Balancing The Scales Lias Lesson

Author's Note: Hey all. After a long period of publishing nothing, I've finally finished something! I have a lot of things in the works, including chapters of my other stories and some new ones. I just figured I'd get this out there to at least release

something

. Thank you for your support on the other stories, and I look forward to hearing your reactions to this one. Though this was supposed to be a one-off, I might just write a sequel if it's well-received!

Content Warning: Please check the tags before reading. This story is heavy on karmic transformation and ensuing humiliation, and also involves consensual sex while intoxicated. This story is not an endorsement of fatphobia, but rather a critique of a character's shallow worldview. If any of these themes make you uncomfortable, please do not read. Thank you!

Balancing the Scales: Lia's Lesson

It was 11 in the morning on a temperate Tuesday in March. The most popular coffee shop on campus was filled with patrons, and a line had even begun to spill out onto the sidewalk. Not that any of them minded, though. The service at Brew Skies (intentionally mispronounced Brew-skees by most of the student body) was lightning fast and the harsh winter weather typical of the northeast had broken a few days previous, treating the college town to some early spring weather. Though some would call it premature, many students donned their warm weather apparel already. Whether it be a tee in place of a sweatshirt, shorts over sweatpants, or a tasteful skirt in place of jeans, some across campus abandoned the heavy, all-encompassing garbs of winter in favor of lighter, more revealing clothing.

And one such person was Anna Whitmore, a sophomore sat comfortably in one of the café's booths. Anna typed steadily away on her sticker-covered Dell, the bustling atmosphere of the crowded store a welcome ambience as she chipped away at a midterm essay. Taking occasional sips from her now-cold vanilla latte, she hardly broke line of sight with the screen in front of her and was entirely engrossed in her work.

The moment the temperature had crested 60 degrees, Anna had practically rushed to break out the spring wardrobe. It was her favorite season, and she felt that any day spent not feeling the spring sun on her skin was a day wasted. Crop tops, tees, sport shorts, skirts, and even stockings were reintroduced to her wardrobe, and today she'd pieced together an outfit that made her feel wonderful: black high-top boots, fishnet stockings, a black knee-length shirt, and a Rob Zombie crop top.

As she sat, she subconsciously adjusted her clothes into a more flattering, comfortable position. They were tighter than they'd been in early fall, but this didn't come as a surprise to the black-haired girl. At the start of the school year, she'd hardly weighed 100 pounds. She'd had an unhealthy relationship with eating since high school, sometimes going days without taking in a whole meal. As "skinny" as she'd been then, she was gradually made to realize it wasn't a healthy normal, and knew that she had to change something or risk serious health issues going forward. So, in September, she vowed to use the dining hall's expansive menu to better her eating habits.

It had worked like a charm. Before, she'd been a lanky, bony woman, her ribcage visible and hardly any cushion to note. But after half a year of improved eating, she'd filled out gracefully, and her hard-cut appearance softened as she put on healthy weight. Her arms and legs now had more size to them, her hips and thighs curved out tastefully, and a good bit of the weight had gone to her more desirable assets. In fact, she'd even gone as far as growing a bit soft in her midsection. While this was initially off-putting to Anna, she'd come to accept it as a good problem to have, and much better than the other end of the spectrum. This new, more attractive body imbued the pale former shut-in with newfound confidence, and she wasn't going to waste any opportunity to start showing herself off. And so, Anna sat with her head high in that cafe, correcting the snugness of her outfit every so often, but feeling all the more proud after all she'd done for her body and overall wellbeing.

SNAP.

Quick, before she looks.

She's not gonna look.

SNAP.

Wait a second. Wait till she fixes her shirt again.

What about when she looks down? Could catch some double chin.

Don't think she has one. I can add it in Photoshop, though.

SNAP.

She was in Econ last semester, right?

Yeah. Was at least 30 pounds lighter.

Fuck. No wonder she's almost spilling out of that top.

And those stockings. God, her thighs look like squished dough.

Could say the same for the rest of her.

SNAP.

Across the aisle, two women sat on the same side of a table: a tan, blonde bombshell sporting ripped jean shorts and a crop, and a gorgeous Indian woman still holding on to last month's wardrobe in a puffer jacket and jeans. Anna was completely unaware of their gazes, let alone the candid photos they'd taken of her, as she continued to type away. The blonde's phone buzzed in her pocket as her friend scrolled through the results of the photoshoot.

"New post is popping off, " Lia spoke as she scrolled, "we got more than 200 likes and a ton of comments in only a couple days."

"I knew that was gonna be popular. Her outfit made her look fat as fuck. An Alpha Chi girl looking anything

but

perfect? That's a gimme," smirked Nisha.

"Yeah, they're eating her alive in here. Didn't help that I described her as 'someone's washed-up, slutty aunt'."

"You did not," Nisha feigned shock.

"Did, too."

"You're evil," she laughed.

"And you aren't?"

Both women snicker to themselves, stealing glances at the soon-to-be victim of their anonymous torment. Nisha scrolled through the photos while Lia pointed and smirked, both eyeing each other wryly as they shared thoughts without speaking a word. After a little while, and some other unimportant chatter to pass the time, the two left the café and started walking down the campus' main boulevard, soaking in the weather. Clouds had begun to dot, then congeal across the sky gradually. A cyclist passing the two by glared at the dark gray masses above, before skidding to a stop and whipping out his phone. He was

certain

the forecast for today predicted nothing but sunshine.

"Just sent them to you. But besides that, you're going tonight, right?" Nisha asked, pulling her black hair back into a messy bun.

"No, probably gonna start editing these for the blogpost on Sunday. And girl, it is a

Tuesday

, whose idea was it to have a mixer tonight?" Lia whined.

"Dude, you've got all week to work on it. And even if you miss this week, it's not like the account's gonna lose any traction. And second,

who cares

? Don't leave me and your other sisters hanging."

"Maybe. I'll think about it. But I don't wanna get fucked up before this weekend."

"You'll be fine. Tonight is

basically

Saturday's pregame. Gotta keep your liver trained."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna end up weighing a thousand pounds after all that drinking. Then I'd have to post pictures of myself," Lia joked.

"True. Oh well, I guess. Me, your sisters, and

especially

Jack will miss you," Nisha nudged her friend as she spoke, trying to rile her up.

"I said I'll think about it," she huffed, feigning exasperation at her sorority sister. "And besides, I'm already seeing him Saturday night."

Nisha goes to reply, but her words are lost in a massive gust of wind. After a few moments, the dark clouds above let loose salvos of droplets that pelt the campus furiously. Confused, the two seek shelter under an awning. They say goodbyes to each other that are lost in the wind and rain, and they rush off in separate directions: Nisha to the sorority house and Lia to her apartment a couple blocks away.

~~~

By the time she set foot back in her abode, the elements had left her thoroughly dissheveled. Water droplets fell from her slick golden mop of hair and down her face, forcing her to pat them away as she locked the door behind her. The water-logged garments she'd so happily donned earlier that morning had given her little protection from the sudden downpour, and they now clung to her skin with an uncomfortable adhesion. Her fingers hooked under the hem of her shirt, she had it halfway up her chest before halting.

"Eve? Ashley? Either of you here?" she shouted toward the back bedrooms.

No response came.

"Thank fuck," she exhaled, walking past the main room and into the bathroom. She ripped off the shirt and threw it to the tiled ground with a wet smack.

Lia wasn't a prude - she was in Alpha Kappa after all. Plenty had seen her pert D cups, women and men alike. But those were (mostly) people she was close with or respected. Her roommates, however, were a different story. They were acquaintances at best, sharing occasional polite conversation or a half-hearted compliment every so often, but nothing substantial. She'd needed people to split the rent with, and these two were the only ones she could find in time.

They were nothing like Lia. Eve was a massive introvert, Ashley spent more time smoking in a friend's dorm than being at home, and neither one of them so much as drank. The latter was on Lia's good side simply because they hardly crossed paths, but Eve irked Lia in a way she couldn't quite verbalize. Something about how the nerdy junior stared at her whenever they shared a room, the hesitant, stuttery way she talked to Lia, or even the way she generally carried herself rubbed Lia the wrong way, and she had grown a mild distaste for the woman.

All this to say that either seeing her topless was a thought so awful it made her gag and a privilege that neither, namely Eve, deserved.

She stared into the mirror as she used a towel to pat her body dry. Her hair still dripping, she searched for the hairdryer under the sink. The loud venting screech of the thing dominated the room as she got to work.

As the girl clawed through the dripping locks, a chill blew through the open door and into the room. It lasted hardly a moment before dissipating, and she'd not have noticed it if she weren't half soaked. But in that brief moment, it pierced through her, sending crawling shocks and buzzes across the surface of her bared skin. Her hand faltered and she felt goosebumps crop up across her arms. Shutting off the dryer, her teeth chattered while the chill reverberated in her chest. Lia's breaths were sharp and shallow as an unease settled over her. Something felt wrong, and she couldn't place why.

"Ashley? Eve? Did you get caught in that storm, too?"

The sound of creaking floorboards came from down the hall, and Lia whipped her head around to try and catch the source. She saw nothing, but noticed that her bedroom door was now ajar. She and Ashley shared one of the two bedrooms in the apartment, so having another person enter wasn't surprising. What was, however, was that Lia hadn't heard anyone come in.

It's fine. It's all fine. She's probably just listening to music and can't hear me.

Lia measured her breathing, wrapping the towel around her chest quickly. "Guys," she shouted, storming toward her bedroom door, "this isn't funny. I'm changing, a little heads up would be--"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a message from Ashley, letting Lia know that her and Eve were at lunch, and asking her to leave the door unlocked.

Standing at the threshold to her room, her heart thudded incessantly. The door was half opened, and she stared into the darkness. Her eyes could make out the silhouette of something, or someone, standing in the room, and she couldn't tell if they were looking back. Abandoning reason, she kicked the door open and flicked on the light, hoping to get the upper hand in whatever situation awaited her.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing in--"

In the center of the half-messy, half-tidy bedroom stood a woman whose presence dominated all. She was no shorter than 6 feet tall, easily towering over Lia. The exotic silk dress that clung to her curves bared a tasteful amount of her rich caramel skin. Her ample chest was made pronounced by the fit of the garment, and Lia's gaze would have been held on it for longer if not for her face. Her features were clean-cut and almost predatory, like a lioness or a lynx made human. What stuck out most, however, were her eyes: vibrant purple irises that surrounded vertical, black slit pupils.

"Oh my, Lia, that's no way to greet a guest," the woman cooed.

"What? No, you--" she stammered in reply, growing frustrated.

"I

what?

Can't be here? Honey, you're the one who summoned

me,

whether you meant to or not."

"I summoned you? What kind of bullshit..." she trailed off, the intensity of her expression softening as her confusion grew. "No, look, you need to leave. You're a mental patient, or-or an idiot, or--"

"Or a 'tit-brained whore'? What about a 'ran-through, unshaved slut'? Maybe I'm an 'obese, saggy has-been still putting on her Freshman 50'. Any of those come to mind?" The woman asked, a wry smile etching across her lips.

The words were caught in Lia's throat. She lost the grip on the damp towel and it dropped as shock overcame her, baring her chest to the intruder.

"The blog?! That's what t-this is about? It was--is--anonymous," she uttered, scrambling to find anything to say as her own words were thrown back at her. "There's no way you could've traced that back to me," she said, her eyes wide as she pointed at the woman. "You're a cop!"

The woman giggled. "In some ways, I suppose, but not in the way you mean. I right wrongs, bring balance, correct injustices that often go unpoliced. And you, Lia, are responsible for a whole lot of horrible things."

"You can't seriously think it's that bad," the blonde chastised. "It's harmless. The people who get posted

choose

to look how they do, and other people would make fun of them anyway. What am I responsible for? Pointing out the obvious?" The seriousness of the situation lost on her, she shows her back to the intruder to find a shirt from her wardrobe. "And besides, no one's gotten hurt or killed because of it. Lighten up, and after that, leave my fucking apartment."

The young woman rifled through her dresser, waiting for the other woman to let herself out. Moments passed as the intruder stood stalwart, watching Lia and studying her way of carrying herself. The blonde grew angry as her command went unheeded.

"Look, bitch, get the--"

The woman lunged for Lia, catching the blonde by the throat and pinning her to the wall behind her. Her grip was tight, making Lia beat and claw at her impossibly strong hand. Her eyes were ablaze with a lavender flame as she stared down at her prey.

"Lia Caldwell, your actions were not 'harmless'. They have brought a great deal of pain to your victims, and every vile word you've written has carved scars innumerable in those you've tormented. Long have I been watching over you, wanting to intervene, but knowing that you'd yet to cross a line," the woman hissed, licking her lips. "Now, however, is different. A pair of women you exploited are now within inches of losing their lives. Two beautiful, innocent souls guilty only of crossing your path. One starved herself for weeks to the point of serious hospitalization after reading what you wrote. And the other, so wounded by the ridicule you'd caused her to endure, tried to take her own life. This can not continue."

The woman's gaze burrowed into Lia's skull, leaving the blonde utterly helpless in her attacker's hands. Though she was brimming with anger and a desire to retort, she could hardly offer a grunt or cough in response. Lia watched as the woman lowered her face to be only an inch or so away from her own. The grip around her throat lessened before fading entirely as the intruder instead grabbed her chin. Before she could react, the woman pressed her lips into Lia's.

They were soft, and the kiss would have been a pleasure if not for the violation of it all. It was a stolen embrace, and the woman held it for as long as she felt the need to while the blonde was still too paralyzed to fight it. Her throat grew tight, and it felt as if something was lodged in it though she knew nothing was there. She gulped, feeling the blockage work its way down her throat like a stuck pill.

"Those women did not die, and I will see to their full recovery. For all the good fortune bestowed upon the righteous, however, an equal sum of misfortune must befall the wicked. And that, dear Lia, is where someone like you comes in." The woman smirked at her victim. "You are more than deserving of punishment already," she whispered, making Lia's hairs stand on end, "though seeing as how your actions haven't cost lives

yet

, I will grant you one chance at clemency. Take down all the posts you've made harassing others, delete the blog, and vow to never do it again. Do this, and you will escape most of my justice."

Lia crossed her arms over her chest, glaring back at the towering woman while trying to keep her heart from bursting free.

"And if I don't?"

At this, the woman's subtle grin broke into a full-fledged smile. She leaned in close to the blonde's ear. "Then, girl, my scales will still need balancing, and what better tool to level them than you?" she whispered, hearing Lia's heart thud louder while she swallowed every word. "Every week, you will be made to experience all that you've forced others to go through. Every last bit of pain, ridicule, self-loathing... all of it. For however long it takes. Am I understood?"

Lia stays silent, refusing to acknowledge the woman's terms. She feels the lavender gaze boring into her, but does not entertain it, opting instead to look down and away.

"We will not converse again. I hope you make the right decision."

She blinked, and the woman was gone. The chill had dissipated from the room, and Lia felt inklings of sweat on her forehead. Outside, the horrible weather subsided in a matter of seconds, letting blinding sunshine bounce off the puddles and slicked concrete and into the small bedroom. Unphased, she remained absolutely still.

Her paralysis was broken seconds later as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Nisha had sent a text:

not feeling good, gonna skip tn. i'll be good for saturday, though.

She replied with some message that hardly mattered before sliding down the wall to the floor, letting everything that had transpired soak in.

---

The rest of the week slogged by leading up to Saturday night's plans. Nisha had hardly reached out since the two had lunch, and Lia buried herself in her work for school and the blog alike. What happened Tuesday was stuck in her mind like gum in her hair. That stranger knew

everything

there was to know about Lia and Nisha's operation, down to the exact wording she'd used in posts previous. How she'd pinned Lia of all people as the blog's creator was one thing, but going so far as to break into her apartment, assault, then

threaten

her? This woman was insane at the least, and scarily capable at most. Just how capable she was of delivering on her odd promise was something the blonde rolled around her mind nonstop.

She'd since doctored the photos Nisha had taken of the girl in the café, albeit intermittently. Her work was done in spurts of energy and outright defiance, as uncertainty would then rear its head and give her doubts. Even with this inconsistency, though, the image was completed by Friday evening, and Lia couldn't have been prouder of the end result.