a carnival games booth, eyeing up the knock-em-over games like the milk bottles are a batter and she’s still got debts to pay. She does, but nothing to do about that until the next season starts. A year and twelve lives paid has brought her from half-dead to mostly-fine, and today’s a good day, anyways; it doesn’t press on her mind. 

She has bigger things to worry about: “You know they’re rigged anyway, right?” She looks over at Allie, bumping his shoulder with her own. “’sides, I know how you sound when you’re saying shit just to make sure someone says it. You care way more about me winning you a giant teddy bear than whether it’s fair for me to be playing this.”

“I can care about both,” he says, rolling his eyes. “And I want the big dog, not the teddy bear.”

Jaylen grins, hands the kid working the booth a $5 bill. Notices the way recognition flashes in their eyes, how they flinch back when she picks up a softball from the bucket, and maybe it’s cruel to laugh but maybe Jaylen’s a little cruel. “Chill,” she says to them, and she watches for a moment as they suddenly take great interest in arranging the hanging plush toys.

“Bet I can make it in one shot,” Jaylen says to Allie, cocky as she lines up her throw.

“You know they’re rigged, right?” Allie repeats, half-sarcastic with Jaylen’s words in his mouth.