Strange Aeons [Book 1]

22. Mi Casa es Su Pollos [part II]

When Chico opened the door, he surely didn't expect to find what he saw in front of him. The living room table was covered in books and sheets, and behind it there was Irissa, explaining something to Banshee who was stirring something smelling awfully good in the biggest pot they had. Both the girls turned towards the door when they heard it opening and the reactions were quite different.

«Oh hi, River! What are you doing here?» Irissa chimed waving happily.

«Irissa, darling, this is a lucky surprise!» chirped River with a charming smile.

«Chico whatever the fucking hell?» shouted Banshee, pointing her wooden spoon towards the giant at the entrance.

«Woah woah que no cunda el pánico Banshee! He comes in peace! What is she doing here?» rebuffed Chico, who had instinctively taken a step sideways to be able to run out the door at the first sign that Irissa could go crazy again.

«She's helping me study Enhance Worsen! What's he doing here?»

«He needed to talk to us! What's your problem now? He's the jefe's brother, I thought you went along fine!»

«We kinda did until he went on flapping that fecking mouth o' his!» she flipped, reaching for a wooden spoon. River raised his hands.

«Woah! What would I have done now? I already tried to ask you on the phone!» he said, defensively. «I did nothing wrong, and I don't remember you being particularly unhappy during the whole...»

«Ye told people!»

«Woah! Told people about what? You didn't tell me anything!» Irissa intervened, with her unquenchable thirst for juicy gossips.

Banshee turned towards the girl with her eyes wide open.

«He didn't?»

«Nope! I didn't! A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.» smirked River with an angelic expression.

«The holy bloody fuck you don't kiss and tell!» she yelled, her face so red her freckles had disappeared. «The Chief chewed my head off!»

River laughed merrily and then walked towards her. Banshee got in a fighting stance and Irissa cautiously left the table to reach the sofa. Chico remained near the door, checking her movements with the corner of his eye. But the teenager was polarized on the obviously excessive drama going on.

«Aw come on. It was an innocent bro-bragging, I didn't tell anyone else, not even Irissa, you see? Come on, let's just hug and make peace, shall we?» he offered, smiling dashingly at his best. «Plus.» in his eyes passed a strange light. «I bet that was a very interesting conversation, wasn't it?»

Banshee threw the spoon, he dodged it.

«Leave me alone, or you end up in the stew!» she threatened. River laughed again and tried to grab her. She managed to dodge the first two arms and started to understand there was something strange going on when she realizes she had been dodging way more than two arms. Everyone's favorite polymorph had sprouted four more arms per side and was trying to grab her like a giant octopus.

Right in the middle of the fight, the doorbell rang.

«Yes?» Chico went to the intercom.

«Are you, group of tragicomic oxygen-waste, at home?» asked a very familiar voice, who made Chico quite glad that their door phone wasn't on speaker.

«Yeah, we are, is there a problem?»

«I need to talk with you all about the pressing matter of the concert, and I thought this was a good occasion to indulge in such an event.»