Chapter Text
As the chattering voices faded out the doors and the whirring of machines died down, Terezi Pyrope leaned against her office door, scotch in hand, Advanced Glaucoma narrowing her vision to a narrow ellipse. She didn't mind, though. She'd been that way since high school, and everyone thought it was the most interesting thing about her. Well, everyone outside her clique. The thought tingled against her skin. Her clique. Her first taste of an unstoppable empire, and a buildup to her last. But that's for later in the story. Back to the task at hand.
The last few patrons with a little more alcohol in their systems than recommended were being escorted off the premises by bodyguard Equius Zahaak, an old high school friend of hers. Once the doors were shut and locked she walked down the vividly carpeted hallway to the Head Management office. The glistening gold sign read "Head Of Management - Sollux B. Captor" She gave a quick knock and entered the room.
The room had a vintage 1950's Mafia boss façade, with velvety red carpet and a felt green chair. A Cherrywood desk sat in the middle of the room, an antique bar to the left (Terezi's favorite feature) and none other than Her fiancé Sollux Captor On the right, gazing out an olive-green curtained window.
He smiled and turned to her, distant streetlamps reflecting off his glasses and illuminating his eyes; one a glistening auburn, one a stunning blue. He strode over to his fiancé and wrapped an arm around her waist. He brushed a scarlet hair from her face and stared into her cloudy green eyes.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," He said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. He released her waist and she took a drink of her scotch, downing the rest of the glass. Sollux's smile faltered, yet he smiled still and ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair. He strode over to his menacing office chair, Terezi close behind. He took a seat and Terezi sat on his lap, setting her scotch glass on the desk.
He kissed her ardently and she giggled against his lips. He slid his hand under her vest and polo, dragging his fingers against her spine. She kissed him and giggled more. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Karkat Vantas, The casino's head blackjack dealer had walked in.
The lovers froze and Terezi quickly stood up, smoothing her clothes down and blushing. Karkat had a look of intense annoyance on his face, though he wouldn't if this had been any other couple. Karkat had been a part of Terezi's high school clique and had a humongous crush on her. He would have quit long ago if his job didn't pay as much as it did.
"Sorry about that k," Terezi said, finger combing her messy hair. "How unprofessional of us." "Whatever," Karkat muttered under his breath. Sollux, though welcoming of his friend, was annoyed that his alone time with Terezi was disturbed.
"Make this quick kk," Sollux said as Terezi made her way over to the small office bar. Karkat nervously cleared his throat. "Your, well, not gonna like what I have to say," He began to say. "If you're quitting," Terezi interrupted, "We won't care. Lejion's been wanting your job for a while and I don't need another girl to replace her in survali-" "I'm not quitting," Karkat interrupted.
Without waiting for a reply to his interruption he got straight to the point. "I was counting up the chips at the table and," He cleared his throat again. "And it turned out that we were missing 1,600 dollars worth of chips more than were wo-"
Without letting him finish Terezi had dropped her glass onto the small wooded part of the floor surrounding the bar. Broken glass crunched under her feet as she walked over to karkat and grabbed him by the shoulders. She stared down into the twenty-one year old's grey-blue eyes, now filled with fear.
"What the fuck do you mean?" She growled, inches from his face. Karkat attempted a stuttery answer, but failed under the pressure. "How in all of hell do you let almost two thousand dollars get stolen and never! Fucking! NOTICE!?" With that she pushed him away and strode into Sollux's arms.
"I...." Karkat started. "I'm sorry." And with that he fled out the office door. Sollux turned Terezi to face him. Shame and embarrassment burnt red in Terezi's face. "Are you drunk?" Sollux asked her. She silently shrugged. "Open your mouth Terezi," he ordered. Reluctantly, she did and sollux leaned towards her and smelt her breath.
"You smell like scotch," He said, turning Terezi back around and hugging her. "How much did you have?" "I don't know," she replied softly. "A lot, I guess." Sollux gently kissed the top of her head. "You damn alcoholic," He purred into her ear. "Can we leave now?" "In a minute," she replied. "Vantas got me all paranoid. Let me check the tapes for anything suspicious."
"Can't you just call your sister?" Sollux whined. "No one goes to a casino without hitting the bar." Terezi sighed. "I guess your right," She said, pulling out her phone and calling her sister, the infamous bartender Vriska Serket.
"Qué pasa sis?"
"Did you notice anyone extra shady in the bar today?"
"Yeah, like twelve. It's a casino bar."
Terezi groaned and put a hand to her forehead.
"No, like, someone stealing from the casino shady."
"Nah, but guess who I did see."
"Who?"
There was a giggle into the phone.
"That rich girl from high school."
"Aren't you vague today"
"God dammit sis, the one blonde girl who always wore hot pink and tank tops. Fish princess."
"Feferi? Feferi Pexies? The fish princess Feferi Pexies who wouldn't go to parties, but her mom would drive her sister to them and drop off a bottle of hard liquor?"
"Yeah, her. Shocking huh?"
"What about Feferi are you talking about?" Sollux asked. Terezi raised her finger to quiet him.
"You could say that again. I haven't seen her in ages. Did you talk to her?"
"Only a little. She told me not to tell anyone she was there."
"Look how great you where with that. Okay, talk to you tomorrow sis."
"Bye bye"
Terezi hung up and slipped her phone into her pocket. "Lets go home," she said, slipping her hand into Sollux's.
And that is how it started, the story of the near fall of an empire. An indestructible empire, built from money, power, and sex. Yet, power doesn't last without faltering, and in less than two months, almost everything will be taken from America's most influential lovers. Grudges are powerful things, and this story will tell of one that ended a life.