ₛᵢₜ

ₛᵢₜ

Okay..okay I'm exhausted, what are you in the mood for?" I ask, leaning into his atmosphere.

"Hmmm...For some wine.."

Great.

-

ไวน์ ;

wine

I have always been skeptical about drinking, why? Drinking killed my father. He said it made him happy, made him feel alive. That was a lie. I could never understand how something that made you feel so "happy", could end up killing you. Especially right in front of your child, and pregnant wife. But, that story is for another day.

-

"Wine?" I didn't like this at all.

"Yea...wine...never heard of it before?" Vegas snorts with a 'know-it-all' attitude.

"Well, yes I have...I just don't understand why we need something like that right now...especially when we are so happy, I feel alive."

"What..I'm happy too, and alive too, hello." Vegas waves his hands in the air playfully.

I laugh for a quick second, ending it with a serious expression.

"I just don't think they we need something like that in our system, right now." We didn't.

"Pete." Vegas eyes pleads with mines dearly..

"It's better if we do not." I smile softly.

"Pete....I'm begging you-."

"Also you're having your birthday celebration tomorrow, remember?"

"So?" He has to be joking right now.

"So? Vegas, tomorrow is going to be a very special day, you're going to have people from all over the world come and see-."

"So?"

"Vegas." I give him a look of concern.

"I don't care, Pete. I've never cared."

"Vegas, all I meant was-."

"No, I get it okay...I'm a king, I have a birthday celebration tomorrow and you're worried I won't have enough energy for it, right?"

"...correct."

"Well, if that's what worries you, stop." How could I?

"...okay." I didn't want to say that it was okay, because in my heart it didn't feel okay, not even one bit.

"I'll be fine, consider this a warm up for tomorrow." He says, bumping his shoulder into mines playfully.

"And Pete, you know how good I am at hiding my hangovers." Vegas winks at the end of his very suspicious comment.

"Yeah, sadly I do...since you were 16." I say shaking my head to the ground.

"Yea, since I was 16...so you know I'll be fine." Vegas concludes, whilst wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"Yes." Vegas not yet satisfied with my 'yes', he picks my head up from the floor, using that long extended point finger, slowly. Dawning, soaring into my eyes, breeding all of me.

"..Pete, I promise you."

"Promise me?"

"Promise." Vegas with a high grin, but trusting eyes gives me his pinky finger.

"Hold it, come on, come on...I know you're itching to hold it." Vegas nudging me, repeatedly. I wanted to pick up his head and bash into the food that was organized neatly on the table over there. Curry delight.

"Okay..." I held on to that dear finger like my life depended on it, and it did. I guess in the end I was a madman also, I just wanted to make him feel happy. And, he did promise me...with a delight pinky finger. Smiles.

"Now let's go and find some wine!!!!Wine! Wine! Wine, all day, PRAISE THE WINE!" This lunatic.

He gleamed down the road, jumping and laughing by hisself, all by himself. With me, right behind him. The perfect wingman. He didn't have a care in the world, I don't even know if he knew the world existed at this point. Did he?

I felt bad, I always knew I babied him, and it was worse when he also knew, but he never said anything. Yes, I am a couple years older than that madman, that explains a lot. But, for Vegas he always wanted to seem older than I, even confessed that he asked the gods to erase the number of my age, and swap it with his. Till this day, I still don't understand his uncanny obsession with my age. He is really crazy, Macau knows of this very well. Laughs.

As we walked down the town, filtered with lights, animals, colorful clothing, and what sounded like echoed laughters...I couldn't help but to stop, smile, look at the people and children, that seemed so alive. Their glittering souls, caressed the one breathing within me. An absolute masterpiece, I saw it all, I felt it all, entirely. I could soak my body in it. I paid attention to the way they communicated with their mouths and hands, it seemed like they were just singing over and over again. What beautiful tones they spoke in. They were truly alive and beautiful, and it wasn't a lie. Smiles.

"Hey" A familiar voice spoke out to me, breaking my latex focus. Sounds of cooking dishes, and moving pots, kids being disciplined, washed inside my ears suddenly.

"Hey." I responded back hazy to the shadowed Vegas Theerapanyakul.

"Are you drunk?" That lunatic asked me, with a scrunched face like he was shitting on himself.

"Huh! I haven't even drank anything, not even water!" Vegas laughed at me.

"Sure...if you say so." Wow. Unbelievable.

"Yea, and I'm saying I haven't..maybe you're the drunk one." I gave him a cynical look.

"Me!?" He shoots out his finger to poke himself in the chest, basically. I couldn't understand what point he was making, but he was failing miserably. And, he knew it.

"Yes."

He snorts.

"I think you might be right." He says swinging his arms wildly.

"I'm always right."

"I think you've gotten..too confident lately."

Ha.

"Does that scare you?"

"Yes..." I smirk at the sudden response, I have finally overpowered that Vegas.

"Because you look quite hideous when you look like that." He smiles.

How dare he?!?

"Oh." Silence. He starts laughing quite loudly out of nowhere, making every townsfolk turn their head towards us.

"What is wrong with those children?!"

"Oh my, I am afraid of those madmen..I mean look at them."

"This is what wine does to adults, children, don't be like them when you grow up...promise me."

The whole aisle was painted in rough remarks towards us, some that were funny, some that were useless, and others that were just beautiful. Not any bad ones, AT ALL, believe me. Turning away from the crowd, and facing Vegas that was still laughing...was haunting. I mean look at those teeth, they could bite into walls and floors, god! And, he has the audacity to open them so wide, how despicable of he!

"Vegas, Vegas." I start loudly whispering to him, I don't even know if I was whispering or yelling at this point. I just wanted him to shut those jaws.

"Vegas-"

And, just like that our ears were safe. Vegas Theerapanyakul, has finally closed those gates of satan in his mouth. What has stopped him? Oh, it was a stick of bread, that he caught perfectly within those jaws. A folk threw it at him, how nice. Smiles.

"Thank you." I say turning to the person that threw it at him. "The gods will forever bless you."

"You're welcome, and they sure will."

"Put him on a leash!"

Ha. I loved this town. Turning my focus away from the townsfolk back to Vegas..man was it a scene.

"..have anything to say for yourself?"

"..mmuhuossnwhsyin." He muffled screamed, with such a cute stuffed mouth.

"Hm? Sorry I can't understand you, you see..you have a 6 foot long bread caught in your mouth.."

"Hdjshsbshsizj." Ha. This was absolutely intriguing.

"A-are you saying something right now?..oh! You want another piece of bread?"

"Noshsbsnsn!" Vegas like the child he was, pounds his feet on the ground aggravated.

"Aww, aren't you one cute stuffed mouse." I say while walking up to him, pinching his nose.

".njxusjsm!"

"Okay, okay." I couldn't stop rolling my head back laughing, it was all too funny. After some time looking at him wildly, filled with teary eyes I removed the bread that swole his mouth.

"You're okay now." Smirks.

"Pete, you!...never mind, let's go get that wine, yea." He takes the lead once more, with not so much confidence...and then suddenly turns around.

"And you!" He says pointing at 'that' person.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Why did you have to throw a stale bread into my mouth...couldn't it have been at least fresh, I mean come on..did you want me to die?!"

"That was the point, you dying."

"Hey!"

"Okay..no stale bread ever again."

"Good."

Vegas puffs, fixing his clothing and swiping the dried sweat off his forehead, turning his back away from the townsfolk, continuing his now confident walk for his wine. With such great pride! Almost like his is mouth didn't expand to the ground, because of some 'stale' bread. I loved this night.

And, we continued walking, I continued watching that madman, and that madman continued being mad.

-

We came to a sudden stop, an unexpected fairytale one. A building that was infested in vines and lilies corrupting it's empyrean. Pellucid windows that were long and curved, framing the architecture of a statuesque women, or of many. The floor was plastered in these same vines and pink water lilies, engrossed with black cats and frogs leaping and sleeping wherever. In the very middle sat a wish fountain, one that had the sculpture of a mermaid with long breasts that hanged to the floor. Out of the breasts shot water, and water all over again. The sudden spurt splash, it splashed onto my face! It caused me to squeak and fall over a insane amount of black cats. Hahaha. The whole building that was foundation like a cup, arose in laughter. "You okay down there, boy." "Oh my, love at him!"

As my head fell to the floor, my eyes caught a glimpse of what looked like heaven..the building seemed to curve around me. And, I could see rows, windows, vines, of plenty women interwoven together. What a miracle, then what blinded my sight- the butt of a cat. "... Hey buddy...you mind moving your butt out my face?..." I asked the cat nicely, maybe too nicely. It took my kindness for shit, and wouldn't move. I couldn't believe this, the once calm laughter arose once more, causing me to shy away. Okay, okay I shushed the cat away, with such sweet gesture, I didn't even touch it, and what it did was so mean, so ungrateful. Not only did it hiss at me with its growing family, what a population, but it also scratched me right above my eye, twirling away, flipping its tail with sas. So cute. I couldn't even be mad at the little one-

"Pete."

All attention of reality shot back to me, it was like my mind exploded.

"Y-yes." I was stuttering, I hate when I stutter.

"Get up, like right now..please." Vegas whispers, Laughing. This lunatic was laughing at me, instead of helping me-. Then, he reach out his hand, never mind...I guess he was helping me.

"Here." He clasped his hands inside of mines, holding me up. He gives me a smile.

"How do you feel?"

"Like how you felt when your mouth was stuffed with that bread." I said seriously.

"Understood."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Yea, it's fine." I respond hastily.

There was a weird silence.

"And..That's what you get. Ha!"

"What..."

"Paybacks...a...bitch." Vegas flicks his tongue with attitude, flipping his hair, stepping on his heel, walking away like some prince Charming, my ass.

This lunatic was only getting crazier, that townsfolk was right, I should put his crazy ass on a leash!

As he walks away with Prince Charming syndrome, I decided to add a little sweetness to his walk... by sticking my foot up his ass, literally.

"Ah!" He quickly turns around facing me, with his hands clutched around his ass.

"How cute, remember...you did the same thing to me at the pond." I wink seductively.

"You!"

"Yes, my king? It looks like it hurts, should I get Macau?"

"How are you supposed to get Macau?"

"I don't know, I was just lying..like I usually do." I shrug playfully.

Copying his Prince Charming syndrome, I take the lead walking away first, flipping my hair, and laughing.

"Pete, you! You, you beautiful madwoman." I smile.

As I walked into that fascinating building, a potent smell hit me like bread to my mouth, imaging Vegas. It smelt of wine, men and women all dancing together. It was eerie, but not as eerie as the designs that rode the walls and the atmosphere. The architecture inside was a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai, I guess this type of construction was influential, for it was so eye-arousing. The stairs were circling round, and round dressed in fine vines, and dashing with white cats. The floors were glass and crystallized, I could see a red room underneath, this fine glass. "Wow, there is a room underneath us." This building was beautiful, the air was filtered green delight, puffs and smokes floated like origami's into the air, a choir. The women all dressed in formal colors that matched their auras, was the most enchanting thing in this room. The way their hair was tied to perfection, their faces tanned of honey, their mannerisms of art. I wanted to be like them. They were the only ones I admired in this room.

For the men, some were foreigners from overseas, white like the pearls by the ocean. Others were tan, like us Thai people, a whole minority of mixtures, cultures, fat, skinny, and perfumes all in one big room. It didn't seem real, at all. All I could think of was who owned this royal place-

"Vegas."

"Isn't it wondrous?" The man just pops out of nowhere, what is wrong with him. god.

"I've never seen anything like it before." He just laughs, he probably thinks I'm too good for this world. Not having seen anything like this before.

"You love it?" He asks, tilting his head, reading off my eyes.

"...I don't know if I love it, but it sure is beautiful." He laughs again, nudging his shoulder into mines.

"Right, sure is beautiful."

"Right."

"I just hope you don't change your little mind." He says with a faint smile, that wasn't really a smile.

"Why would I do that?"

"You know, you tend to do that a lot, my love." The idiot winks at me. What was he really trying to say?

"What?"

"Nothing...so what do like the most about this place?"

"...I guess the colors, there's so many of them, my eyes just can't seem to stay in one place."

"Yea, in this place your eyes and mind has no rest, you just end up thinking and seeing so much beauty that never ends."

"Wow, seems like you've been here before?"

"I have..many times."

"How many times? And why-." The idiot cuts me off.

"Okay then, let me introduce you to some people."

"You know the people here?" I giggle, surprised.

"Not really, but you know I am quite talkative, everywhere I go my mouth has to move." That is true, I laugh.

"Wow, you are more self aware than I thought."

"Thank you, your majesty." He bows playfully, taunting me.

"Oh please, stop it." Smirks.

"Come on."

"Okay, I'm coming." He quickly rests his hands on my waist, padding and holding tightly. Gasps, Astounded at the unexpected action, I try to remove his long hands away from my waist area, but he protest harshly pushing my hands away. "Stop." He says breathing loudly, but talking lowly into my ear. I shake.

"No." I whisper lowly into his neck. Still not agreeing with the sudden action, I try again removing his hand from my waist, but he suddenly pinches me. I yelp from the flashing pain that rode down my waist to my legs.

"If you try to remove my hand again, I will strip you in front of every...one...here, and that I promise." He says while pinching my earlobe, and bringing his wet tongue to the earlier abused area. I shake.

"...so do I make myself clear?"

I couldn't say anything, I couldn't even move..I was scared. "Do I make myself clear, my love?!"

"..okay."

"no, no, no I don't want to hear 'okay' anymore, I'm done with hearing that." He whispers loudly, with a pain expression casted onto his face.

"so, what would y-you l-like for me to say?" I couldn't help myself from shivering, his breath and tone sent shocks into my body. I was petrified. I could feel him grin against my cheek.

"I want you to say yes...father." Father? Father? I couldn't even process what he said entirely, and he wants me to call him father? god. I could scrape my brain in half right now. My eyes were sweating profusely, mouth was dried-

"What is taking so long?"

I gulp.

"say it." His teeth were clenched together tightly, he was holding back his strength from causing me dismay, I could feel it, hear it.

"say it now, before I naked you right infron-." I could feel him secretly tug on my hair, fiercely. While smiling at people that passed by, so ugly was he.

"y-yes f-father." A tear fell from my eyes instantly, I couldn't bear them any longer.

He didn't say anything after that, he just nodded. Satisfied was he.

"Sir." a voice in the smokey blurred distant called.

sir?