by Con Template
“So?”
“So, you’re the Demon of Lust!” I shrieked, my voice a bit more high-pitched than it should’ve been. Even OinkOink shuddered at the unnatural pitch. I knew my high-pitched voice was annoying, but I couldn’t help it as I gaped at Eclipse in outrage. He was normally so smart. Why couldn’t he understand that his very existence around small children was inappropriate? What kind of babysitter would I be if I brought a Sex Demon around innocent kids? “Your title alone means you’re a bad influence.”
“Gracie,” Eclipse incited dryly, evidently offended by what I said. “What do you think I’m going to do? Pass out condoms to the little baby midgets and tell them to have a go at it?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” I countered, though I really didn’t believe that. I sighed, feeling OinkOink pout beside me. It was as if he was sad that I was keeping Eclipse from joining us at Sanctuary. “The fact that you’re calling the kids ‘baby midgets’ already means that you shouldn’t go. Your intentions aren’t pure!”
“And yours are?” he rebuked with the same intensity. His dark eyes bore into mine. “The only reason why you volunteer so consistently is because you enjoy feeding off their misery!”
I scowled at him, allowing a moment of cold wind to scour around us before I gritted my teeth and said, “I might be feeding off their misery, but at least I’m still trying to help. They are miserable whether I visit them or not. At least with me there, they are a bit happier. No matter what you accuse me of, you can’t deny the fact that they are happy when they see me. I may not be the saint they think I am, I may only go because I want to feed into my sadism, but at least at the end of the day, I’m still a bad person who is trying to do good things. The end justifies the means in this case.”
“I can do that too,” he argued swiftly. It was as though he was waiting for me to say all of that so that he could use it to corroborate his own arguments. “Come on, Teacup. You can”—he paused to think up an appropriate and logical persuasion—“can use me to help too. Plus, you’re stuck with me anyway. You might as well take advantage of me and have me volunteer with you by default. We can be two bad people trying to do good things together. Like you said, they are miserable with or without us there. What difference does it make if our intentions aren’t pure? The end justifies the means, right?” When he saw that I still had a doubtful look on my face, he immediately added, “I’ll be good today. I promise.”
As a demonstration of his vow, Eclipse proudly threw the cigarette he was smoking on the ground and stepped on it. It was his wordless promise to me that he was going to be a good influence by not smoking in front of the kids.
I chewed my bottom lip, looking at Eclipse with a contemplative face. I considered my dilemma. I was aware that Eclipse was “asking” for my permission as a courtesy. Regardless of my answer, he was going to go with me. Who was I kidding? If Eclipse wanted to go somewhere, then he was going, and there was no one who could tell the great Demon of Lust otherwise. At least with this concession, I could pretend to go about the day thinking that it was I who gave him permission (instead of him just tagging along uninvited). My pride had been wounded one too many times. Even the false sense of control over Eclipse was something I’d be willing to accept as my compromise.
Unable to say no, I simply sighed as my consent.
Eclipse beamed brightly. Beside me, OinkOink barked in approval. When I saw them grin at each other, I started to regret accepting the cute, oversized rat as a gift. I could already tell that no matter how much OinkOink appeared to love me, the puppy’s loyalty was directed towards Eclipse. I had the cryptic feeling that come future fights between Eclipse and I, OinkOink was going to side with Eclipse more so than with me. With this hypothetical, but highly likely, future transgression from OinkOink in mind, I glared at the puppy while it panted at me with absolute glee. That future traitor.
“You won’t regret it, Teacup,” Eclipse assured, taking it upon himself to speedily herd me towards the bus that was about to take off.
We ascended the steps just as the glass doors closed behind us. Eclipse was ahead of me, but once we stopped at the landing where there was a billing machine, Eclipse inclined his hand towards the chubby middle-aged bus driver. I thought he was wordlessly telling me that this man looked exactly like the cab driver who bolted on us. However, when I saw him shift his eyes towards the billing machine, I felt a glare take over my eyes.
“I’m paying?”
Eclipse bequeathed me with a bashful expression. “I don’t have change on me, Teacup.”
“Why can’t you make yourself invisible then?” I mumbled grumpily to myself, pushing OinkOink to the far side of the bag while I dug for my wallet. “Making me pay for you when I didn’t even want you to come.”
I crankily paid for the both of us and followed Eclipse as we moved through the crowded bus and slid into an empty seat near the back. I sat by the window while Eclipse sat beside me. As I felt the wheels of the crowded bus turn, I got comfortable for the long ride. I withdrew OinkOink out of my bag and placed the little fur ball on my lap. The puppy rested quietly on my thighs, staring up at me with adoration. I could feel my aversion for the puppy thaw every time I stared into its expressive and loving black eyes. It was strange how much it had already stolen my heart.
Eclipse’s amused eyes softened at the sight of OinkOink on my lap.
“You’re only accepting OinkOink and bringing him along because you know the kids will like him.” There was no judgment in Eclipse’s voice when he carelessly stated this. With anyone else, I was certain they’d be disturbed at how much I could dislike a cute puppy like OinkOink. With Eclipse, he simply accepted the anomaly in my behavior and did not try to make me feel guilty about feeling things that were natural to me. It was one of the few traits I liked about him—he didn’t find it necessary to judge me.
I nodded, petting OinkOink while the little fur ball closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of my fingers running through his fur.
“The kids always talk about wanting a puppy. You obviously can’t have one at the shelter because they don’t need a dog barking day in and day out and making a mess out of everything. I figured since I got a puppy as a gift, I might as well make use of it. I think the kids will be thrilled to play with OinkOink today. This puppy may not be the pet of my dreams, but if it’s useful, I don’t see the problem in accepting it and taking care of it.”
I turned to Eclipse once I was reminded of the kids. With all the commotion from this morning, I nearly forgot about the snacks and desserts I wanted to buy for Sanctuary.
“We have to stop by the bakery before the shelter,” I told him so that we wouldn’t forget. “I want to buy everyone cupcakes and ice cream today. ”
Eclipse nodded and smiled at me. He proceeded to throw me off with his next reply. “How about I pay for everything? I know that you should be conserving your money right now, so I’ll take care of it from here. Anything and everything you want to buy them, I’ll pay.”
I stared at him with a dumbfounded look. After a long stretch of silence, I gathered up the courage to voice what I neglected to ask him when we were outside. I felt a bit ashamed and self-conscious to pose this question, but it was a query I needed an answer for.
“You actually know about my financial situation? Like everything about it?”
He shrugged offhandedly. “I know enough.”
Though I felt uncomfortable about the depth in which he might know about my financial situation, I made sure to keep my face composed. Instead of talking about my financial dilemmas (and ruin my already strange morning), I widened my eyes when I came to my greedy senses. It just occurred to me that a Demon had offered to pay for everything I wanted. This was like a dream come true!
“Will you really pay for everything?” I inquired eagerly, my eyes already glimmering with anticipation. All the possibilities of what I could purchase percolated within my mind, and I couldn’t contain the excitement rising withi
n me.
He nodded again. “I will. Anything to make you smile, I will.”
“Can we stop by other stores and buy them toys, school supplies, and other fun and educational things too?!” I pounced greedily, not even realizing that I was raising my voice until I saw a few heads turn our way. I blushed, but I was too energized about what I was hearing to go back into my introverted shell.
“Yes,” Eclipse reiterated, laughing warmly at my unfiltered reaction. “Like I said, I’ll give you anything and everything you want, Teacup.”
“Why did you make me pay for the bus fare if you had so much money then?” I breathed out, still on a high from Eclipse’s generous offer.
A devious smile slid across his kissable lips. “You should’ve seen your face when you thought I was going to be mooching off you the entire time I’m with you,” he said with a stifling laugh. My face turned red with embarrassment when he added, “You’re adorable and funny as hell when you’re stingy with your money, Teacup.”
On that lovely ending note, he threw his head back and laughed freely. His warm laughter bounced across the walls of the bus. All around, the female species in the bus just stared at him and sighed as they all took in his sexy laugh and how beautiful he looked.
Unfortunately, even though I was mad at him for laughing at me, I, too, found myself a part of that admiring group.
I sighed, tiredly resting my head against the window.
This was going to be a long day.
"And I’ve waited a lifetime for my happily ever after with him."
17: The Eclipse of Grace
Three connecting buses, a long crossed-out bullet point list, and bags upon bags of purchased items later, Eclipse and I were descending down the steps of the bus that stopped right in front of the shelter.
Get this: there were no bus stops in front of the shelter—or anywhere close to the estate for that matter. Due to the fact that the bus lady was so fond of Eclipse, she made the extra effort to drive us all the way to the front door of Sanctuary. Although it was disturbing how much she lusted after him, Eclipse, being the skilled charmer that he was, managed to thank her and make her feel ultra special as we brought down all of our bags and waved goodbye to her.
Ugh, so heavy . . .
I had never walked around carrying so many things in my life. Though the office supplies, computers, and clothes we bought were prearranged by Eclipse to be shipped out later, we still walked into the shelter with an abundance of valuable items. In all honesty, I was tempted to ask Eclipse to buy more stuff because I felt extremely greedy for Sanctuary.
Regardless of my desires for them to receive as many things as possible, I didn’t want to encourage Eclipse and make it appear as if I was enthralled by the fact that he could give me everything I wanted. I was aware that Eclipse wasn’t giving Sanctuary everything under the sun because he had a heart of gold. He gave them these gifts because he wanted to show me one of the positive aspects of giving my soul to him, which was the prospect of unlimited wealth.
In addition to knowing his motives, I also knew that it was one thing to donate my own money and help them with my own time, but it was an entirely different thing to have Sanctuary be indebted to an entity like Eclipse. If there was a universal balance in the world, then I only wanted it to waver slightly—I didn’t want to tip it entirely. Nothing good ever came out of being too greedy, especially with a Demon involved.
Despite my continued reservations towards him and his motives, Eclipse proved to be a force to be reckoned with in regards to his presence around everyone else. As soon as we walked in, he literally became the sun that illuminated the room. There was such a godly charm to him that if I hadn’t known he was a Demon, I’d probably find myself falling head over heels for him as well. He looked exactly like an Angel, walking in with a surplus of gifts for the residents of Sanctuary.
And let me tell you: everyone at Sanctuary adored him.
I introduced him as my friend to the pastor and his wife. Truthfully, I felt bad for lying because I was sure Pastor Kim wouldn’t appreciate shaking hands with a Demon. I half-expected Eclipse to contort his face in disgust that he was standing next to a pastor. To my surprise, he had the complete opposite reaction. Eclipse got along so well with Pastor Kim that you wouldn’t believe this was a Demon talking to a pastor. The adults at Sanctuary adored him, but the demographic he garnered unwavering love from were the ones I didn’t want him to meet in the first place: the kids—or in Eclipse’s blunt terms, “The Baby Midgets.”
While we were in the living room, Woo, Timmi, and Sony divided up their time between happily playing with OinkOink and helping Eclipse set up the Wii console. By the time they were done setting up the game, OinkOink had fondly settled on Sony’s lap (I knew those two would get along well). The boys, Eclipse included, started to eagerly play the Super Mario game in the four-player mode. Pandemonium took over the living room with cheers of victory, roars of laughter, and moans of loss as the adventure of the game overtook them. It got so intense that even OinkOink was barking in cheers and whimpering in misery along with them.
The whole time, I couldn’t help but be amused as I watched the smiles on the boys’ faces grow brighter and brighter. Though this didn’t help with the misery I wanted to enjoy from them, a bigger part of me was happy that I was able to witness such a memorable sight: the spawn of Satan spoiling kids at a shelter by playing video games with them. I also found myself amused while I watched the three little girls sit all around Eclipse, staring up at him with stars in their admiring eyes.
It was the cutest thing—until I realized they were gazing at the Demon of Lust like he was going to be their future husband.
Oh my flying pigs, I groaned inwardly. This is so unhealthy.
“Lulu, Anni, Kimmi,” I called, getting up from the couch I was sitting on. “Do you girls want to help me bake a cake?”
They each looked up at me with hesitant eyes. The girls clearly did not want to part with Eclipse, who was busy coaching one of the younger boys on how to kill the bad guys. When they looked like they were ready to reject my request, I gave them a hopeful smile and added, “Please?”
At my plea, they relented. They might be in love with Eclipse, but they loved me more.
“Okay, Grace!”
With big smiles on their faces, they got up on their little feet and ran to me, their dresses fluttering at the hasty movements. They moved past me as I herded them towards the stairs. Sounds of excited footfalls spilled down the stairs before another chipmunk voice accompanied us as we stepped into the kitchen.
“Grace, I want to help too!” Like a racecar, an overall-clad Sony zoomed in at full speed behind us. Close at his heels was OinkOink, who was barking happily as he pattered along beside Sony.
“Arf! Arf! Arf!”
“Okay then,” I approved, proud that I had my own kids who’d rather hang out with me than Eclipse. I was beginning to grow envious of the adulation Eclipse received from the people of Sanctuary. It was reassuring that these kiddies chose me over him.
“Okay, are you guys ready?” I took the cake mix out of the pantry and began opening the box.
The three little girls and Sony stood in a single-file line behind me. It was something they always playfully did whenever they were awaiting my further commands.
“Grace! Grace!” the twins, Lulu and Anni, prompted with eagerness. Their curly pigtails dipped back while they gazed up at me with twinkling eyes. “Can we bake the cake in the shape of a heart?!”
This made me laugh. My heart warmed at such an adorable request. I may have had sadistic tendencies, but I wasn’t a total sadist. I was a sucker for these kids and was not immune to their cuteness. “Of course!”
How could I say no?
“Can we write someone’s name on it too?” Kimmi added eagerly. She stared up at me in anticipation, her braided pigtails dipping back as well.
I laughed again, having yet to register where this conversation was head
ed. Mindlessly, because I was so distracted with their adorable dispositions, I curiously asked, “Whose name do you girls want on the cake?”
“Eclipse,” they said dreamily, and I felt my smile corrode. I frowned inwardly. I should have known these fangirls wouldn’t have left their heartthrob unless they could bake him a heart-shaped cake as a token of their love for him. Girls. So predictable at every age . . .
“But isn’t Eclipse Grace’s boyfriend?” Sony broadcasted at once, looking at the girls like they were bad people. Sony was normally soft-spoken with the girls. It threw me off to see him speak so sternly to them. “Why are you girls going after him when he’s taken by her?”
My eyes enlarged at Sony’s ludicrous words. Who the hell said Eclipse was my boyfriend? “What?”
But the damage was done. After hearing this mind-blowing statement, tears quickly manifested in the girls’ eyes. They gaped up at me in horror.
“He’s your boyfriend, Grace?” Lulu asked, her lips quivering. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice after hearing that her future husband was taken. There was also shame in her voice for going after my boyfriend of all people. The girls loved me. The last thing they would endeavor to do was hurt me.
“No!” I assured her, feeling awful that she was looking at me like she was a home-wrecker. The unanticipated misery permeating from the three girls was amusing to me, but in all honesty, I could only handle immersing myself in the misery caused to them by other aspects in life. I didn’t want to be a contributing factor. Feeling my protective nature prevail, I shook my head and bent down to give all three girls a reassuring smile. “No. No, he’s not.” When they still appeared sad, I playfully pinched their noses. “Aw, come on, girls. Don’t feel guilty. He’s not my boyfriend, okay? He’s just a friend.”
