Remember the same-sex marriage plot I did in chapter 100? Now we get to revisit that same plot point here.
Description: Karin finds a new love interest while Luci uncovers a cult group within the town.
Peter sat with Karin inside a Thai restaurant.
"Karin, I've concluded and I believe you have the same idea too," Peter said.
"What is it?"
Peter spilled the beans.
"I'm not attracted to you."
"Oh, that's fine."
"You're okay with it?"
"I started to realize that I don't feel attracted to you either," Karin added. "So I think we should put the whole relationship thing behind us."
"I think so," Peter added. "Friends?"
"Friends." Karin agreed.
"Ow!" Skeeter said.
"Ha! I win!" Luci cheered.
Everyone cheered for Luci's side. Skeeter handed the bar keys over to Luci.
"Alright, you win. I can't have my bar anymore."
"Oh no, you're still employed," Luci said. "It's just that you have to work for me now."
"I can't believe I was beaten by some cat."
Luci was furious.
"I'm a-"
He gave up and took control of the bar. Business resumed as usual.
"So new job?" Karin asked Luci.
"Yep. I'm loving it!" Luci said. "I can have as much hard liquor as I want. But I have to save it for my customers."
"You know, I'm starting to notice a lot of gay and lesbian people coming here. Usually, this place is full of rednecks."
"That's because ever since Peter wed your friends Jennifer and Fawn together, and since rednecks do not tolerate gays, I allowed any member of the LGBT community to be welcome with open arms."
"I don't know about this."
"Okay, some rednecks accept gay people. But a majority of them are Christian and are opposed to homosexuality. They may say that they support LGBT, but they get mad at a lesbian couple kissing at an IHOP. Also, Netflix has a gay couple trope."
"Wait, Netflix?"
"Yeah, can't wait for Dirk or Quint to come out as gay."
Karin changed the subject.
"So for a demon who allows gay people in here, are you, gay, yourself?"
Luci paused.
"I don't know. What about you?"
Karin paused at that.
"I thought about this for a while."
"Maybe when I close up shop we can probably find our sexuality."
At Peter's house, Karin opened up her Netflix account. As she browsed through shows with LGBT themes, she heard a sound.
"Ohhhhh man..."
It sounded like Luci. The sounds of moaning increased. Karin decided to ignore it and continue her chilling out with Netflix. Unbeknownst to anyone from Karin to Peter, Luci hired anthropomorphic creatures, both male and female, as his prostitutes. Ever since Peter rescued Dane, Lazuli, Clementine, and Kim, more creatures from Newton's and Dane's world showed up to stay in his hometown. You wouldn't go five feet into South Park without seeing a wolf walking with her children, or a lizard in a suit and cane, or a cougar as a moviegoer.
"You're so ugly sexy..." The male prostitute said.
"Yeah... I wanna... I wanna..." The female prostitute added.
Luci let out a loud moan in pleasure.
"Okay, reservations?" A guy at the counter said.
"Here you go," Karin said, handing him a ticket.
"Follow me."
The guy at the counter took her to a room full of singles looking for dates. Regardless of gender, sexuality, and religion, everyone seemed to get along well.
"Here's your greet me sticker. Just place it on your shirt and you're ready to find love."
Karin placed the sticker on herself as she went out to the desks. Many of the strangers she met were weird, such as a guy who eats dirt, a hyperactive girl, a creepy and lustful Equesticle, and a man who is twice Karin's age.
"Really?" Karin grunted.
Luci poured another drink for another thirsty customer.
"Have you heard the news?" One guy said.
"Yeah, a dead redneck was found hanging nude on a tree just a few days ago. He had his dick cut off!"
The guy winced at that.
"I hope the police can catch the crook."
The two men left.
"Oh man, I need to stretch my legs," Skeeter said.
"Ok, go for it," Luci said. "I'll take over."
Skeeter went to the bathroom as Luci filled in some more drinks. Sounds of whispering caught his attention. He turned to the door to find five black-hooded acolyte figures walking into the bar. Their supposed leader spoke to Luci in a religious-like voice.
"I want some of your finest wine."
"Oh. Okay then." Luci said.
Grabbing a wine bottle from the bottom of the cabinet, he swore he heard faint tapping and whistling sounds coming from the religious figures. He kept that thought in his mind as he served them their drinks.
Karin was ready to give up until a fairly disheveled furry sat down in front of her. She looked fairly calm, but somewhat anxious, as her red fur and short white ears stood out. She had white furry streaks running down her face like tears and a white spot around her black nose.
"Um... hello?" Karin started.
"Hello." The furry said.
"What creature are you? I've never seen you before."
"Red panda. Japanese. 25 years old. Name's Kumiko."
"Okay, Kumiko," Karin said. "What are you doing here in America?"
"My family moved here when I was 6. Guess you could call me Japanese-American."
"Okay," Karin said. "I'm Karin. 27 years old. American only."
"So what do you like to do for fun?"
Luci pretended to work as he secretly recorded the acolytes' conversation. Still, it was just whistles, clicks, and scratches.
"Hey, you seem to be slacking off boss," Skeeter said.
"Oh, just pretty busy here."
As time passed, the acolytes seemed to never leave. As closing time was coming, Skeeter shooed everyone away. Luci still paid attention to the acolytes as they walked in unison down the streets.
"Hey, I'm gonna go," Luci said.
"Okay, boss," Skeeter said.
Luci left the bar to follow the acolytes. He lept into one of the acolyte's pockets for a ride.
"Man, this Japanese BBQ is super cheap," Karin said, looking at the menu of the restaurant.
"Delicious isn't it?" Kumiko added.
Soon a huge plate of food for the two arrived.
"Here's your food." The waitress said.
"Arigato."
Kumiko paused.
"When did you learn Japanese?"
"Anime."
"Anime can't teach you Japanese."
"But it's very common for anime to use the word arigato," Karin added.
"Fair enough."
Luci awoke to his ride stopping. As he climbed out, he noticed a dark shadow being dragged to the acolyte's feet in some sort of dense forest.
"Let me go!"
Luci peeked out to see a teenage male red panda dragged in front of his ride. He was carried up by two cultists and brought to his feet. He quickly got out of the cultist's pocket and head toward the bushes.
"Satoshi." One of the cultists said. "Where's the apostate?"
"I don't know!"
The cultist gave out a special whistle.
"Clip his wings."
Luci had to think fast as he noticed one of the acolytes holding a claw hammer. He deepened his voice to sound demonic.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
The cultists stopped.
"What is that voice?"
"Oh my god, that's the voice of the devil!"
Luci tried hard not to laugh under his breath.
"I AM WORSE THAN THE DEVIL," Luci stated. "I AM SATAN!"
"Oh my goodness! Satan!"
"LEAVE THIS BOY ALONE!"
Of course, it didn't last long. One acolyte was not afraid.
"Show yourself, coward!"
"VERY WELL."
Luci stepped out in front of the cultists.
"What the hell? Satan sent a cat?"
"I'm not a cat!" Luci grunted. "Why are people calling me that?!"
"Pfft. I'm not afraid. Be gone demon!"
One of the acolytes held a Christian cross in front of Luci. As a demon, Luci was terrified of them.
"No!" Luci screamed.
Luci let out a howling scream as the cultists closed in on him.
"Silencio!"
Luci hopped into one of the mouths of the cultists.
"Possession!" One of the cultists accused.
Luci now had full control of the cultist.
"Demon, be gone!" One of the cultists said, holding the cross.
Luci let out a scream as he tried to fight back. He controlled the cultist to knock the cross away from the armed cultist.
"He's in full control now!"
Luci fought off the cultists, slamming them into the trees, bushes, and rocks.
*BLAM* *BLAM*
The cultist fell to the ground as Luci climbed out like a guy from a plane crash. Noticing there were more targets to possess, Luci found his next victim.
"Silencio!"
Luci possessed the cultist armed with the gun. Satoshi assisted by wrapping his legs around one of the cultists to tried to free the possessed cultist from Luci.
"So do you have any past relationships?" Karin asked.
"Not that I know of," Kumiko said. "Do you?"
"I used to date a teenager."
Kumiko looked at Karin in disbelief.
"I regretted it. He's fine and we're on good terms. It still felt awkward though."
"Oh, how's he now?"
Karin froze.
"He's okay."
"Just... okay?" Kumiko said with concern.
"He's now going out with his other friends."
"Well, I'm glad he's fine. I heard boys who don't get the girl end up worse."
"Yeah." Karin chuckled.
As Karin looked over behind Kumiko's back, she noticed Peter giving her a dirty look.
"Karin?"
Karin snapped out of her trance.
"I said past the onion."
Peter was gone. It must've been a vision.
"Ok," Karin said.
Luci finished the last cultist by bashing him in the head with a hammer. He used his sharp teeth to cut Satoshi free.
"D-D-Demon..." Satoshi mumbled.
"It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." Luci said in a convincing voice. "Can you get up?"
Satoshi got himself up as he looked around the dead cultists for weapons. He picked up the gun which was still loaded along with the ammunition from one of the cultists.
"We got to run," Luci said.
"Now?" Satoshi asked.
"There they are don't let these guys getaway!"
Arrows flew at the two. Luci hopped onto Satoshi as they fled out of the woods.
"Why are these guys after you?" Luci said.
"They're not after me, they're after my sister."
"Your sister?"
"That was a nice time we had," Karin said.
"Yeah, something like that..." Kumiko said while blushing.
Kumiko leaned in closer to Karin. The latter took notice and gently placed her hand on Kumiko's chest.
"Not now."
"Ok. Just... awkward."
Karin had a good laugh.
Satoshi and Luci made it out of the woods. They didn't stop until they found some cover hiding from a rock.
"I think we lost them." One of the cultists said.
After a long, drawn-out silence, it gave the two time to breathe.
"Who were those guys?" Luci asked.
"Followers," Satoshi said. "Or as I would like to call them, nut jobs."
"Who is your sister?"
"Hey there."
"GAH!" Luci screamed at the sight of a weird man standing behind them.
"You look hungry."
"Starved," Satoshi said.
"Name's Zack Kayes."
"Satoshi."
"Japanese name. Pretty cool."
"You have food? Where?"
"Follow me."
Despite Luci's protest, Satoshi followed Zack anyway.
Karin awoke to the knocking on the door. Kumiko was there.
"Oh. Hello."
"Yeah... this is embarrassing but I just got evicted from my house."
"Evicted?"
"So can I stay with you? I promise I won't make a mess."
"Sure," Karin said. "But you can only sleep on the-"
Kumiko already fell asleep on the couch. Karin could only quietly make her way back to her bed.
"Oh man, so delicious," Satoshi said, biting into a hamburger.
"You never had these before?" Zack asked.
"Well, I never had these before."
"Man, I'm full," Luci said.
"You just ate a quarter of the burger," Satoshi said.
"Well, how big am I Mr. Japa-knees?"
"That's racist," Zack said. "No wonder you're a demon."
"A demon who can do good."
The three finished their meal.
"Who wants ice cream?" Zack said.
"What's ice cream?"
"You never had ice cream?" Luci said. "It's the best snack ever!"
"From where I come from, we never had ice cream. All we do is hunt for food, catch fish, and wash in the river."
"What are you, Amish?"
"Something like that."
Zack came back with the ice cream.
"I only have chocolate. Hope you like it."
"Oh, you bet I love chocolate!" Luci said.
Zack chuckled. "Thought you were full."
"Never too full for ice cream."
"Hey! This is good!" Satoshi said as he took a bite.
"Yeah, have some more."
The two finished their ice cream as Zack watched.
"So what do we do now?" Luci said.
"We wait."
"Wait for what?"
Luci turned to find Satoshi sleeping.
"Hey, wake up," Luci said, shaking him awake.
*SMACK*
Luci blacked out on the floor.