Chapter One-hundred Thirty-Seven: Viva Los Campos Part Eight

Chapter 137

Viva Los Campos Part Eight

Jaxon fluttered his eyes. The last thing he recalled was this guy taking him from that creepy lady, and everything went black. He snapped awake to giant gold cobwebs wrapped around his wrists and ankles. His heart pounded when he observed the giant spider web surrounding him.

He was in a large bedroom with black and gold marble flooring and walls. There was a king-size canopy bed with a gold foot and headboard, and columns with delicate carvings resembling spiders. Black curtains were draped under the crown and tied with gold ropes. In the center of the room was a chandelier resembling a spider.

A dark figure loomed above him, peering over him with a wide, toothy grin and a menacing laugh. Jaxon looked up and saw Dieuseul. Jaxon knit his eyebrows as his fear accumulated and soared.

Dieuseul: “Ah, I finally meet ‘The Pepper Prince’ in the flesh.”

He chuckled and leaned closer to Jaxon. Jaxon’s eyes shifted as he felt his discomfort cultivate.

Dieuseul: “I hate to admit Percy DOES have good taste…”

He stood up and stroked his chin, locking his gaze on Jaxon.

Dieuseul: “But he doesn’t deserve you… Now you’re mine.”

He smirked. Jaxon swallowed. Why me? Why is it ALWAYS me?! He wondered.

Dieuseul stood erect in a regal posture.

Dieuseul: “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dieuseul… Dieuseul Charles. Do you ever wonder where your silk comes from?”

He asked him.

Jaxon: “What, you and your spider webs?”

Dieuseul’s eyes lit up.

Dieuseul: “Oh, a clever boy! I do like that in a man.”

He purred. Jaxon glowered at him.

Jaxon: “What does this have to do with anything? What are you going to do to me?”

He asked as he struggled against his bonds. Dieuseul threw his head back and gave a harsh bark of laughter.

Dieuseul: “I’d rather… show, not tell.”

He tilted his head, and his smile showed several gold teeth.

Jaxon: “What, tickling?”

Dieuseul raised his eyebrows.

Dieuseul: “My, my, Jaxon. You are a clever boy.”

He tickled Jaxon’s feet with his fingertips. Jaxon threw his head back and laughed hard, pulling against his bonds.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

He thrashed around and whipped his hair from side to side. Dieuseul continued tickling him, scrubbing his feet with his fingertips and laughing maniacally.

Jaxon: “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!”

He laughed hard as tears welled in his eyes.

Dieuseul: “Do you want to know why they call me the ‘Golden Arachnid’?”

He paused and smirked at him. Jaxon panted.

Jaxon: “Because you make webs?!”

He asked between ragged breaths. Dieuseul smirked at him and laughed.

Dieuseul: “I do more than just make webs. Where do you think they came from?”

He laughed as the sides of his suit and pants tore, and extra limbs slowly formed and grew out from his body, resembling an arachnid nightmare. Jaxon’s face turned ashen, and he screamed when he saw the sight before him.

The light in the room cast a menacing shadow of his looming figure hovering over Jaxon with maniacal laughter and eight limbs of terror. Dieuseul lurched forward, grabbing Jaxon’s ankles and wrists with all four of his hands, and he proceeded to tickle all over his feet and sides with his other limbs. Jaxon howled with uncontrollable, hysterical laughter and cackled between ragged breaths.

Jaxon: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! CEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHESTE!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!”

He screamed through hysterical laughter. Dieuseul scurried his fingers and toes all over Jaxon’s body, like a spider toying with its prey. He tickled the soles of his feet, the sides of his tummy, and his chest and neck. No place was safe and untouched by his eight limbs of tickling madness. Jaxon’s face was as red as his streak as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Jaxon: “OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO GOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOD!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!! CEHEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHELEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHESTE! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEE!!”

His laughter filled the entire living space.

~

Celeste, Tristan, Deimos, and Jordi met with Percy near the stairs leading to the VIP area in The Gold Arachnid Casino. Celeste wore her catsuit.

Percy was dressed in a three-piece ensemble consisting of a teal blazer, a purple waistcoat with dark teal lapels, a dark teal shirt with a royal blue silk puff tie, teal pants, and gold loafers. The blazer had gold accents on the lapels and the hems of the sleeves, gold buttons on the blazer and waistcoat, and a peacock pin on the right lapel with a large feather covering the right shoulder.

Celeste: “Okay, what the fuck is that clown suit and how is that practical for confronting Dieuseul?!”

She hissed. Percy bowed.

Percy: “A guest must make himself presentable to his host, non?”

He winked. Jordi turned to Celeste.

Jordi: “A friend of yours?”

Celeste: “Fuck no!”

Tristan groaned.

Percy: “Salut, mon ami! You must be new here! I am Percy Pearson! Enchanté!”

He bowed to him. Jordi smiled awkwardly and waved a bit.

Jordi: “Jordi Vaquero. Nice to meet you.”

He stammered.

Deimos: “Yeah, he takes getting used to.”

Deimos said dryly.

They went up the stairs and down the hall, which had black marble floors, golden walls, and statues of naked black men on each side of the foyer.

~

Celeste pushed open the heavy double doors leading the group into a stadium. The spacious, gold room was illuminated by mandala tapestries of bright lights, beaming down onto the black marble stage at the center of the room. Ascending rows of seats surrounded the stage, with a gilded staircase dividing them and leading to the stage. A large spotlight shone from the golden ceiling like a light from the heavens.

Celeste, Tristan, Deimos, and Jordi entered the center, and Percy slowly followed. They heard slow clapping and raised their heads to see Dieuseul at the top of the stairs with Jaxon tied up in shibari knots and gagged. He screamed through his gag for Celeste.

Celeste: “JAXON!”

She screamed.

Dieuseul’s men appeared behind him, and Ichiro followed. Jaxon snarled at Ichiro through his gag. Dieuseul held Jaxon and embraced him from behind. Jaxon whimpered.

Percy: “Oh, it’s Ichiro! Did you bring your baby brother to Dieuseul as a gift of friendship?!”

He giggled. Ichiro sneered at him.

Ichiro: “NO, idiot! He got him from Minerva! I don’t care about Jiro! I came for YOU!”

He roared and shot his forefinger at Percy. Percy folded his arms and smirked.

Percy: “How kinky. I didn’t think you’d ever cum for moi, darling.”

He purred. Veins throbbed on Ichiro’s face as his anger soared.

Ichiro: “NO, MORON! I DIDN’T MEAN THAT!”

He bellowed.

Dieuseul: “Let’s cut the clown act, Percy. I’ll give you back your Pepper Prince and that fat fuck if you give me my turf in Pink Top City back!”

He growled.

Celeste: “Okay, but I’m kicking your ass!”

She snapped.

Dieuseul: “Shut up, girl! I wasn’t talkin’ to you!”

He hissed. Percy sighed and shrugged.

Percy: “Darling, you have all of Los Campos. Why on Reona do you need Pink Top City on top of that?”

He laughed. Dieuseul sneered at him.

Before Dieuseul could reply, one of his men started groaning loudly. Dieuseul turned to him.

Dieuseul: “Are you okay?”

He asked with concern. Jaxon’s heart thundered in his chest. He knew that groan, those sounds, and the sweat on their skin. He panted as he had flashbacks to what happened to Chelsea and Kristen.

Man: “Y-Yes, sir.”

He panted. Dieuseul raised an eyebrow. Ichiro grinned evilly at Percy.

Dieuseul: “As I was saying, Percy—”

The man coughed and buckled over. Dieuseul stopped and stared at his employee.

Dieuseul: “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jaxon: “S-Stay back…”

He murmured and tried to get away.

Man: “I am f-fine, sir…”

His voice started to get distorted. Dieuseul blinked and looked at Jaxon, trying to get away. He screamed through his gag. Dieuseul gaped at him and froze when his men collapsed on the floor, coughing and breaking into a sweat.

Dieuseul backed away with panic in his eyes.

Dieuseul: “P-Percy, wh-what did you do?!”

He said frantically. Percy smiled.

Percy: “Not I this time, my magical friend.”

He laughed.

Jordi: “What is going on?”

He whispered as Tristan and Deimos braced for a battle.

The man’s eyes bulged out of his head, and his sunglasses fell to the floor. Dieuseul backed into Jaxon, fear in his eyes.

Dieuseul: “Wh-What the fuck?! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

He said in a high-pitched squawk. Jaxon screamed for Celeste through his gag. Celeste charged after them and rushed up the stairs.

The man’s skin burst with blood and guts, spraying everywhere and forming into a massive, goat-like creature. Another man’s skin exploded, forming into a gill fish creature. The rest of the men formed into various richonoids from a skull monster with spikes on top of its head, an alligator creature, a turtle creature, a large doll head with missing eyes on top of a hand, a giant moth monster, a purple humanoid with eight octopus tentacles sprouting from its head, and various other grotesque creatures.

Jordi cupped his mouth with horror in his eyes. Deimos stood in front of Tristan protectively. After witnessing this and recalling what happened to Chelsea and Kristen, Tristan felt like fainting. Dieuseul backed away with tears in his eyes. Celeste jumped up, grabbed Jaxon, and took him away.

Dieuseul: “Wh-What happened to my men?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MEN?!”

He cried.

Ichiro stepped forward and spread his arms out.

Ichiro: “Well, hello, Percy! Since you refuse to remove that video, you can contend with my richonoid army!”

He cackled. Dieuseul raised his eyes to Ichiro with shock.

Percy: “You went through all this trouble for moi, darling? I didn’t think I was your type! You know exactly what I love!”

He twirled his kukris and pointed them at the richonoids. Ichiro’s right eye twitched.

Ichro: “When these richonoids kill you, you won’t be making any more of your stupid jokes!”

He snapped.

Suddenly, Ichiro was punched across the jaw. He crashed onto the floor and looked up at Dieuseul, standing over him with angry tears spilling down his cheeks. Ichiro wiped blood from his nose.

Dieuseul: “YOU COWARDLY LITTLE FUCK! YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU WOULD DO THIS!”

He bellowed and shot his fist out at Ichiro again. Ichiro cried out and coughed.

Celeste released Jaxon from his bonds and removed his gag. The two hugged and kissed.

Deimos: “We have to deal with these things.”

Celeste nodded.

As Dieuseul beat up Ichiro, the richonoids marched towards them.

Deimos: “Don’t worry about killing them; they’re already dead.”

He told Jordi. Jordi knit his eyebrows and nodded.

Percy: “Then I can make them double-dead!”

He cackled and zoomed through, slashing through several richonoids and cutting them in half, spraying blood everywhere.

The skull with spikes on top of its head bent over and shot its spikes out. Tristan stomped his foot and put up a wall of ice where the spikes hit. He waved his hand to shatter the ice and formed a massive ice ball above the creature’s head, where it crashed down on it, killing it.

The doll monster grabbed Tristan with its hand.

Tristan: “AUGH!”

Deimos: “Tristan!”

He cried. He grabbed the fingers to pry it off him. He then struck it hard between the eyes. The creature roared and released Tristan. Deimos delivered a mighty stomp, crushing the creature’s fingers, and a lightning bolt crashed down on it, electrocuting it and frying it to death.

The gill monster charged after Jordi, Tristan, and Deimos. Deimos struck it in its gills to disarm it. The beast roared and drew back, slashing at him and drawing blood. Deimos winced at the deep gashes on his arm. Jordi shot his hand out, and several lightning bolts crashed on it, exploding the monster with green slime and water splashing everywhere. Deimos put his hand up, where a purple glow formed as he healed himself.

The goat monster charged after Celeste, who was protecting Jaxon. Celeste grabbed its horns and threw the creature at the flying moth monster, piercing through its head, and the two crashed down.

The tortoise creature grabbed Jaxon while Celeste was distracted.

Jaxon: “HEY! LET ME GO!”

He tried to kick at it and teared up when his foot hit the hard surface. Celeste’s eyes widened.

Celeste: “JAXON!”

She screamed when the creature opened its mouth and its long, wet tongue caressed Jaxon’s face. Jaxon felt squeamish and shuddered. Celeste’s fists embedded into the shell. She delivered several punches to the creature’s shell, cracking and breaking it. The beast yowled in pain, and Percy crashed, slicing the spine in half.

Jaxon put his hand to his foot. A red glow emitted from it, healing it. The octopus creature came after them, and two ice blocks crashed against it, crushing it to death.

Percy: “Nice work, my ice prince.”

He blew a kiss. Tristan winced and glared at him.

Deimos karate chopped the back of the alligator creature’s neck and boxed the side of its head. Celeste grabbed its head, twisted it, and tore it off. She tossed it toward the staircase where Dieuseul knelt with all his limbs out, staring at the ceiling with tears in his eyes.

The group panted and stopped to examine the bloody, dismembered remains of the richonoids. Tristan looked up at Dieuseul.

Tristan: “They were already dead. I’m so sorry.”

He said sympathetically.

Jaxon: “Where did that coward go?!”

He rasped. Dieuseul rose.

Dieuseul: “Ran away. He ran away.”

He replied and descended the stairs. Jaxon bowed his head.

Dieuseul: “This is on me for trusting that piece of shit.”

He growled and turned to Percy.

Dieuseul: “Percy, look, man, don’t worry about the turf in Pink Top City. It’s yours, man, and I will release your ‘personal transportation’.”

He nodded. Percy raised his eyebrows and bowed.

Percy: “Merci!”

Dieuseul: “Our animosity is over if you think so. I have bigger fish to fry.”

He clenched his hands into tight balls.

Dieuseul: “I will personally shred Ichiro!”

He said with fire in his eyes.

Percy: “Yes, darling, Ichiro has an uncanny way of bringing people together and setting their differences aside.”

He chortled. Jaxon looked away. Does he, though? He wondered, thinking about how his family banished him because of Ichiro.

~

Trevor stood in the casino with Percy, Jordi, and the quartet wearing his dirty crapped briefs.

Percy: “Trevor, darling, I am pleased you’re back, but you don’t have other clothes?”

He pointed to his underwear.

Trevor: “Not really. He kind of took them. I think they liked checking out my bod!”

He laughed. Tristan and Jaxon looked indignantly at him. Deimos was unfazed.

Deimos: “Sure, if you say so. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Trevor: “Man, I can’t wait to get home for some Voyage Burger!”

He rubbed his palms together and licked his lips.

Deimos: “Well? What are you waiting for then?”

He asked with a trace of impatience.

Gina came running down the foyer with her luggage.

Gina: “WAIT FOR MEEEEE!”

She whined. They all paused to glance at her.

Jordi: “You want to go back home?”

He asked with a bit of a smile.

Deimos: “Whatever happened to your dreams of dancing for cruises?”

He asked dryly. Tristan put his hands up to his mouth to hide his laughter, and Jaxon pretended to cough.

Celeste: “She never said she was stopping. Cruises dock in Pink Top City, and she wants to give us a special show because tickets cost five hundred dollars or something.”

She smirked. Jaxon burst out laughing. Jordi hung his head. This again? He wondered.

Gina: “I am so doing that, but I ran out of my trust fund, and it needs to be filled up again!”

She whined and stomped her feet.

Deimos: “You can reload those?”

He tilted his head.

Celeste: “Yeah, it’s like a reloadable debit card!”

She nodded. Tristan shook his head and laughed.

Tristan: “That’s not how it works, Celeste.”

He sighed.

Celeste: “Yeah, it does. I got a trust fund card!”

Jaxon laughed.

Jaxon: “Y-You do?”

Celeste fished into her purse and withdrew her wallet with her debit card, which had “Celeste Trust Fund Card” written on a scrap of paper and taped on the card. Jaxon burst out laughing. Tristan laughed a bit and stroked his ponytail. Percy smirked.

Percy: “I do enjoy your impish nature, darling.”

Deimos removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose and heaved a deep sigh. He put them back on and huffed.

Deimos: “Can we just go?”

He asked with irritation.

Jordi: “Yes, please. I need to get to my grandfather!”

Trevor: “Okay, hang tight!”

He instructed and held them close as they teleported out of there and back to Pink Top City.

~

Jordi rushed into the hospital room to see his grandfather. He sat in his bed, his arms folded tightly across his chest, pouting.

Jordi: “Grandpa!”

He cried and rushed to him. His grandfather slapped him hard across the face.

Abraham: “Where the fuck were you?! Can’t you do anything right?! Puto!”

He spat. Jordi’s bottom lip trembled, and he rubbed his sore face.

Jordi: “S-Sorry… I just heard about it. How did it happen? Where did Hannah go?”

Abraham: “Do I look like a clairvoyant?!”

He spread his arms out. Jordi knit his eyebrows.

Jordi: “She… left? And I heard Ashley found you.”

Abraham: “Yeah, she was bringing me muffins and that goddamn fat bitch, Hannah, left after she called you in Los Campos!”

He huffed. Jordi froze.

Jordi: “Hannah never called me in Los Campos.”

He cupped his mouth.

Abraham: “Well, she left, and I fell. I was there dying for hours until Ashley came! At least she does her job!”

He grunted. Jordi hung his head and rose. He left the room, not saying another word.

Abraham: “And you call yourself a man?! You can’t even be one! Ya goddamn sissy!”

He yelled at Jordi down the foyer.

~

Jordi drove around Pink Top City and remembered that Hannah liked to go down to Elmdown Park to think and recollect herself whenever his grandfather overwhelmed her. He parked the car in the parking lot and went down the trail towards the park. He saw her sitting on the swing across from the lake at a distance.

He rushed up to her and sat down beside her on the swing.

Jordi: “Hey.”

He smiled a bit. Hannah looked down.

Jordi: “I’m home from my business trip… Sorry, I couldn’t come home sooner.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. Hannah glanced at him and inhaled the sweet scent of his cologne. It was one of her favorite scents to wake up to, and she loved the scent whenever he came home from work.

Jordi: “What happened, Hannah? How did my grandfather get in the hospital, and why did Ashley find him?”

He asked her and gazed into her face. She sighed.

Hannah: “I called you in Los Campos. I missed hearing your voice.”

Jordi looked away.

Jordi: “Oh.”

Hannah’s bottom lip trembled.

Hannah: “Another woman answered. She told me you made love to her.”

Jordi hung his head and heaved a deep sigh.

Jordi: “So you… left my grandfather to die because I slept with a woman?”

He asked her with hurt in his tone.

Hannah shook her head.

Hannah: “I’m so stupid… Why would you fall for me? I’m fat, dumpy, and older!”

She cried.

Jordi: “That is NOT true, Hannah! I just don’t like mixing business with pleasure! I hired you to take care of my grandfather, and you left him to die because of something I did in Los Campos!”

He fired back. Hannah shook her head and removed her glasses to wipe her eyes.

Hannah: “I only did the job for YOU, Jordi! Seeing you, inhaling your cologne, and being with you is the only reason I put up with caring for that miserable, hateful old man!”

She bawled. Jordi gazed at he,r and his bottom lip trembled.

Hannah: “You always settle for these people who never give you the love you deserve because you’re so used to being abused by that hateful old man!”

She cried. Jordi jerked up as if she hit a sore spot for him.

She wiped her eyes. Jordi hung his head. He didn’t know what else to say.

Hannah: “Jordi, don’t fire me… You’re too nice to do it, so I’ll leave voluntarily. I can’t handle your grandfather… or you seeking approval from others who won’t give it to you when she was right before you.”

She sighed. Jordi heaved a deep sigh.

Jordi: “You must do what makes you happy, Hannah.”

He forced a smile.

Jordi: “And I know my grandfather is a handful! This is why I paid you well!”

He laughed and then started to cry.

She smiled at him, cupped his face, and gazed into his byzantine eyes. She leaned in and kissed his lips. Jordi’s eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed red. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. Hannah broke the kiss and traced her fingertips over Jordi’s lips.

Jordi: “Good luck, Hannah.”

He said with a sad smile, and he wiped his eyes. Hannah rose and patted Jordi’s shoulder.

Hannah: “You too, Jordi.”

She left, and Jordi watched her go. He hung his head and drew a long breath.

~

Celeste and Jaxon arrived home. Jaxon kicked off his boots and pulled off his sheer socks. He went into their bedroom and flopped on their bed. Celeste lay on it and rested her head on his chest.

Celeste: “You okay?”

Jaxon looked down at her.

Jaxon: “Just glad to be home, in my own bed with you, babe.”

He kissed her head.

Celeste: “Did seeing those richonoids trigger you, Jax? You seemed almost frozen when they attacked.”

Jaxon paused and recalled seeing Kristen and Chelsea turn into richonoids before his eyes. His eyelids dipped.

Jaxon: “It’s just… Ichiro, babe.”

He managed a strained smile.

Celeste: “Well, Dieuseul is not fighting with Percy and wants to kill Ichiro.”

She drawled. Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “I know this… But It’s MY destiny to kill that fucker.”

He said with that gleam in his eyes.

Celeste: “...Can you do it, Jaxon? You and Tristan both seem to struggle with this sort of thing.”

She gazed at him. Jaxon heaved a deep sigh and didn’t know how to reply to her, but he didn’t disagree.

~

When Deimos arrived home, he glared when he saw Vasilos spray painting “FATTY FATLEY” on Ashley’s car. He glared at him.

Deimos: “What on Reona are YOU doing here?!”

He spat. Vasilos laughed.

Vasilos: “Giving my cousin’s gender-confused fat girlfriend a present for yours and his birthday!”

He smirked and sprayed a crude drawing of a fat Ashley on the hood.

Deimos: “Aren’t you generally supposed to stop that when someone sees you?”

He folded his arms and tapped his foot. Vasilos grinned.

Vasilos: “People know who I am! I can throw money at them and BOOM! I’m out of trouble!”

He laughed and threw his arms up.

He then stomped on Ashley’s sunflowers. Deimos rolled his eyes.

Deimos: “Whatever.”

He waved his hand. Lazaros stepped out and screamed when he saw Ashley’s garden and car destroyed.

Lazaros: “NOOOOOOOOOO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

He cried as he rushed down the stairs.

Vasilos: “Happy birthday to my favorite cousins!”

He exclaimed.

Deimos: “It’s not our birthday yet.”

He muttered. Lazaros crashed down and bawled into his hands.

Vasilos: “Hope your fat girlfriend loves it when she gets home, LOSER!”

He laughed.

Deimos: “Aren’t you older than us? Why are you acting as if you never left high school?”

He asked wryly.

Vasilos: “Because it’s funny?!”

He asked sharply.

Deimos: “I still wonder why Andrew would leave a catch like you at the altar. It puzzles me to this day.”

He said dryly. Vasilos’ smile faded, and it slowly formed into a scowl.

Vasilos: “He didn’t want to have ME leave him, and I was going to!”

He barked. Deimos rolled his eyes.

Deimos: “Sure.”

Lazaros: “H-How would I get back Ashley’s garden they grew with love?!”

He sobbed. Vasilos turned to him with a sneer.

Vasilos: ‘I don’t know, Lazaros! Why don’t you feed her fat fucking head for your fetishes?!”

He barked. Lazaros glared at him with tears in his eyes.

Lazaros: “IT’S NOT A FETISH!”

He bawled.

Tristan showed up with Deimos. Vasilos turned to him, and his jaw dropped as he released the spray paint can. He gazed at Tristan briefly, and his face reddened as he stared at him dreamily.

Tristan: “Did you do this?”

He asked Vasilos and furrowed his eyebrows.

Vasilos: “YES! YES, I did! Hehehehe, Lazaros’ fat girlfriend! So, hey, gorgeous.”

He leaned on Ashley’s car and wiggled his eyebrows. Tristan narrowed his eyes into dark slits. Deimos’ blank stare started to form into a scowl.

Tristan: “Do you… expect me to be delighted by this?”

He waved his hand out to the vandalized car and garden. Vasilos gave a throaty laugh.

Vasilos: “Hehehehehe, are you?”

Tristan turned his nose up.

Tristan: “...Not really.”

Vasilos: “Hehehehehehe, okay, whatever, why don’t you go for a spin in my car?”

He took Tristan’s hand. Deimos karate chopped it away. Vasilos glared at Deimos, who returned the hot glare.

Vasilos: “Deimos? I am talking to this gorgeous man. Why don’t you console your crying mess of a brother?”

He nodded to Lazaros, sobbing. Deimos held Tristan close. Tristan held him back. Vasilos’ heart sank.

Deimos: “In case you can’t read between the lines, we’re dating.”

He spat. Tristan leaned his head on Deimos’ head.

Vasilos snarled at Deimos.

Vasilos: ‘What does a beauty like you see in someone like HIM?!”

He barked as he pointed to Deimos.

Tristan: “For starters, he doesn’t vandalize someone’s car or garden for fun.”

He said dryly. Vasilos threw his arms up.

Vasilos: “It was a joke! It was a harmless joke!”

Tristan: “Last I checked, jokes are supposed to be funny. I don’t see anyone laughing.”

He said acidly.

Vasilos: “Okay, take a ride with me, and I can show you some fun!”

He grabbed his arm, and Tristan yanked it away. Vasilos’ jaw dropped, and he gaped at Tristan with shock. Deimos held Tristan closer.

Tristan: “No, I don’t want to go with you.”

He said coolly.

Deimos: “You heard him.”

He spat. Vasilos’ jaw tightened.

Vasilos: “I will make you see I am the one for you!”

He spat and shook his finger at Tristan.

Tristan: “Why? I said I wasn’t interested! We don’t know each other’s names!”

He rolled his eyes.

Vasilos: “I am Vasilos Megalos! My father is Ilias Megalos, and you know the Megalos tower, right?”

Tristan: “I’m familiar.”

He nodded.

Vasilos: “Then you must be Tristan! I heard about you when I asked Deimos about Ivy!”

He grinned. Tristan rolled his eyes.

Tristan: “Yes, that’s me.”

Vasilos held his hand out.

Vasilos: “Well, Tristan?”

Tristan: “I said NO. No means no! Knock it off!”

He snapped.

Deimos: “He doesn’t want to, Vasilos!”

Vasilos: “Why, because I destroyed some fat bitch’s garden and her big butt car?! I can pay to get it fixed!”

He stomped his feet.

Tristan: “You should be doing that because it’s the right thing to do, not to date me!”

He countered.

Tristan: “My mind is made up! I am not interested!”

He said with some annoyance.

Vasilos bared his teeth.

Vasilos: “No boy turns me down…”

Tristan: “Really? Your ex-fiancé had no qualms about leaving you at the altar.”

He said evenly. Vasilos’ right eye twitched.

Vasilos: “I-I DON’T NEED THAT THING ANYMORE!”

He bellowed.

Tristan: “Why the bursts of anger if you truly feel that way?”

He challenged him. Vasilos froze.

Tristan: “This seems to be a sore spot for you, Vasilos. Did you ever take a step back and reflect on why he left? I’m sure his decision to do so wasn’t an easy one.”

He smirked a bit. Vasilos stepped back and glared at Deimos.

Vasilos: “Tristan WILL be mine! He’s asking me this because YOU made him!”

He barked. Deimos glared at him. Tristan rolled his eyes.

Deimos: “I didn’t make him. Tristan psychoanalyzes everyone.”

He countered.

Vasilos: “I will be back and you will be mine, Tristan!”

He fired back at him.

Tristan: “Don’t count on it. Take the time to reflect on yourself instead.”

He said icily.

Vasilos roared and threw his hands up, stomping up to his car.

Lazaros: “What about Ashley’s garden and car?!”

He whined.

Tristan: “You can sue him for vandalism, and he can pay you out of court.”

He said calmly.

Lazaros: “That doesn’t get back the garden they grew with love!”

He bawled.

Deimos: “Then fuckin’ stuff their face and they will forget about it and make a new one!”

He huffed and rolled his eyes. Tristan gazed at Deimos and noted his shift in demeanor.

~

Ichiro flopped into his armchair after Cedar teleported him back home. Ruby stepped into the living room and smiled at him.

Ruby: “Nice to have you home, Ichiro. I missed you.”

She smiled at him.

Ruby: “I made your favorite dish… pork and peppers… without the peppers.”

Ichiro: “Thanks.”

He muttered. She smiled tightly at him and left.

Ichiro withdrew a scrap of paper from his pocket. It read, “Check out channel six at eight o’clock. Love, Robin.” Ichiro rolled his eyes and crushed the note in his hand. He grabbed his remote control and turned on the channel.

The newscaster came on, stating Hiroto Tachibana’s son, Dr. Ichiro Tachibana, was filmed masturbating to pictures of a woman’s feet. Ichiro’s jaw dropped and his heart sank when he saw footage of him masturbating to pictures of Celeste’s feet and inhaling her worn fishnets. Ichiro’s bottom lip trembled as he saw that footage play. He angrily ripped up the note in his hand and rose.

Ichiro: “ABAZUREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

He screamed at the top of his lungs.