Chapter One-Hundred Nineteen: The Ransom Family

Chapter 119

The Ransom Family

Hiroto strolled into the Consular office of Shin-Yamato in Pink Top City that morning. His secretary greeted him. She was a young Japanese woman.

Secretary: “Ohayo gozaimasu, Tachibana-san. Kore wa anata nodesu.”

She handed him an envelope with his name spelled out with cut-out letters from various magazines and newspapers. Hiroto eyed it incredulously and adjusted his glasses.

Hiroto: “Doumo.”

He bowed and went to his office to open the letter. He looked inside and saw a letter with cut-out letters from various magazines. It read, “Dear Hiroto, We have your sons, Ichiro and Jiro, for ransom. We will show a video with more. Give us what we want or else!” and enclosed two photos of Jaxon and Ichiro with duct tape over their mouths. Hiroto cupped his mouth and trembled.

Hirorto: “I-Ichiro…!”

~

Jaxon and Ichiro were in a dark room with just a light above them, shining on them. Their ankles were locked in stocks, and their wrists were shackled above their heads. Both had duct tape over their mouths. Jaxon wore a button-up shirt with a monochrome print of a car and the buttons undone to expose his chest tattoo, and tight leather pants. Ichiro wore a black Itlaian-cut suit, red pressed shirt, and a black tie.

Jaxon furrowed his eyebrows. He didn’t know what was worse, being in peril again, or being confined in a dark room with Ichrio. Ichiro glared at Jaxon and hated being in this situation. If it were Celeste, that would be hot, he thought.

The door opened and two masked, hooded, and cloaked men came in.

Cloaked man: “Hello, gentlemen. You’re both here because I’m holding you ransom and your father will pay for it or else!”

He spoke and was using a voice distorter. He pointed to the brothers and waved his finger. Ichiro glowered at him.

Jaxon: “MMHN PHHM HMMM NRM MNN?”

He yelled through his tape gag.

The man removed both of their tape gags. Ichiro exhaled a long breath.

Ichiro: “What the Hell is going on?!”

He asked sharply. Two other men in masks, hoods, and cloaks came in.

Cloaked man: “We’re here to get something from your father and we’re holding his sons captive!”

He chuckled and pointed to them. Jaxon glared at them.

Jaxon: “Great, I’m being punished for the sins of my family again!”

He laughed bitterly.

The cloaked men all held up feathers. Ichiro raised an eyebrow and turned to Jaxon, glaring at him.

Ichiro: “Great, I’m being roped into HIS fetishes.”

He huffed.

Jaxon: “Hey! This isn’t my fetish when I’M the one being captured!”

He fired back.

Ichiro: “It is so!”

He countered.

Ichiro: “Well, I don’t like being tickled, but seeing Celeste tickled.”

He muttered. Jaxon glared at him.

Jaxon: “Fuck you, she’s MINE and I get to tickle her!”

He snapped at him.

Ichiro: “Not well.”

He muttered. Jaxon glared contemptuously at him.

Jaxon: “I heard that!”

He hissed through clenched teeth.

Another cloaked man came in with a camera. The color drained from Jaxon’s face.

Jaxon: “What are you doing with that?!”

He asked and struggled against his bonds. They waved feathers around. Jaxon gasped and slammed his back against his seat. They started tickling the brothers’ feet with the feathers. Jaxon threw his head back and laughed hard. Ichiro erupted into laughter.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Ichiro: “Hahahahaha HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

They both laughed and squirmed in their seats. Jaxon laughed hard and threw his head back. The men brushed the feathers around their soles and over their toes.

Jaxon: “NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO ARRRRRRGHHH!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! STAHAHAHAHAHAP! FOR FUHUHUCK SAHAHAKE!”

Ichiro: “Hahahahahaaha! Hahahaha! STOP!”

He rasped between laughing.

They stopped tickling with feathers. Jaxon flopped back panting. The man raised electric face scrubbers. Jaxon froze turgid and shook his head. His anxiety amplified when he heard them turn on.

Jaxon: “NO, NO, NO!”

He shrieked.

Ichiro: “Are you going to scrub my face with that?”

He scoffed. The men scrubbed their soles with the electric face scrubbers, and Jaxon’s hysterical laughter filled the room.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUHUHUHUHUCK! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!! ARGH! NOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!”

He rasped through furious bouts of laughter.

Ichiro: “AHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT! HAHAHA!”

He laughed hard and slammed his back against his seat. They scrubbed the electric face scrubbers all over their toes and soles. Jaxon howled with laughter and whipped his hair back and forth as he thrashed around in his seat.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOHOHOHOR FUHUCK HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAA SAHAHAHAHAHAAKE! NOHOHOHOHOH MOHOHOHORE!”

He whined.

Ichiro: “AHAHAHAHAHAHA hahahahahaha AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA STOP IT! UNHAND ME!”

He rasped through laughter.

The men held the brothers’ toes back and scrubbed all over their soles. Jaxon screamed with laughter and wheezed in between laughing.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FUHUHUHUHUUCK OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOFF!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAP! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He wailed and laughed hard. His face was red, and tears streamed down his cheeks.

Ichiro: “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA STAHAHAHAHAP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He laughed hard and breathed ragged breaths in between laughing.

They stopped tickling the two men. Jaxon threw his head back, panting as the tears streamed down his cheeks. Ichiro drew a long breath. Jesus, that tickled a lot, he thought.

The men brought in four cats. One cat was a black cat. Ichiro smiled at the cats.

Ichiro: “Oh, look at the cats! That one looks like Lucifer!”

He nodded to the black cat. Jaxon’s heart hammered in his chest.

Jaxon: “NO!”

He whined. He recalled when Lucifer would lick his feet as he slept, and it tickled like Hell. Two of the men wrapped blindfolds around their eyes. Jaxon whimpered. This is worse, he thought.

The men poured heavy cream on their feet. Ichiro shivered. Jaxon shrieked as he felt the cold liquid on his soles and screamed as the cat tongues lapped up the cream off his feet.

Jaxon: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIYYYEEEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!! GEHEHEHEHEHET THEM OOHHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOFF! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Ichiro: “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA STOP THAT! DONOHOHOHON’T!”

He laughed hard and this was beginning to exhaust him.

Two of the men strolled behind each brother and tickled under their arms as the cats licked the cream off their feet. Jaxon’s laughing was hysterical. He thrashed around violently as he laughed hard against his bonds.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!”

He laughed hysterically as tears streamed from his eyes and drool from his mouth.

Ichiro: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA STOP IT NOW! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

He laughed hard and tears started to well in his eyes.

~

That evening, Celeste, Jaxon, Deimos, and Tristan watched the news. The newscaster was Wayne Wheaton, an older white man with his teal hair swept to the side and wearing a green suit and tie. The header read, “Hiroto Tachibana’s son, Jiro a.k.a. Jaxon, is unbearably ticklish.”

Wayne: “Today, the Shin-Yamato consulate ambassador, Hiroto Tachibana, had his sons, Ichiro and Jiro, held for ransom.”

He began and showed the letter Hiroto received this morning with the pictures of Ichiro and Jaxon tape-gagged.

Wayne: “The captors released this video with their demands.”

It showed footage of the masked, hooded, and cloaked men.

Cloaked Man: “We want a trip to four to Zabney World and four subs from Sub Your Way.”

Wayne: “The police did everything they could to catch their captors!”

They showed footage of Officer Ass and Officer Taint eating donuts in the parking lot of “Dunk Your Donuts.”

Wayne: “And they released footage of the torture these two brothers received. I must warn you all that Jiro, best known as Jaxon, is unbearably ticklish.”

It showed a clip of Jaxon laughing hysterically with Ichiro laughing hard.

Wayne: “You can watch the entire video on Fu’s Feet Links for fourteen dollars.”

He said robotically with a shit-eating grin.

Jaxon’s face crumpled, and he felt his blood slowly boil that they broadcast this information for all to see.

Jaxon: “Fourteen dollars? For fuck sake!”

He huffed. Tristan cleared his throat.

Tristan: “Are you okay, Jaxon?”

He asked gently.

Jaxon: “No!”

He seethed.

Deimos: “Well, it’s a good thing this wasn’t Lazaros and me. Lazaros isn’t that ticklish and I… am not at all! They would get bored!”

He said doggedly.

Celeste: “I dunno, Ash would love to see Lazaros being tickled.”

Deimos: “Ashley would love shit on a stick if it came from Lazaros.”

He rolled his eyes.

They showed footage of the geek in glasses and the Spider-Man shirt.

Geek: “Hi, I masturbated to Jaxon’s video where he and his brother get tickled on their feet! I love seeing Jaxon getting tickled on his feet because he starts crying and begging people to stop tickling his feet, and he passes out.”

He said robotically.

Jaxon’s right eye twitched and he felt his fury soar through the roof. He bared his teeth as his face flamed red. He hated that stupid nerd and how he recited every stupid, embarrassing comment he received on those videos. Tristan shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Tristan: “About what those captors wanted…, doesn’t it seem a bit… silly? It sounds like Percy orchestrated this.”

He said slowly. Jaxon’s face contorted with rage.

Jaxon: “GODDAMN HIM!”

He bellowed and angrily rose from the couch. He slid on his Chelsea boots, grabbed his car keys and cigarettes, and stormed out, slamming the door.

~

Jaxon drove through Little Tokyo, his long hair blowing in the spring breeze as he sped down the street. He slammed on the brakes when he reached the entrance to Percy’s manor and blasted the horn.

Jaxon: “PERCY!”

He rasped and got out of the car, running up the pathway.

~

Percy lay in his living room, exposing his naked body with his silk robe open with Mickey curled up by his side.

Jaxon: “PERCY!”

He roared. Percy smirked and rose.

Percy: “Hello, Jaxon. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

He said smoothly. Jaxon glared at Percy, his face flaming furiously. He grabbed Percy’s shoulders and shook them.

Jaxon: “YOU!”

He thundered.

Jaxon: “IT WAS YOU!”

He rasped, shaking his shoulders.

Percy: “What was moi, my sexy red pepper?”

He smirked.

Jaxon: “YOU KIDNAPPED ME TO TICKLE ME AND HOLD ME RANSOM!”

He bellowed. Percy reached out and tickled Jaxon’s sides. Jaxon’s angry face shifted into laughter as Percy tickled his ribs and sides.

Jaxon: “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAAHAHAA STAHAHAP!”

He laughed hard and jerked away as he fell to the floor laughing.

Louis hopped into the room on all fours, wearing his frog costume.

Louis: “KERO! KERO! I heard laughter!”

He grabbed Jaxon’s ankles.

Jaxon: “NO! DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!”

He bellowed. Louis slid off Jaxon’s chelsea boots, removed his sheer socks, and licked his feet. Jaxon laughed hard and struggled to get away.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHA!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!”

He howled with laughter.

Percy clapped his hands.

Percy: “Okay, enough, Louis. He was tickled by those masked no-gooders with his brother!”

He said firmly but gently.

Louis released Jaxon, and Jaxon lay there panting. He wiped the tears from his eyes and felt frustrated. Percy held his hand out to help him. Jaxon slapped it away and angrily rose.

Jaxon: “I’m outta here!”

He snapped. Percy grabbed his arm.

Percy: “Have a drink with me, dollface.”

He caressed his cheek. Jaxon jerked his head away and glared at him.

Jaxon: “I’m taken by my Green Queen!”

He hissed.

Percy: “I know, darling. Have a drink with me. For old times’ sake.”

He kissed Jaxon’s hand. Jaxon blew air through his parted lips and nodded.

He rested his hand at the small of Jaxon’s back as he led him to his bar and pulled up a barstool for him. Jaxon sat down. Percy filled a cocktail shaker with ice and poured in two parts of whisky, two parts of cranberry juice, and one part amaretto. He shook it and poured it through a strainer into a cocktail glass garnished with a red pepper. Jaxon took the red pepper off the glass and ate it. He sipped his drink and raised his eyebrows. This is nice, he thought.

Percy got close to Jaxon, taking a lock of his soft black hair, and threaded his fingers through it.

Jaxon: “What do you want?! Why did you kidnap me with that… thing?”

He huffed.

Percy: “What thing? Those men… or… your brother?”

He asked as he gazed into his brown almond eyes.

Jaxon: “Ichiro.”

He said tersely and took another sip of his drink. Percy had that gleam in his ruby red eyes.

Percy: “Because I could… It was fun, and I had to torture him somehow. Tickling and being with you did that.”

He smirked.

Percy: “Even if you are much more ticklish!”

He laughed. Jaxon pouted.

Jaxon: “It tortured me more than him!”

He huffed. Percy grinned and tickled the palm of Jaxon’s hand. Jaxon laughed and jerked his hand away, rubbing it against his pants.

Percy: “I know, love!”

He said breathlessly. Jaxon grumbled and withdrew a cigarette.

Percy: “Allow me…”

Percy whipped out his lighter. Jaxon leaned over as Percy lit it for him and inhaled a long drag.

Percy gazed intently at Jaxon.

Percy: “Talk to me about Seashell Cove.”

He finally said.

Jaxon: “Why do you want to know about that?”

He asked.

Percy: “Because you don’t want to talk about it and it affected you.”

He said gently. Jaxon drew a long drag and leaned forward.

Jaxon: “Ichiro turned a girl I got to know into one of those things and she turned out to be like Ivy.”

He said as his voice trailed off.

Percy gazed at him.

Percy: “Things are not what they seem, Jaxon.”

Jaxon turned to him.

Jaxon: “What do you mean?”

Percy: “What I mean, darling, is that another party may be pulling the strings and I don’t mean Ichiro…”

He said as he was close to Jaxon’s face. Jaxon paused.

Jaxon: “What are you trying to say?! Who?! What do you know?”

He pressed him. Percy took Jaxon’s hand.

Percy: “If you dance with me, I will tell you.”

He said softly. Jaxon gaped at him and crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. The answer was killing him. One dance couldn’t be that bad, he thought.

Percy put on a smooth jazz track. He took Jaxon’s hand, held him close, his right hand on the small of Jaxon’s back, his left hand holding his. Percy looked down at him, smiling.

Percy: “This is nice…”

He purred. Jaxon shifted his eyes and looked up at Percy.

Percy: “Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”

He whispered.

Jaxon: “Is that a hint?”

Percy shrugged.

Percy: “The moon is full of illusions.”

He smirked.

Jaxon: “What are you trying to say? Come on, man, just tell me!”

He tapped his foot. Percy rested his forehead on Jaxon’s.

Percy: “Patience, my pepper prince. Allow me to relish in this moment.”

He whispered against Jaxon’s face.

Jaxon: “Pepper prince?”

He laughed.

Percy: “What is mean, green, and leaves a trail of tears?”

He whispered.

Jaxon paused.

Jaxon: “Well, it’s not my Green Queen, she’s not mean and she leaves a trail of laughter!”

He exclaimed. Jaxon froze and furrowed his eyes.

Jaxon: “IVY.”

He hissed. Percy smiled.

Percy: “Bingo!”

Jaxon: “What did she do?! How did you know?”

He pressed him. Percy chuckled.

Percy: “Oh, darling, it wouldn’t be so fun if I handed the answers to you on a silver platter.”

Jaxon pouted.

Jaxon: “Seriously, another riddle?”

He blew air between his lips. Percy fixed his gaze on his lips. He nodded.

Percy: “She took something valuable to me that is heavier than stone, but moves faster than lightning.”

Jaxon blinked mutely at him.

Jaxon: “...What the fuck?!”

He laughed awkwardly.

Percy snickered and trailed his thumb over Jaxon’s lips. Jaxon jerked his head.

Jaxon: “Dude! No!”

He smacked his hand away and wagged his forefinger. Percy chuckled.

Jaxon drew a long breath and gazed up at him as he thought.

Jaxon: “Heavy thing that moves fast? Like a bear? Or a person?”

He pondered aloud, thinking of fat people they knew. He locked his gaze on Percy.

Jaxon: “...Wait, you don’t mean… that fat geeky guy who teleports?!”

He gasped. Percy smiled and nodded.

Percy: “That’s right, my pepper prince.”

He said softly and rubbed the small of Jaxon’s back as they danced.

Jaxon: “Why was Ivy there with Trevor?”

He asked him.

Percy: “She was there to pluck a purple flower with her thorns.”

Jaxon gazed up at him.

Jaxon: “Chelsea?”

He blurted, thinking of Chelsea and recalled how Ivy behaved at her funeral. Percy chuckled and nodded.

Percy: “I always thought you were a very smart boy.”

He purred.

Jaxon: “I’m more than just a handsome face.”

He grinned.

Percy: “I gave you powers for a reason.”

He purred. Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “What did Ivy do at Seashell Cove?”

He pressed him. Percy spun Jaxon around and embraced him from behind, keeping his hands on his hips.

Jaxon: “Hmm?”

He looked behind his shoulder up at him. Percy smiled at him. He trailed his fingers over Jaxon’s neck. Jaxon let out a peal of laughs.

Jaxon: “Dohohohonon’t!”

He turned around and inhaled sharply. Percy chuckled.

Jaxon: “Out with it.”

He whispered.

Percy: “Let’s dance until the song is over…”

He purred and held him close. Jaxon shifted his eyes and nodded. He doesn’t know, he thought.

When the song ended, Percy gazed into Jaxon’s almond brown eyes and grazed his fingers against his cheeks and his lips. He leaned in to kiss him. Jaxon held his forefinger and middle finger up to his lips as Percy kissed his fingers. Percy’s eyes widened.

Percy: “What?!”

Jaxon: “Gotcha!”

He blew him a raspberry. Percy blinked.

Jaxon pressed his fingers against Percy’s chest and he fell backwards onto the floor gazing at Jaxon. He grabbed his sheer socks and chelsea boots, putting them back on. He unfolded the temples on his Ray Bans and slid those over his eyes.

Jaxon: “I’m out the door. Sayonara!”

He stuck his tongue out at him and left the house.

Percy gazed at him as he left, watching his ass in those tight leather pants. Percy’s face reddened and his penis hardened.

Percy: “I…”

He staggered to get up.

Percy: “I think…”

He swallowed and smiled.

Percy: “I’m in love with two men…”

~

Ichiro sat in his living room with several packages of empty cigarillo on his end table. His tie was loosened, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbrows, and a few buttons were undone on his shirt.

He sat there smoking, unaware of how much he smoked, and seething at the news, and his stupid father gushing about how “safe” he is. No, if he wanted me safe, he would pull this damn thing off the air and get that goddamn video off Fu’s Feet Links, he thought with rage. Every comment he read from those perverts made his blood boil, especially the ones gushing about his brother more. If those losers are going to get off to me, it should be me and only me, he thought.

He angrily rose to his crystal decanter and poured himself a glass of bourbon. He drained his drink and poured himself another glass. Ruby stood in the doorway, gazing at him and admiring him.

~

After a few drinks, Ichiro staggered upstairs. Everything was spinning around and his head was pounding. His face was red as he climbed upstairs and staggered to his bedroom. He flopped down on his bed and gazed up at the ceiling, as everything spun around. He sat up, slid his glasses off, and tossed them on the nightstand. He slid his tie over his head and collapsed on the bed.

Ruby stood in the doorway gazing at him.

Ruby: “Ichiro? Need help?”

She asked softly. Ichiro groaned and sat up with his shirt open exposing his bare chest. She reddened and bit her bottom lip. Ichiro drew a long breath. She went over to him and lifted his legs onto the bed and pulled the sheets up.

As she helped him get into bed, he wrapped his arms around her and smiled. Ruby froze when she gazed into his dark eyes and saw him smiling. He leaned in and kissed her. When he kissed her, a bomb went off in Ruby’s head. Her handsome employer is kissing her after she tried so hard to crack his shell and get him to open up to her. This was everything she ever dreamed of. She trailed her fingers through his hair. Ichiro broke the kiss, flopped down on the pillows, and passed out. She smiled at him.