"The crescent moon was shining brightly on the vault of heaven, the sparkling stars being projected playfully, enveloped in the darkness of the night. One lone owl was hooting ominously, his very presence a warning sight…Near the mouldy tree trunks rose bushes beguile, for they leave their thorny rubies as traps for the distracted, a very difficult trial to overcome...
Like a Venus Trap they act, swiftly and mercilessly. In the draconian scenery one young girl retains her innocence. Kept as a captive into the alien's base she is trying desperately to forget tonight's events, hoping against hope to still her beating heart, while clutching fiercely at her pendant.
Mew Lettuce had been kissed, for the first time. Before going through this experience she always imagined her first kiss will be chaste, a mere enchanting peck. But Pie had completely other things in mind for her. Lettuce could see in his hungry, lavender eyes the desire to subjugate, to swallow whole. It was the same look Uri got when Lettuce brought free samples from the Café home.
The animalistic way he slammed her into a dark corner, kissing her like she was blessed oxygen needed to survive. Caressing her…
It was so undeniably exciting yet so askew, forbidden. Would her friends reject her, deem her a renegate if she were to ever fall for him? Lettuce was in the dark, battling her inner demons in an astral plane.
Daylight came but Lettuce's frustrations had not left her.
Soft footsteps could be heard from across the hall and a considerate knock on the door followed.
"Enter"
"I see your sleep has not been sufficiently restful, Mew Lettuce"
"It's alright, no big deal…"
Pie crouches down and invades her personal space, an infuriating look of self-aggrandizement on his pallid face.
"Mayhap I shoud have guarded you and chased away your nightmares."
Lettuce's face turned bright red in embarrassment, mixed fury and a lingering sense of shame.
"Mayhap you shouldn't have kidnapped me and been the reason for those nightmares", Lettuce answers with a touch of bitterness in her voice.
Pie lifts one of his eyebrows and quirks his mouth.
"Is that any way to speak to your provider, my temperamental little enemy?"
"I'm sorry but I just can't take it anymore!"
Pie's face turned serious
"It's not a manner of supporting what you have to endure, it's about turning the situation to your advantage. Find your enemie's weak points and strike ruthlessly"
"You are teaching me…how to defeat you? Why?"
Pie grabs her chin in his hands.
"I see potential in you, my finless porpoise. Potential which could be well used on our side"
Lettuce's face darkened, her eyebrows furrowed.
"My utopia of peace might not come true, but neither will i sabotage those I hold dear. You should take your own advice , Pie. Having me on your side will not be advantageous to you"
"Why, my dear mew, is that your lack of confidence talking or are you going to betray us at every turn?" Pie asked amused.
"In order to betray you I must first be on your side. That shall never happen Pie-san, so please let me go!"
Pie licks his lips, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Give it time, my tenacious foe"
"And I suppose, in that time you will not harm my friends if I obey you?
"Now you use that brilliant mind I so adore, mew Lettuce. However I'm afraid that cannot be possible"
Lettuce finally snaps, using her favourite stoic philosopher's words against Pie.
"I suppose 'That to expect a bad person not to harm others is like expecting fig trees not to secrete juice, babies not to cry, horses not to neigh—the inevitable not to happen' …"
Pie's calm demeanor changes in the blink of an eye. He looks devastated … and about to explode.
"How dare you call us the wicked one? You who carelessly pollute your planet all the time. My people are struggling every day to survive on a bare wasteland , not having even a third of your planet's resources! And what you have you destroy!" Pie yells.
Lettuce starts crying
" Pie-san we're not all so careless. I understand it's horrible what's happening on your planet but what if we could share the mew aqua?"
"There is not enough for both." Pie says sombrely ."But little Lettuce, this time I shall forgive you for the slight..."
Lettuce exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
"…as long as you show how very sorry you really are. Kiss me and it shall all be forgotten"
"Kiss you?!"
"On the very place you striked me yesterday, Lettuce. Be quick before I decide to change my mind"
Not wanting to fight, Lettuce pecks him quickly, innocently on his bruised cheek "
Pie smiled gently.
"Has anyone told you have velvet lips, Lettuce?"
"I…"
"But that is not important now. I have brought you fruits as a temporary peace tribute".
"The alien snaps his fingers and a fruit basket appeared out of thin air.
Lettuce shrieked , and Pie laughed carelessly with a touch of maliciousness.
"How did you know I favoured grapes so much?"
"Why Lettuce I brought three types of each fruit. That way no matter what you would have chosen I would have increased my chances " Pie answered slyly.
"Now my dear mew how about we test our wits in a short game of chess before doing some tests for me?" Pie asks charmingly all the while thinking about Kisshu's soon to be explosive reaction to having Lettuce here and his beloved mew out of his reach.
"Pie-san, a short game because you believe me an unskilled opponent?"
"I assure you my dear Lettuce, no one can defeat me when it comes to strategy and logic. A fact you should take into account before any foolish escape attempts"
Lettuce smiles placidly.
"We shall see, Pie-san"