Fleur-de-lis

Lake of Cocytus: Side B

Vanitas's p.o.v.

"Where are you taking me?" I question.

Pedro continues to usher me down the street. "Don't worry about it."

"That usually what people say before they drive them to a dock to get waxed." I joke

"Yeah. In mobster movies." Pedro responds. "You think too highly of me. I have significantly less class than that."

"The meat factory then?"

"You'd be lucky to get the corner of a McDonald's." Pedro says.

I chuckle. "Can't even go out with style, huh?"

"Most people don't get that luxury. But relax. I'm clearly not taking you to get murdered."

"There goes my Christmas list." I joke.

"Can't you just let yourself be surprised?" Pedro reprimands.

"sólo tanto como puedas permitirte aburrirte." I say back.

"...Huh?" Pedro says, his brain briefly shorting out.

"I thought you of all people would understand that." I quip.

Pedro chuckles. "I know. I just wasn't expecting spanish to come out of your mouth. That's all."

"I pick up on stuff." I smirk.

"Like a bloodhound. Yeah." Pedro chuckles. "Anyway, were here."

After being escorted a few more steps, we round a corner to see what looked like some kind of small night time festival in the park. There were booths set up with prizes and multiple food vendors, people selling merchandise and raffles.

"Can we afford this?" I question.

A look of disappointment spreads across Pedro's face. "Would I have brought you out here if we couldn't?"

I shrug my shoulders and Pedro responds with rolling his eyes.

"I saved up, cabron."

"Sorry. Just never know if I'll ever finacially recover from doing shit like paying an extra two dollars for fries on the side, much less spending money at a festival."

"Yeah yeah, I get it. We're broke. But you're always working and fighting. Just wanted you to have fun and smile for a bit." Pedro says.

I just look at him for a second. Happy to have a friend this invested in my well-being. "Alright, fine." I smile. "Let's go."

"buena mierda." Pedro says, making a gesture of success.

Given the green, light. He drags me into the festival. The first place he pulls me to is the dart game.

"How much?" Pedro asks the stand director, patting his across the stand like an impatient kid.

I smile at his whimsical personality

"Ten per play." The director answers.

"Sheesh!" I comment.

"We'll both give it a go." Pedro says, quickly handing him the money.

The stand director hands each of us four darts. "Pop the balloons to win a prize. One or two gets you a small prize. Three get you medium and four gets you the largest."

"Seems easy enough." I say.

I throw a dart, aiming for one of the larger balloons but the curve of the balloon changes the trajectory of the dart altogether and landing it into the plywood behind it.