Chapter Eighteen: Pink Pumpkin Hearts:

The doorbell rang again. Hotaru beamed with a huge smile.

“Yay!” she cheered. The loli demon dashed to the door. She looked out the peep hole. A man and a woman stood outside. Hotaru smiled as she opened the door.

“You made it! Welcome!” she said, arms out. Hiroyuki and Ryo stared at first.

“Have you two met?” Hotaru asked.

“Yeah…” they mumbled.

“Great!” she said. “Come on in.” She nudged her lovers inside. Everyone looked up in the living room. Hotaru frowned at the guests sitting around.

“This won’t do,” she said. The loli demon clapped her hands. “Come on! Let’s play a little game. We should get to know each over a bit.” Everyone stared at her.

“I know!” Hotaru said, smacking her fist on her hand. “Let’s introduce ourselves. We’ll say our names and a fun fact about ourselves.” Kazue frowned in the shadows.

“I will go first,” Hotaru said. “My name is Hotaru and I am into the Gothic Lolita style.” She looked at her guests in the room.

“Rihoko,” she said. The kitty looked up with big eyes.

“Me?” she asked.

“Yes,” Hotaru said.

“Okay… Uh… Uh… My name is Rihoko and my daughter is a good cook,” the young mother said.

“That’s true,” Hotaru said. “Her daughter’s cooking is really good.” She turned to Rihoko.

“Choose your next victim,” the loli demon said. Rihoko shifted in her seat.

“Okay,” she said. The young mother looked at the other guests. She narrowed her eyes.

“Tai,” Rihoko said at last. The man in the wizard took a step forward.

“Alright,” he said. “My name is Tai and I’m from Hell’s Kitchen in New York.”

“Hell’s Kitchen, huh?” Mike asked.

“Yeah,” the wizard said. “And who are you?”

“Ah,” Mike said. “I am Mike and I am from Brooklyn, New York.”

“I see,” Tai said. Mike looked at some of the guests.

“Kazue,” he said. The demon glared at him. She stuck up her middle finger.

“Come on,” Hotaru said. “Play our game.” Kazue rolled her eyes.

“Please?” the loli demon pleaded.

“No,” Kazue muttered. Hotaru puffed up her cheeks.

“Just do it, please?” she said. She wouldn’t stop pouting at her. All eyes fell on Kazue. The demon pouted and sneered.

“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m Kazue and I hate parties.” Nobody spoke at first. Hotaru clapped her hands together.

“Great,” she lied. “Now pick who’s next.”

“Do I have to?” Kazue grumbled.

“Yes,” Hotaru said. The other demon rolled her eyes.

“Whatever,” she said. “You.” Hiroyuki pointed to his chest.

“Me?” he asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kazue muttered. The young man straightened his tiger costume.

“Okay,” he said. “My name Hiroyuki and I work in herb sales.”

“Heh,” Kazue muttered.

“I didn’t know that, dear,” Hotaru said.

“You didn’t ask,” he said.

“Ah,” his lover said. “Okay. Pick the next victim.”

“Okay,” Hiroyuki said. “Uh… Lenard.” The blonde American man froze. All eyes fell on him. Tai squeezed his hand. Lenard looked up at him.

“It’s okay,” Tai mouthed. Lenard slowly nodded.

“Um… I’m Lenard and I love to skateboard,” he said. He could finally breathe.

“That was good,” Tai whispered.

“Thanks,” his roommate said in a low voice.

“Next person,” Hotaru said. Only three people left.

“Hm…” Lenard said. He took a moment to think.

“Jared,” he said at last.

“Woof!” the collared man said.

“You can talk for this,” Lucy said.

“Thank you,” her husband said. “My name is Jared and I work for a company who works overseas.” Lucy patted him on the head.

“Very good,” she said.

“Next,” Hotaru said. Jared looked between the two remaining women.

“Ryo,” he said. Hotaru’s girlfriend stepped forward.

“My name is Ryo and I am a miiko and Japanese literature teacher.” The loli demon whistled. Her girlfriend made the final choice.

“Lucy,” Ryo said. The mistress smirked.

“My name is Lucy and I love S&M,” she said. She sounded so proud too. Hotaru clapped her hands together.

“Great!” she said. “Now that we know each other, we can really party! Everybody, drink!” The guests took their drinks. Not everyone had arrived yet. Still, the party came to life for the night.