Chapter Seventy: Sparaktikós

Chapter 70

Sparaktikós

A few days after the PinkFaire, Ivy finished the logo for Sparaktikós. Deimos, Tristan, Celeste, and Makalya marveled at the logo.

Deimos: “YES, this is everything I ever wanted in a logo!”

He exclaimed. Makayla ran her finger over the dark purple parts.

Makayla: “I love that it’s purple!”

Celeste nodded enthusiastically.

Celeste: “Yes, that’s nice, but my logo of Ivy’s crying face would’ve been better!”

She nodded.

Tristan: “Perhaps you could use it for your art business.”

He suggested playfully. Celeste’s eyes lit up.

He turned to Deimos.

Tristan: “This is fantastic, Deimos! It’s worth every cent. Despite what… Ivy thinks of me, I won’t allow my personal feelings to affect what I think of your logo.”

He smiled. Deimos took his hand and kissed it.

Deimos: “I agree.”

Deimos: “I am thrilled this came in time for our album release. Makayla and I just recorded it. I am ecstatic to release it to the public.”

He said as his purple eyes glittered. Tristan beamed, finding his enthusiasm and passion contagious. He kissed his cheek.

Makayla: “Deimos, didn’t you want to make a music video?”

Deimos nodded.

Deimos: “Yes, we have three dancers. Makayla got Felipa and her friends, Claudia and Lola. We need another one.”

Deimos, Tristan, and Makayla glanced at Celeste who was drawing Ivy’s crying face on a piece of paper with a black crayon.

Celeste: “What?”

She gaped at them skeptically.

~

One week later, Deimos, Tristan, Celeste, and Makayla sat in Deimos’ living room with pizzas they ordered and soda. Deimos and Makayla were on the edge of their seats watching Much More Music awaiting their music video to debut. Tristan cut his pizza with a fork and knife and Celeste ate all of the green peppers from Makayla’s pizza. They saw the announcer come on.

Announcer: “Okay, that was Devil’s Door! Now the moment you’ve been waiting for! Sparaktikós is here with their first music video with their album to be released tomorrow! Let’s have it for Sparaktikós with ‘Crazy For You’!”

The video starts with a long shot of a luxurious yacht trailing through the ocean. A close-up shot of Makayla’s fingers playing the opening guitar riff was superimposed to the side. It then panned down to the large swimming pool on the deck of the yacht. Felipa, Claudia, and Lola were dressed in matching white bikinis by the pool, and there were various close-up shots of the girls with their fluffy white hair. Claudia was tall and slim with small boobs and Lola was short and fat with large boobs.

When the vocals cut in, it panned to Deimos singing in a breathy voice as he strummed his bass guitar. Makayla stood beside him playing the guitar riffs. It cut to and from them and the girls. When the chorus kicked in, a platform emerged from the middle of the pool with Celeste in a black bikini. The other girls danced around her and the pool. Celeste danced on the higher platform. The camera zoomed in on her moves and on her large breasts. Celeste flipped her long hair around and danced seductively.

When Makayla kicked in with the guitar solo, Celeste got onto her knees as the wind blew through her hair, locking her gaze on the camera and licking her lips. She raised her ass and shook it and lied on her stomach wiggling her toes and fanning them. She sat up, threw her head back, and stretched. The camera slowly panned out to show a beautiful sunset, setting around them as they danced around the yacht until the sun went down and it faded to black.

Announcer: “AMAZING! The video was sexy, the vocals were amazing and LOVED that guitar solo and riff! This band is showing promise!”

Makayla: “WE DID IT! Oh my God, all my dreams are coming true! I can’t WAIT to see how people like the album tomorrow!”

She cheered. Deimos had a big grin on his face. Tristan threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Tristan: “I love this, Deimos! You outdid yourself and I will be the first in line for your album!”

He purred and the two kissed.

Deimos: “Thanks, but yours is on the house.”

He nodded.

Tristan: “Hmmm…, I think I will take a private concert instead.”

He winked.

~

At Percy’s mansion, Percy and Jaxon watched the Sparaktikós video in his living room. Percy was in his robe and had his reading glasses on. Jaxon sat there with his jaw open and mouth watering from what he saw of Celeste.

Jaxon: “I HAVE to have her for my next music video!”

He stroked Celeste’s face on the TV screen.

Percy: “Next music video?”

He asked and sipped his cosmopolitan.

Jaxon: “Yeah, I’ve been working on a new song!”

He grinned.

Percy: “And what if Celeste doesn’t agree to participate in your next music video?”

He smirked as Noah got him another glass of his cosmopolitan and handed him the Pink Top Today tabloid.

Jaxon: “Pfft, she will when she hears THIS song.”

He smirked, holding up his song journal. Percy adjusted his glasses to look at it. He glossed over the lyrics and honed in on the title.

Percy: “ ‘Green Queen?’ ”

Jaxon grinned proudly. Percy chuckled.

Percy: “My question remains, my special snowflake—what if she refuses your offer?”

He leaned in closer to him.

Jaxon: “How could she refuse this?”

He grinned, pointing at himself in the mirror.

Percy: “Well, someone else does.”

He smirked and flipped through today’s tabloid, which featured a picture of him having tea with Nariko from the Varg the Viking tea set in the Video and Card shop.

Jaxon: “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!”

He rasped. Percy snorted.

Percy: “You and your former fiancée having tea out of a tea seat from a toddler show.”

He replied and burst out laughing.

Jaxon: “WHO DID THIS?!”

He rasped. Percy shrugged slightly.

Percy: “Search me.”

Jaxon: “I HATE THAT STUPID VIKING!”

He rasped, throwing the tabloid across the room.

The tabloid opened up and there was an interview with an anonymous source about Jaxon. Percy read it and snorted.

Percy: “There is an interview here with someone describing your sex as a cure for insomnia stating it’s the most boring, mundane sex ever.”

He pointed to an article with a picture of a young slim man with a black bag over his head. The interviewee stated that Jaxon’s sex was boring, he thinks he’s a thrill seeker but he does the same bullshit repeatedly, whines about Maxx, pines for Celeste, and whines that Celeste likes other people and eats junk food when Jaxon just pours whiskey down his throat and avoids his problems. It ends with the interviewee stating Jaxon’s feet stink and he does nothing about that like he does his other problems.

Jaxon: “...My sex… BORING?! Are you kidding me?! That’s a complete lie! Who the hell is THAT?!”

He rasped, pointing at the man with the black bag over his head. Percy took amusement in all of this.

Percy: “If you had sex with fewer folks, you’d know who it is.”

He said wryly.

Jaxon: “Not my fault that I’m so sexy!”

He shrugged.

Percy: “And yet, my magical friend, our warrior princess hasn’t fucked you!”

He slapped his back.

Jaxon: “Yet!”

Noah came with a tray for Percy.

Noah: “Your coke, sir.”

He placed it on the coffee table for Percy, two lines already cut for Percy.

Percy: “Thanks, hon.”

Percy rolled up a dollar bill, put it up his left nostril, pressed his forefinger against his right nostril, and bent over to snort the drags of coke. He leaned back and inhaled it, loving the sharpness in his nose. He took some on his forefinger and rubbed it on his gums.

Jaxon’s eyes widened.

Jaxon: “Ooh, the good shit! The REAL coke!”

He grinned, eagerly rubbing his hands together.

Percy: “Yes, my magical friend! I don’t drink that gnarly sugary drink.”

He waved his hand at him.

Jaxon: “Mind if I have a bump?”

He asked. Percy leaned back and extended his hand out to it. Jaxon grinned.

Jaxon: “Hell yeah!”

He pulled out his driver’s license, cutting it into a finer powder and dragging it across the glass into a line formation. He took out a hundred dollar bill, rolled it up, and inhaled it up his right nostril. He winced as the harshness smacked his sinuses, causing his eyes to water and nasal passages to throb, leaving a bitter and sour taste in his mouth.

Jaxon: “That’s the GOOD shit!”

He laughed and leaned back. Percy laughed and shook his head.

Percy: “Are you… kind of new to this?”

Jaxon laughed and shook his head.

Jaxon: “No, this is just the purest cut I’ve ever had!”

He declared. Percy laughed and rolled his eyes.

Percy: “Right, and I’m the wonderful Wizard of Oz!”

He quipped and spread his arms out.

He licked his lips.

Percy: “And you desire a woman who doesn’t do drugs at all and doesn’t drink. How fascinating.”

He smirked.

Jaxon: “Yep, she suuuure is fascinating!”

He exclaimed.

Percy: “Even though she indulges in those Little Debbie cakes?”

He snorted and looked at Mickey through the gate cutting the animals off from the living room, eating a Little Debbie Zebra cake.

Jaxon: “Why does she eat those things?”

He shook his head in disapproval.

Percy: “She loves junk food. I guess it releases dopamine in her and makes her happy. My ice prince does, too, but he’s more discreet about it than Celeste is. I guess they need a rush and this is their rush.”

He explained.

Jaxon: “Huh. Touché.”

He nodded.

When Noah cleaned up the coke remnants, he removed the gate so the animals could roam freely in the living room.

Percy: “Ever have pets growing up?”

He asked him as his large Norwegian Forest Cat jumped on his lap.

Jaxon: “Nah, I wasn’t allowed pets, so I grabbed lizards and snakes from the backyard. They weren’t happy about that either.”

He explained with a laugh.

Percy: “I love those, too. I grew up on a farm. We had many animals.”

He scratched Mickey’s neck.

Percy: “I had a favorite rabbit named Bernard… He was my best friend.”

He said as his voice trailed off.

Percy: “Then one day after school, my father gave me ‘roast beef’. I never liked meat growing up. I hated it but my father would… beat my brother and me if we refused.”

He went on to explain and inhaled sharply.

Percy: “The ‘roast beef’ was Bernard. My father fed me my best friend…”

He said and removed his glasses to wipe his eyes.

Percy: “This is why I don’t eat meat and haven’t since then.”

He laughed humorlessly and drew a long breath. Jaxon blinked mutely at him, too stunned to speak.

Jaxon: “Wow… that sucks! What an asshole!”

He exclaimed. Percy laughed.

Percy: “Yes, well…, I burned him and my mother alive in the farmhouse.”

He shrugged. Jaxon gaped at him.

Percy: “You’re never too young to start killing.”

He gave him a sad smile. Jaxon continued to gape at him. He then laughed.

Jaxon: “Haha, good one!”

He chuckled.

Percy: “Did you know Celeste is a freelance assassin?”

He asked him as he stroked Mickey who was asleep on his lap.

Jaxon: “Really? Well, she should be with the way she kills those big ugly things that fat whale man has!”

He laughed.

Percy: “She has been doing this line of work since she was a child, hon.”

He chuckled.

Jaxon: “Since she was a child?!”

He laughed disbelievingly. Percy nodded soberly.

Percy: “Celeste and I have some history. And no, we never dated. She is… not someone who settles down. She did once with Basilia’s daughter but that didn’t last and she never did it again.”

He explained.

Jaxon: “Ohhh, that’s hot…”

His voice trailed off, thinking of Celeste in girl-on-girl action. Percy laughed.

Percy: “Sometimes your one-track mind amuses me, my magical friend!”

~

The following day was the release of Sparaktikós’ debut album. The album cover featured Deimos and Makayla on it. He held his MK1 Legacy Bass Guitar and she held her Gibson Flying V guitar. They were behind a black background with a neon broken heart sign.

Tristan was in the Pink Flamingo Mall having some tea in the food court as he waited for the gates for the stores to open. When the mall clock dinged at nine o’clock, the staff of each of the stores slid the gates open and Tristan hastily made it to Cam the Record man to buy a CD. People were already pouring in to buy one, and Tristan had to wait in the queue.

The albums were flying off the shelves in the record stores all over Pink Top City.

~

After Tristan got off from work, he met up with Deimos at the Katsaros Hacienda.

Deimos: “You didn’t have to buy an album, Tristan! I would have given you one.”

He knit his eyebrows. Tristan just smiled.

Tristan: “I know, Deimos, but I wanted to show my support.”

He said softly and the two kissed.

Tristan wrapped his arms around Deimos and rested them on his shoulders. Their noses touched.

Tristan: “You still owe me a private concert.”

He whispered and the two softly kissed. Deimos locked his gaze on his lover and traced his thumb over his lips.

Deimos: “You got it.”

He said breathlessly and they kissed again. Deimos brushed his ponytail aside and tickled Tristan’s neck.

Tristan: “Hehehehehehehehehe!”

He laughed and shivered.

Deimos laid Tristan on the couch, hovered over him, and two started kissing deeply. Deimos buried his head into Tristan’s neck, inhaling his sexy cologne and kissing his neck. A moan escaped Tristan’s lips. Deimos locked his lips on Tristan’s as their tongues wrestled and Deimos tasted Tristan’s hot guy breath.

The door busted open and Celeste stormed in with a bunch of shopping bags. She dropped them in front of the TV and held up a Sparaktikós CD and a cassette tape.

Celeste: “Guess what?!”

She grinned as she looked at Tristan and Deimos on the touch. The two sat up and Tristan fixed his hair. Deimos folded his arms, annoyed she walked in on them.

Celeste: “I got your tape and CD! The tape is for my walkman!”

She announced proudly and pulled out her purple walkman. Tristan smiled tightly.

She looked around.

Celeste: “Where is Makayla?”

Deimos: “Ah, Makayla is out celebrating at the nightclub where she works as a bartender. She has found an apartment in Little Tokyo handy Cherry Rock—where she works.”

He leaned back on the couch, withdrew his pack of cigarettes, took one out and lit it up. Tristan reached into his sports jacket, took out his gold cigarette case, opened it, took a cigarette out, and leaned over as Deimos lit up a cigarette for him. He exhaled a long drag.

Celeste: “Why is she moving out?”

Deimos: “She’s making friends, for one. For another, she is sick of Lazaros coming in whenever and making condescending remarks to her and I don’t think she likes to see Ashley with him.”

He explained and blew out smoke.

Tristan: “I know she made mistakes with Ashley but I think seeing them with another is detrimental to her mental health. Also, I feel it’s best. She needs to be around other social butterflies and not us introverts.”

He said gently and chuckled. Celeste stared at Tristan and kissed his sheer socked feet. Tristan giggled and wiggled his feet.

The Metal Meltdown segment came on TV.

Deimos: “Turn up the volume, Celeste!”

He said excitedly. Celeste used the remote to turn it up.

The segment began with Timmy and Tommy sitting on a zebra print couch.

Timmy: “Well, we’ve got a special treat for you today!”

He began.

Tommy: “Please not another Sex Bees album, Timmy!”

He groaned.

Timmy: “No, a REAL special treat. Something good to eat!”

He explained, holding up Sparaktikós debut record.

Tommy: “Finally some real food!”

He added.

Timmy: “Remember Nuklear Intoxikation?”

He pressed him.

Tommy: “Hmm… not really?”

He laughed.

Timmy: “Well, forget Nuklear Intoxikation. Two former band members, Deimos Katsaros and Makayla Medeiros, left all that behind to make their own band together with a new sound, forming Sparaktikós!”

He explained.

Tommy: “Ah, so this isn’t a bunch of newbies who popped up out of nowhere! All right, let’s hear it.”

Timmy: “I’ll do you one better. Let’s see it!”

He gestured to the TV screen where the music video played.

Tommy: “Wow… this is very different to Nuklear Intoxikation.”

He remarked.

Timmy: “Why, ‘cause it’s not thrash metal?”

He asked.

Tommy: “Well, yeah, and also because it’s good and it’s better.”

He stated. Timmy laughed.

Timmy: “Oh yeah… and those views, too. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

He purred at the footage of Celeste dancing.

Tommy picked up the Sparaktikós album, knocking Steel Axe’s latest album off the table.

Tommy: “Move over Steel Axe, there’s a new sheriff in town.”

He laughed.

Timmy: “Funny you mention that as they were kicked off the Torturgazm tour for Sparaktikós!”

He stated.

Tommy: “Well, keep an eye out for Sparaktikós on the Torturgazm tour in Pink Top City this summer! Someday, they will be the headlining act!”

He concluded.

~

Deimos sat back with a big grin on his face. Tristan kissed him and cuddled on his chest.

Tristan: “I am so proud of you, mon chéri…”

He purred. Celeste rubbed against Tristan’s legs like a cat.

~

Craig and Fabien watched the segment on TV. Fabien gazed at Craig and wondered if it would be a sore spot seeing how his passion project is now a mostly forgotten relic of the past. What can I do to make this better? Baby back ribs, I can grill those, he thought. He was tired after having to work Satoshi’s shifts just to do that stupid interview for the tabloids. Fabien leaned on Craig’s chest.

Craig: “Ya know what? I thought I’d be mad… but I ain’t… Why ain’t I mad, Fab?!”

He turned to him. Fabien raised his eyebrows.

Fabien: “Hmm…”

He shifted in his seat.

Fabien: “You’re not angry with Deimos anymore since you two share a mutual hatred for Jaxon.”

He began. Craig laughed.

Craig: “Sometimes, hatred brings people together!”

He beamed.

Fabien: “Also…, I know Andreas is a pompous dick and so is his space cadet loser boyfriend but they keep mentioning Nuklear is dead. You never made an effort to try to bring it back or do anything with it when it was… sort of alive. Maybe your passion for it just… died? Sometimes you try new things and it’s exciting at first but as you grow, you find it doesn’t resonate with you anymore.”

He explained and ran his fingers over his chest. Craig took in his words and nodded.

Craig: “Huh, you’re so smart, Fab! Maybe I just ain’t the type of person who keeps doin’ the same ol’ shit over ‘n over again.”

He pondered. Fabien beamed at his comment.

Craig: “I think I found a better passion now anyways…”

He grinned at him.

Fabien: “Yeah? What passion might that be?”

He asked him.

Craig: “You!”

He brightened at him and leaned forward, kissing him. Fabien’s eyes grew large and he blushed. He kissed him back.

Fabien: “R-Really now?”

He bit his bottom lip.

Fabien: “You’re my passion, too, Craig. This is why I still wear my Nuklear shirts.”

He admitted. Craig blushed and beamed at him.

Craig: “You’re the best, Fab! Maybe it’s time you got a shirt with my face on it that says ‘Craig’ on it! Oh! And I’ll get one with your face that says ‘Fab’ on it!”

He grinned. Fabien just laughed and bit his bottom lip.

Fabien: “Well… what about… this?”

He flipped him a photo of the mural Celeste painted for Jaclyn. Craig burst into hysterical laughter.

Craig: “HOLY SHIT! YESSSSSS! We need that masterpiece on a shirt! Let’s do this!”

He cackled and wheezed with laughter.

Fabien: “I know, right?! This is amazing!”

He laughed at the mural she did.

He cleared his throat and patted his chest.

Fabien: “I was going to grill you baby back ribs but I am tired, Craig. I had to cover Satoshi’s shifts just so he would agree to do that interview for me.”

He drew a long breath.

Craig: “Aww, rest your pretty head on my chest, Fab! Don’t worry about the ribs!”

He lay down and gestured for him to rest his head on him.

Craig: “Oh, interview ey?”

He pressed him.

Fabien: “Satoshi is my co-worker at Danny Donger’s. He fucked Jaxon for a bit. He said Jaxon’s sex is boring and vanilla. Jaxon is boring. All he does is whine about Maxx, throw tantrums when you criticize him, pines for Celeste, and drinks his problems away. He found him a drain to be with. And yeah, Jaxon is fine for a day and after that, I can see why someone would be bored.”

He explained to Craig. Craig laughed.

Craig: “Wahahaha, checkmate, Jacky-boy!”

He beamed proudly, putting his arm around him. Fabien smiled and snuggled into Craig.

~

Percy and Jaxon were downstairs in the indoor hot spring watching Timmy and Tommy while having a soak. The hot spring room had a Mount Fuji mural on the tile wall, tile flooring, and a large bathtub with a waterfall. Percy was sipping on warm sake while he watched the segment. Jaxon finished and slammed his empty sake on the edge of the tub.

Jaxon: “This is BULLSHIT! I was robbed!”

He huffed. Percy poured him another sake.

Percy: “I thought you didn’t need Torturgazm anymore.”

He chuckled.

Jaxon: “They stole that from me! They ruined me!”

He seethed and glared at Makayla and Deimos. Percy smirked and ran his fingers down Jaxon’s back. Jaxon shuddered and downed his other sake.

Jaxon: “I want to destroy them.”

He glowered at the TV. Percy rose and embraced Jaxon from behind.

Percy: “Who, Deimos and the girl with the daddy and fatty issues?”

He whispered in his ear.

Jaxon: “YES!”

He shot up from the water, bearing his naked body.

Noah entered the room with more sake and an envelope. He handed the envelope to Jaxon.

Noah: “Someone left this in the mailbox for you, sir.”

Jaxon: “This better be sexy pictures of Celeste!”

He huffed, snatching the envelope and tearing it open to view what was inside.

Inside were pictures of Fabien at the Video and Card Shop at the counter talking to Yoshi and him speaking with Satoshi at Danny Donger’s. The letter read that Fabien retrieved the photos of him and Nariko having tea from the Varg the Viking tea set and Fabien interviewed Satoshi about Jaxon’s bad sex. Jaxon shook with rage, dropping the photos into the water.

Jaxon: “...Fabien… Deimos… Makayla… THEY’RE ALL GOING DOWN!”

He rasped and seethed. Percy raised an eyebrow at Fabien speaking to Satoshi. He was there a lot, wasn’t he? Percy wondered.

Jaxon: “...Is that… Is that the hot Danny Donger’s guy I was fucking?! The fuck is he doing there?!”

He picked up the photo again, now wet.

Percy: “I assume so. I saw him at your condo and Fabien interviewed him.”

He noticed another note. He handed it to Jaxon. It read, “The real reason Tristan will not help you is because Deimos forbade him.”

Jaxon: “I KNEW IT! IT’S DEIMOS’ FAULT!”

He shook with rage.