Third Person
Paris, France: Jardin d'Eden
6:00 P.M.
"You're not kidding?" Raine asked, her mouth was agape and her eyes were wide in disbelief, "Is this for real?"
Saccharide just shrugged his shoulder and held her hand to wrap it around his arms as they walked towards the big gate. The gate glows the color of the galaxy. It was made with thousands of LED lights and they lit up the path from the entrance to the artificial waterfall inside.
"Since your garden was-" Saccharide stopped and coughed a little before continuing, "Out of the context... I thought you'd lo-"
"Thank you very much!" the girl rejoiced just like a little girl receiving her 10th birthday gift, "I love you! I love you! I love you!"
As he expected, the girl never expected that he'll take her to the biggest garden arena and resort in Paris for their date. This spring season, lovers of all kinds were welcome to spend anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons, and even their weddings.
The girl's eyes twinkled than the celestial bodies above the sky when she saw where they were heading. Saccharide was beside the usually prim girl while she bounces lightly on her feet. Raine wandered around the waiting venue of the place.
Raine was ecstatic about this place but the more she looked around, the more she realized that the place was very expensive to be in. She thought she made it clear that she wants to have a simple and normal date.
As they entered a scene more beautiful than Disney Land, the grey-haired boy noticed that the girl beside him kept lowering her head and hiding her gorgeous features.
Saccharide adjusted their walking speed, they hurriedly approached the fountain in the center of the path and made the girl sit there, "There's no need on hiding your face, my dear"
The boy kneeled and peeked from below the angle before finding the girl's face with reddened cheeks. He smiled before standing up and carrying Raine to put her on his lap.
Saccharide said when he saw a bunch of couples staring at them, "It's like having a child, really..."
Most people passing them were caught by the scene.
Others were mesmerized by the connection.
Others thought it was too showy and dramatic.
Others daydreamed to be in the exact position.
"I'm deeply embarrassed..." she whispered, "I never thought that you'll think about this for our date. I feel like-"
Saccharide held her face with both hands and whispered to keep the conversation between them, "Well, you're obviously hiding those brochures for something..."
"That's why I'm hiding them, Saccharide!" the girl confronted his lover and hid her face behind her long hair.
"Didn't you remember what I just said?" Saccharide asked and laughed, "The more you hide it, the more reason I have to investigate..."
It made the girl smile but not enough to get the heavy feeling out inside her chest. They stood up and continued walking with the crowd of couples. Both of the lovers hoped for a normal date but two dark figures were following behind them.
"We're here, Broshe..." One figure said to the phone while the other kept silent. "Meet them at the elevator. Stall them for a little bit while we stick close to them..."
"Welcome to Jardin d'Eden!" A boy in a flowery suit welcomed them at the entrance before giving them brochures for the event.
Both of them just nodded and smiled at the gentleman before the kind man led them to the carousel designed elevator where the people will be taken to the highest floor for the Spring Event.
"I should've invited Racquel. The band she loves will perform for the event..." Raine said as she stared at the brochure of 4 men with masks.
Saccharide took a peek at the brochure and read the name of the band, "IXcrest". Oh, that's the band everyone was talking about. Sir Edward made us watch one of their performances for the acting references," Saccharide reminisced, "I have to admit they're good... Acting while singing and playing instruments is way off-putting."
"Racquel loves them. I would have brought her here," the girl sighed. Week
All of them only covered the half top of their faces which means their left eye and half of their noses were covered by the elegantly designed masks.
The ride has 4 horses in total. There were carriages attached behind each horse where the couples are supposed to ride. Raine's eyes widened when she saw how magical it is when the carousel slowly moves in a slow circular motion while going up.
But there's one thing odd about the ride that she has been itching to ask.
Raine gulped and called the attention of the guide, "Excuse me?"
The boy turned to face her with his smiling face and gladly responded with a thick French accent, "What is it, Mademoiselle?"
The girl smiled before asking, "Why is there-"
Her index finger pointed directly at the windows of the ride just exactly when a couple was gracefully assisted to enter the ride. The gentleman realized what she was indicating and flinched a bit before turning to her and confirmed, "Was it the tinted glasses?"
The girl shyly nodded. Saccharide made brief eye contact with the gentleman before the gentleman let himself explain the situation without saying the real reason.
First, the man smiled sweetly and said, "Ma'am it's a long way up there..."
Raine waited for another answer before cooing, "And?"
The gentleman's tensed shoulders tensed a bit more as he looked at Saccharide in search of help in explaining the verdict to his girlfriend. Instead, Saccharide just shook his head lightly and turned Raine to him, and wrapped his arms around her.
"She's still innocent. We- we don't really..." he waved his hands in defense.
The assistance gentleman just smirked and nodded his head repeatedly, "Oh yes sure Monsieur, I get it. I get it..."
"I don't understand..." Raine whispered with eagerness to find out the answer.
The little tollgate opened and the gentleman directed them to their own carriage. Before they could even enter the toll gate, the man cheerfully said, "Enjoy!"
Raine pouted because her question was not noticed so she just mouthed a 'thank you...' then walking ahead of her partner to enter the carousel first.
Both men smiled before Saccharide patted the assistant's shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry I'll explain it to her once we're inside..."
Those who have heard what he said blushed and giggled.
"Teens nowadays," one elder with her partner said to the assistance gentleman.
The gentleman smiled and responded, "... You're right ma'am..."
Others who have been hearing the conversation was giggling behind them because of the rate of adorableness the couple. The grey-haired boy looked like a total asshole with his fleeced coat tied around his waist while the girl emits innocence from her eyes while showing the model structure through her body.
Not a perfect couple.
But they fit with each other.
As they entered the carousel- elevator, the instructor gave them regulations on what to do once inside. Raine blushed when more and more of the rules made sense as to why the elevator required the heavily tinted glasses.
"We're happy that you are able to join us for tonight's event! Once you get to the top please pay for the packages you would like to get-"
Saccharide yawned and just hugged the girl in front of him and rested his head on the top of her head while Raine continued to listen like a straight-A student that she is.
"The exact measurement of time in elevating up to the highest building top is exactly 5 minutes. No more. No less" the announcer said as he continued to bring out the more suspicious detail.
"There are 3 cabinets inside. Each one has a towel, change of new undergarments, and this one is needed for boys unless you want to the honeymoon at the beginning-" the girl announcer inhaled first before continuing the suspense.
"Condoms!"
All the boys cheered and chit-chatted with their partner before the announcer finally said her parting words to the visitors, "And please... Please! Clean as you go... The penalty will now be served to people who'll leave their love specs inside the vehicle."
Most of the couples whistled before they were assisted in their designated places. Raine kept herself quiet and ignore what she just heard a while ago. Saccharide noticed this and lightly massaged her shoulders before saying, "Don't be too worked out. Just close your eyes the entire time and ignore the scenarios knocking inside your head."
"At least you know what were the tinted glasses are intended for..." Saccharide cooed and wrapped Raine's arm around his.
She looked at her lover once more and remembered what happened two years ago between him and her best friend. Raine sighed and looked ahead, "This is the city of love, after all..."
"Enjoy the ride ma'am," the vehicle assistant said to the both of them.
Immensely, Raine blushed crazily and stuttered, "Th- thank you..."
They were about to ride with Raine's right foot already in when a man in a suit came rushing towards them with a Bluetooth earphone in his ears and a black mask covering half of his face.
The masked man motioned the assistant to come closer. She did and the man whispered in her ear and it looks like he was explaining something.
Raine's eyes widened when she saw 4 masked men behind the man. They have security around them and they were wearing hoodies to repel attraction from the crowd. Raine pulled out her brochure and looked very close to their faces.
Saccharide's patience was tested as he growled to the whispering man, "Are we going to get a ride or you're going to whisper your life story to this woman?"
The staff apologized to Saccharide and explained the situation, "We're so sorry, Sir. But could the performing band go first? There were technical issues regarding the staff elevator. They were very late for their performance."
Pissed, Saccharide found it unreasonable and asked the man directly, "Is it our fucking problem?"
Before the two parties could argue, Raine jumped down the stairs. They were all surprised as the girl made a compromise which will efficiently give a win-win situation, "We'll let you take our ride, Sir. But we should get a front seat for the concert."
"Dear-" Saccharide would like to interrupt but the girl kept squeezing his hand in her hand.
"That could be settled," the manager smiled and took their pic, "You'll be placed in the center front seat, Miss..."
The grey-haired boy was insulted when the manager turned to him and looked at him disgustedly from top to bottom, "Also, you Mister..." he continued before they load their things inside the vehicle.
The four men, the manager, and the bodyguards entered the space before the band members took turns thanking Raine for the ride. The female gave them a sweet smile.
Before the door was closed, one member with the brown hair and gold mask called her attention before tossing two backstage ID's to the couple, "My band wants to give you our real appreciation for you, Mademoiselle. We will be waiting for the backstage after the concert..."
"Good-"
A metal slam echoed throughout the open space which made the people and the staff nearby gasp. Saccharide closed the metal door with aggressive force without acknowledging the passengers Shocked by the incident; the ride operator did not notice that the angry boy yanked the elevator control out of his hand.
"Goodbye indeed flirtatious fucking little hideous face bastards!" Saccharide exclaimed and pressed a random button which was surprisingly the right control to make the carousel-elevator go up.
All they can do was stare at Saccharide and watch his actions as he tossed back the remote to the operator.
"Come on let's wait 5 minutes..." he pulled Raine and went in front of the line again where the people wondered what took so long in that batch.
The gentleman who assisted them a while ago was about to ask when Raine mouthed 'no' and signaled not to bother the salty faced teen boy. Nodding to the girl, the gentleman understood and kept an awkward silence while waiting for the next batch.
After they waited silently for their ride, another problem came up.
"What the fuck?! First, we gave our fucking ride to those masked strippers or whatever-" Saccharide, with his hands tightly engulfed in Raine's hand, shook in anger.
"And now this!" He complained when the assistant told them to share a ride with 1 couple because the couple was late for the concert and was needed to be sitting in the VIP section.
"Saccharide. They're here with us..." Raine whispered and looked at the two people with them inside.
Saccharide can't really identify the facial expression and features of the two passengers across the vehicle because they are both wearing weird couple outfit. Both of them wear a surgical mask, a thick wool sweater, and caps.
"The hell I care! Can't you believe they took away 5 minutes of you being in my lair? 5 whole minutes of us being alone in this air-conditioned hotel-like elevator!" The boy kept complaining while Raine just looked at the two passengers across them with an apologetic look.
Sweetly, she calmed down her boyfriend, "You have unlimited time with me for a lifetime."
They hugged and cuddle for the whole 5 minutes but the glaring machines across the room disturbed the male as he decided that he would keep his eyes on the watch for those two. The minute the vehicle stopped, Saccharide pushed the door open and didn't let those two follow them into the mayhem of people flood.
"Was that necessary?" Raine asked as she tried to keep up with her anxious boyfriend.
Saccharide looked around, making sure they were out of sight before responding, "They were suspicious. Who would go to a dream-like place in masks and dark clothes?"
"I would've if you just let me this morning..." Raine giggled, "But I'm happy to wear this. It's been years since then."
When they arrived at the entrance, a line was formed again for the payment of packages.
"2 VIP packages," Saccharide gave his black card to the woman at the desk.
"But-" Raine stopped the woman in swiping the card, "Isn't the ticket for the VIP was expensive? Let's go for the standard package!" She asked him and gave took out her wallet from her denim jacket.
The boy smiled and gave back the card to the woman, "Don't worry about it, dear..."
But then Raine took it away again before lecturing her boyfriend about money, "I said you need to save your money for yourself. I let you buy me clothes this morning. And I said that's the last time!"
Saccharide pinched her cheeks and thought that the mood swings of the girl were probably caused by hormonal discharge from her woman parts but the girl gave him the look of shame before saying to her thick-headed boy, "Ugh Saccharide! A girl can pay for herself... A girl can pay for both parties..."
Appalled as he is, the boy stared and smirked in awe as his girlfriend talked back, "Shut up or I'll kiss you in front of these people..."
Wanting to see more of this newfound character, Saccharide seized her wrist and looked at her with his usual psychopath eyes. She didn't look at him with fear as she used to and asked the lady, still persistently staring at his eyes, "How much for two standard tickets?"
"It's 100 Euro Ma'am..." The woman just did her job and kept her smile but in reality, she was about to call for security for these two.
'Good for them they have the money to pay for this,' the lady thought.
Raine turned to a lady once Saccharide released her wrist from his grasp, "Do you accept credit cards?"
Saccharide was shocked to see the girl holding up a credit card which he didn't have knowledge of until now, considering that the girl was very money-saving and practical.
"Of course." the woman happily responded and accepted Raine's credit card with trembling hands, "Your name Mademoiselle?"
"Raine Aksenov," she politely addressed.
Looking at her serious face, Saccharide hugged her and whispered, "You should really show that fierceness, Gorgeous..." He intended to lightly lick her earlobes for mild spine chills, "I love it when you resist and fight back..."
Raine just blushed and smiled while they wait for the booking of their room and food. She held his hand and squeezed it.
"Oh! Ma'am, I see that somebody already paid for the whole VIP package including the food..." said the woman and showed their names on the monitor. A picture was attached to the receipt to make sure it was really her.
Saccharide turned a suspicious look and questioned, "Really? Who?"
The woman's face lit when she saw who laid for the two, "It's IXCents' main lead singer. He paid for the two of you!"
The lady gave their card keys, receipts, and food money. Raine refused to take it but the lady told her that refund cannot be made and instructed her to find the one paid so they can settle the score about the payment.
"I re- refuse to take it, I still want to pay for us," she insisted and refused to take her card back. Scratching her head, the lady has no words for the never giving up the spirit of the girl but rants and complaints behind them started ramming at the couple.
"Hey!"
The voices jumbled just behind them.
"What's taking so long?!"
The reasonable impatience dragged more couple to complain.
"There are other people here! Goddamn it!"
Looking at them with lifeless eyes, Saccharide scared off some of the people who can see him staring but it's not enough to make the people far off the back to stop throwing fumes.
Still smiling the woman in charge handed Raine her credit card and let them pass the entrance, "I'm sorry but you really have to proceed and accept these."
Saccharide was still pissed because they are able to pass because of the money of that man who flirted with his girlfriend. Concerned by her boyfriend's patience, Raine looked at him before saying.
"Hey, asshole! Fix your face, you look like hell..."
...
Believe it or not, they were both shocked that the girl could say it but her objective to make the boy smile was achieved as Saccharide bit his lower lip before softening his eyes to the thought of the girl cursing just to make him feel better.
The girl noticed how his looks change so she averted her eyes, "I th- thought it would work," she stuttered, "I- I'm so- sorry"
"Stop that-" Saccharide paused for a moment and seized Raine's chin to look at him, "-or I have no other choice but to devour you behind that tree and show you how to be a baptized woman..."
The girl did not understand half of his sentence so she just kept walking with him to the entrance of the arena before preparing the receipts to show the bouncer at the entrance.
The arena was the whole package, it was covered in glass and inside the glass was a whole variety of flowers. Raine pointed to Saccharide the carnation part of the dome, the boy joked about buying the whole dome for her but the girl just glared to impose disagreement.
They were just starting to have fun when the two figures came back again and this time, it was more than obvious that they were following the two. Without the needed explanation, Saccharide took Raine's hand and bolted towards the Arena entrance, bumping a few people on the way there.
Taking the receipt in Raine's hand, the teen boy showed it to the bouncer but the next thing he said blew off the last patience of Saccharide, "I'm sorry, Sir. You can't enter..."
Seeing the visible anger on her lover's face, Raine stepped in front of him again and handed the receipt to the hunk bald bouncer, "But we already paid- Look!"
As adorable as she is, the guard pushed the receipt away and let the others enter but led the two at the back of the arena to continue their conversation, "I'm sorry but the manager said that your boyfriend made a scene in the elevator area. He used our equipment without permission and you scared the hell out of everybody here..."
"They should thank us because we let them take our ride or else they'll be late because of their lazy late asses!" Saccharide stood up and crossed his arms.
Raine frowned and tried to convince the man because they've come so far after all the chaos and there's no way she'll let one man stand in the way of their date, "We're sorry, Sir! We promise that we would not cause such things in the future ever again."
The man sighed and looked at the girl. He was captivated by the girl's auburn eyes and dazzling aura, as much as he wants to permit the couple and get on her good side, he stood by his job and reported another complaint to the young teens.
The bouncer continued, this time directing the statement to Saccharide, himself, "And sir, we have complaints of couple fights and leaving guests because of your girlfriend's provocative clothing."
Saccharide's deranged eyes finally twitched as he witnessed how Raine's face darkened because of the embarrassment given by the man's statement. She stepped behind Saccharide and covered herself with the coat wrapped around his waist.
"Hold up..." The grey-haired boy stopped the man from walking away, "What the fuck did you say?"
"It's for the better that she covered up and-"
...
It's silent.
...
No one heard him curse under his breath before attacking the unaware man.
...
No one saw him move swiftly after pulling out a short screw from his jeans.
...
The man was silently praying for his life and fought with the force the surprisingly strong boy was inflicting on him. A thumbscrew was forcefully pointed against the part of his neck where the jugular vein was located.
"You little shit..." whispered the big man as the smaller teen pushes his face more against the cold wall of the arena.
No one can see them but if someone does, it would be obvious that Saccharide was intending on harming the man. The grey-haired teen was fast enough to slide the man's feet apart from each other, restricting him from kicking.
"Saccharide for Pete's sake... Stop that before someone sees you!"
Tugging as hard as she can, Raine hugged her lover from behind and tried pulling him out of their position. But Saccharide made up his mind to mentally scarred the man and teach him a lesson about respect.
Something that he would never expect he would teach.
Saccharide put his knee below the man's crotch so if he moves, his hanging reproductive organ will go through a massive sperm murder. He leaned closer to his ear and started lecturing, "If I screw your brain with this- if you ever got one. Would it be your fault for not covering it?"
All the man could do was muttering his apologies as the thumbscrew's tip nears to puncture and pop his neck so the blood could freely drain his head. Eventually, after that, he'll die just because he encountered a psychopath. His children and wife will dry their eyeballs waiting for him to come home.
Another being played by the odds.
When the man's face was pale as a paper, Saccharide smirked and prepared his last warning, "My girl can wear anything she fucking wants and the world doesn't need mother fucking bastards like you."
"Remember that," he ended.
As soon as he let go, he grasped his fingers on the man's head before banging it on the thick glass just enough to make him unconscious.
Raine muttered, "Oh god..."
Her trembling knees were cemented to the ground as she tried her best not to cry and scream for help. But she slowly walked towards his triggered boyfriend and held his shaking fist and made him drop the thumbscrew from his fingers
"Saccharide, look at me!" she muttered before kissing his lips. Her eyes were closed as she was afraid to look at the result of her attempt to turn him back to normal. Saccharide, back to his calm state, wanted to punch himself for bringing her to witness his violent side again.
He whispered as the whistle of the wind came with it, "Come on..."
Saccharide held her hand and pulled her around the dome to get to the entrance. As they were striving there, the grey-haired teen made sure they'll walk down the path of the blind spot. The couple succeeded to go unnoticed the crime the teen boy committed.
Or so they thought...
A shadowy figure appeared at the scene, holding a phone that glowed in the dark.
"Sir. Just as I thought. Your son was not fully healed..." the person mumbled on the phone before approaching the unconscious body, "The medicines I gave was very helpful. Soon enough, we'll fool him into insanity again..."
The phone was ended.
But that was not enough to accomplish the plan. The person kneeled beside the bald man before whispering these words, "I'm sorry you have to be part of this..."
The weapon they've been trying to figure and find pierced the skull of the poor man. Mercy isn't an option when the person used the weapon like a shout gun and struck the helpless body until there are no spots without holes on it.
"Your death won't be for nothing," that was the last words the shadowy person could say before putting away the weapon and going back to blend in with the other innocent crowd.
And then, there they are-
Walking hand in hand, the boy was looking around while the girl looked like a helpless ragdoll in his touch. Such scenarios made their stomach turn and it was enough to make love disgusting.
"Let me direct you to your seats," the assistance kindly smiled as did the person.
"Welcome to the show..." mumbled the hidden character as the male staff led them to their seat. The person could clearly see the two conversing with each other. The figure sat on their respective seat and smiled politely to the one who assisted in keeping an eye on the target.
"Enjoy your date..."
...