p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-That stupid Scorpion.../p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Leave him alone.../p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-What do you think h...?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Leave him the f*** alone./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-You know I am rig..!/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Enough./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mask shut down; his mouth snapped into silence by Aphrodite´s frozen tone. The instant in which Aphrodite looked at him, just to make sure that the silence was there to stay, was more than enough for him to gaze a hole through DeathMask chest, a tunnel of pain big enough for a train to fit through it./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"- You may want to keep the little dignity you have left./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Cancer put the cigar back in his mouth and rolled his eyes, pretending to be bothered by the Swede, while secretly grilling his teeth in fear. Pisces turned his back kneeled down, a knee going deep down in the disturbed soil, the other was still safe from the dirt. All around him were bits of knocked up trees, destroyed rural walls, and trees root up. Mask´s tantrum had left nothing in place and he, by nature, was not a lover of destruction. He picked up one of the wild roses that had been ripped from the soil by his partner´s energy, and held it delicately in his hands, caressing its limbs as if it was a dead lover./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The crab breathed deeply and kept milling the cigar between his teeth. He could see Aphrodite´s distant expression. He knew that Piscis was upset. Aphrodite being upset terrified him, but not for the same reasons it terrified everyone else. /p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The golden fish was all he wanted and all he had. One day he was bound to wake up from whatever blessed insanity had its grip on him at the moment and realized that he had a million more pleasant ways to spend his time than with DeathMask. For example, being run over by a train. /p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"DeathMask knew that he was behaving like an idiot in every possible sense of the world right now. He knew he had been an idiot blowing half of the countryside away this time, just as he knew that he had been an idiot that same day in a dozen other ways, and Aphrodite´s patience for idiocy was legendarily low. He just couldn't help it though. How was he expected to? He was terrified. He loved something he did not deserve, and he was bound to lose it. Aphrodite could do much better than him, in every way. He could get someone more handsome, someone more interesting, someone more powerful, a fucking God if he wanted to, or just, you know, someone who wasn't a hell-born monster with a fetish for corpses and rage outburst problem. Piscis had the world at his feet whenever he wished. He just needed to snap his fingers, and he would get anyone he wanted right where he wanted them. DeathMask had seen him do it before. It terrified him. Nobody could say no to that perfect body, to that sharp white grin, and to that proud gaze. Nobody could not-love him; Mask was sure of that. Because, for him, not loving the Swede was inconceivable, and one day Aphrodite would understand that as well and decide to choose his company better. Aphrodite would snap out of whatever blessed delirium was keeping him by Cancer´s side at the moment, hit his head against a wall for having wasted time with the Italian, and get himself better company. A type of company more worthy of him. Not fully worthy of him of course, the Italian didn't think that even existed, but at least someone better than a hound of hell. He was nothing but dead weight on the golden fish, while Aphrodite was everything for him. span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"It wouldn't take him much time to get someone new. Mask estimated five minutes or less. And once that happens, Mask would lose the weak complicity he had managed to build up between Pisces and him, and that he treasured so dearly. Cancer "knew" that Pisces didn't feel friendship or love for him. The fucking fish surely had Stockholm Syndrome. But that was all Cancer could ever aspire to, so it was okay where it lasted. He didn't ask for more. He didn't deserve even that./span/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It was not the stunning eyes or the best ass known to man; it was the way in which, for God knows what reason, Piscis didn't judge but tried to understand. He almost never managed to, but he had an open mind and an open heart and Mask was jealous and dreaded the moment he would lose the Swede for good, of course, he did. Of course, he was afraid. Who would not?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" It was fine. He didn't complain. He would take anything he could get, but he knew he was on borrowed time, and that didn't help sweeten his temper./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He threw the cigar to the floor, close to Aphrodite´s hand, and looked down. Aphrodite still had his knee buried in the soil, and the uproot rose in his perfect hands. He observed it in silence and caressed the very small filaments tangled around its roots./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-That sh** is beautiful- Cancer attempted. Aphrodite smiled, sad, a strange twinkle dancing in his eye. He looked back at Cancer, making the Italian's heart flutter, and lifted the roots of the plant for him to see. He pointed at the small white fibers, thin to practical invisibility, which surrounded the heart./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Do you know what this is?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mask drew his nose closer to it. It was apparent that he didn't think the dying salad fro cows was worth the energy even to bend his back, but Aphrodite was worth that and more, so he complied. Maybe, by not being his usual a*****e self for the next ten minutes he´d get Aphrodite to forget his childish behavior and almost assassination attempt of some minutes ago/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-A plan who does not shave?- He spat, failing to show the slightest bit of interest and to hide the slightest bit of disdain./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-It is a fungus- Aphrodite explained./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He placed the plant back on the soil, as if he was putting it to sleep, and started to dig a small hole in the ground with his hand, lazily./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-A weak parasite. It is either a killer or a scavenger. An ugly, primitive, and unsophisticated creature that can only bring death and putrefaction around it. A hollow collection of tubes with no brain, no heart, and no other use than to absorb nutrients to build yet more tubes. It thrives by hurting others and then feeds on their corpses. A thing of the darkness that, right now, is feeding on the blood of the plant it is attached to…It can´t even sustain itself as the plant does, it needs to feed on others -He picked up the plant once the hole was finished, placed it's rooted inside, and started to cover them up carefully as he talked, a sad, strange smile on his lips, the light of distant memories in his eyes- And yet, this... beautiful rose, as you have called it… couldn't live without it. Literally. This repugnant fungus is the only thing that makes life in this shithole tolerable for it. If it tried to brave the dry soil alone it would die -he looked up with a twisted smirk, internally laughing at the irony of nothing in particular- So, I don't think the plant is leaving anytime soon. You can stop worrying./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Cancer´s shoulders relaxed. An involuntary smile took over his face as his muscles twisted for the weird, pleasing sensation. A pleasant sense of pride got mixed in his chest with the much-needed sense of safety. Pisces looked at him from the corner of his eye, understanding way more than he let out, as he always did. He covered the roots with soil again and pressed it softly with both hands as if he was trying to magically heal a wound. It worked./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-So...I'll see you tomorrow, again?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Of course. As I have said, I don't have much of choice- The sweet smile on his lips and the fondness in his gaze contradicted the fake bitterness in his words. -Idiot...-They were stuck together, and maybe Aphrodite, too, was grateful for it./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Leave him alone.../p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-What do you think h...?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Leave him the f*** alone./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-You know I am rig..!/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Enough./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mask shut down; his mouth snapped into silence by Aphrodite´s frozen tone. The instant in which Aphrodite looked at him, just to make sure that the silence was there to stay, was more than enough for him to gaze a hole through DeathMask chest, a tunnel of pain big enough for a train to fit through it./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"- You may want to keep the little dignity you have left./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Cancer put the cigar back in his mouth and rolled his eyes, pretending to be bothered by the Swede, while secretly grilling his teeth in fear. Pisces turned his back kneeled down, a knee going deep down in the disturbed soil, the other was still safe from the dirt. All around him were bits of knocked up trees, destroyed rural walls, and trees root up. Mask´s tantrum had left nothing in place and he, by nature, was not a lover of destruction. He picked up one of the wild roses that had been ripped from the soil by his partner´s energy, and held it delicately in his hands, caressing its limbs as if it was a dead lover./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The crab breathed deeply and kept milling the cigar between his teeth. He could see Aphrodite´s distant expression. He knew that Piscis was upset. Aphrodite being upset terrified him, but not for the same reasons it terrified everyone else. /p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The golden fish was all he wanted and all he had. One day he was bound to wake up from whatever blessed insanity had its grip on him at the moment and realized that he had a million more pleasant ways to spend his time than with DeathMask. For example, being run over by a train. /p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"DeathMask knew that he was behaving like an idiot in every possible sense of the world right now. He knew he had been an idiot blowing half of the countryside away this time, just as he knew that he had been an idiot that same day in a dozen other ways, and Aphrodite´s patience for idiocy was legendarily low. He just couldn't help it though. How was he expected to? He was terrified. He loved something he did not deserve, and he was bound to lose it. Aphrodite could do much better than him, in every way. He could get someone more handsome, someone more interesting, someone more powerful, a fucking God if he wanted to, or just, you know, someone who wasn't a hell-born monster with a fetish for corpses and rage outburst problem. Piscis had the world at his feet whenever he wished. He just needed to snap his fingers, and he would get anyone he wanted right where he wanted them. DeathMask had seen him do it before. It terrified him. Nobody could say no to that perfect body, to that sharp white grin, and to that proud gaze. Nobody could not-love him; Mask was sure of that. Because, for him, not loving the Swede was inconceivable, and one day Aphrodite would understand that as well and decide to choose his company better. Aphrodite would snap out of whatever blessed delirium was keeping him by Cancer´s side at the moment, hit his head against a wall for having wasted time with the Italian, and get himself better company. A type of company more worthy of him. Not fully worthy of him of course, the Italian didn't think that even existed, but at least someone better than a hound of hell. He was nothing but dead weight on the golden fish, while Aphrodite was everything for him. span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"It wouldn't take him much time to get someone new. Mask estimated five minutes or less. And once that happens, Mask would lose the weak complicity he had managed to build up between Pisces and him, and that he treasured so dearly. Cancer "knew" that Pisces didn't feel friendship or love for him. The fucking fish surely had Stockholm Syndrome. But that was all Cancer could ever aspire to, so it was okay where it lasted. He didn't ask for more. He didn't deserve even that./span/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It was not the stunning eyes or the best ass known to man; it was the way in which, for God knows what reason, Piscis didn't judge but tried to understand. He almost never managed to, but he had an open mind and an open heart and Mask was jealous and dreaded the moment he would lose the Swede for good, of course, he did. Of course, he was afraid. Who would not?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" It was fine. He didn't complain. He would take anything he could get, but he knew he was on borrowed time, and that didn't help sweeten his temper./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He threw the cigar to the floor, close to Aphrodite´s hand, and looked down. Aphrodite still had his knee buried in the soil, and the uproot rose in his perfect hands. He observed it in silence and caressed the very small filaments tangled around its roots./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-That sh** is beautiful- Cancer attempted. Aphrodite smiled, sad, a strange twinkle dancing in his eye. He looked back at Cancer, making the Italian's heart flutter, and lifted the roots of the plant for him to see. He pointed at the small white fibers, thin to practical invisibility, which surrounded the heart./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Do you know what this is?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Mask drew his nose closer to it. It was apparent that he didn't think the dying salad fro cows was worth the energy even to bend his back, but Aphrodite was worth that and more, so he complied. Maybe, by not being his usual a*****e self for the next ten minutes he´d get Aphrodite to forget his childish behavior and almost assassination attempt of some minutes ago/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-A plan who does not shave?- He spat, failing to show the slightest bit of interest and to hide the slightest bit of disdain./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-It is a fungus- Aphrodite explained./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He placed the plant back on the soil, as if he was putting it to sleep, and started to dig a small hole in the ground with his hand, lazily./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-A weak parasite. It is either a killer or a scavenger. An ugly, primitive, and unsophisticated creature that can only bring death and putrefaction around it. A hollow collection of tubes with no brain, no heart, and no other use than to absorb nutrients to build yet more tubes. It thrives by hurting others and then feeds on their corpses. A thing of the darkness that, right now, is feeding on the blood of the plant it is attached to…It can´t even sustain itself as the plant does, it needs to feed on others -He picked up the plant once the hole was finished, placed it's rooted inside, and started to cover them up carefully as he talked, a sad, strange smile on his lips, the light of distant memories in his eyes- And yet, this... beautiful rose, as you have called it… couldn't live without it. Literally. This repugnant fungus is the only thing that makes life in this shithole tolerable for it. If it tried to brave the dry soil alone it would die -he looked up with a twisted smirk, internally laughing at the irony of nothing in particular- So, I don't think the plant is leaving anytime soon. You can stop worrying./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Cancer´s shoulders relaxed. An involuntary smile took over his face as his muscles twisted for the weird, pleasing sensation. A pleasant sense of pride got mixed in his chest with the much-needed sense of safety. Pisces looked at him from the corner of his eye, understanding way more than he let out, as he always did. He covered the roots with soil again and pressed it softly with both hands as if he was trying to magically heal a wound. It worked./p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-So...I'll see you tomorrow, again?/p
p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"-Of course. As I have said, I don't have much of choice- The sweet smile on his lips and the fondness in his gaze contradicted the fake bitterness in his words. -Idiot...-They were stuck together, and maybe Aphrodite, too, was grateful for it./p