The Stripper And The Anxiety-riddled Dork

The Striped King, Carmine

Chapter 15
< 3 days until the wedding >

"He's a big fella." Win commented as she watched her cousin snuggle into the giant tiger she had won at the park. Nicky tore off a piece of the jerky stick in her hand and chewed as she laid on the other side of Carmine.

"He's even got a lil' crown." Win chuckled as she laid on the end of their queen-sized bed. She watched as Codi snuggled deeper into her hard-earned prize and murmured into his soft plush.

"What was that, baby sister?"

"His name is Carmine." Codi repeated, her elder cousin letting out a soft 'ah'.

"Fancy name for a fancy lad!" Win laughed as she placed her hands behind her head. Nicky tearing off another piece of her jerky.

"Damn right it is." The blonde murmured quietly.

"Carmine, the Striped King."

Nicky looked to Win with a curious expression who pointed at Carmine's little crown.

"Cause he's got a crown. And stripes."

"Carmine, The Striped King..." Codi repeated softly running her fingers through the stuffed animal's soft plush as she looked over him.

"The Striped King, Carmine..."

Nicky and Win looked towards Codi as she froze in petting the tiger. The petite brunette picked herself up looking at Carmine for another few seconds before her eyes lit up and she scrambled to wrap Win in a tight hug.

"Win, you bloody Genius! The Striped King, Carmine is just what I needed!" She exclaimed, placing a sloppy kiss on her cousin's cheek before all but falling off the bed and rushed towards her laptop. She yanked the screen up and powered it up, grabbing the little notepad and pen next to it.

"Just what you needed for what?" Nicky called out as Win and she watched Codi scribble on the notepad.

"My bloody novel! I've been stuck trying to come up with my new villain and now I've got one!" She answered, her hands moving from the pad of paper towards the laptop in order to quick type in her password before going back to her writing.

"Name- Striped King, Carmine. Type- Villain. Reason-...Reason...Win, Nicky! Give me something!"

"Uh..." Win drawled out, looking to Nicky who shrugged and finished off her jerky.

"This is for Silver Queen, right?"

"Yeah."

"You want Rhyder and Silver to get back together?"

"...Kinda."

"Yeah or No? If not, then my idea's shot to shit." Nicky explained, Codi's lips pursing slightly before she looked to Win.

"Win, flip a coin."

"Alrightly!" Win dug into her pants pockets, letting out a noise of accomplishment when she yanked out a £50 pence coin and flipped it. She grabbed it in mid-air and smacked it against her hand.

"Tails for yes. Heads for no." Codi told her cousin, Win nodding in understanding and lifting her hand off the coin.

"It's tails." Codi and Win looked to Nicky, the blonde had thrown herself over Carmine and was rifling through the dresser on the side that Codi slept on. She yanked out a full-sized Milky Way, tearing off the wrapping with her teeth.

"How do you eat like shite and have abs?"

"'Dancing' burns alotta calories." Nicky answered with a chuckle, Codi's ears turning a soft red at the mention of the blonde's job.

Nicky turned back to Codi, taking another bite of the Milky Way and chewing it. She swallowed before speaking up once more.

"Have Carmine force Silver into a marriage. She can control all dragons and he wants that power."

"But how-"

"Have him threaten Rhyder's life. Silver either marries him or He kills Rhyder and delivers their head to Silver."

"Brutal..." Win whispered before turning to her cousin with a bright grin.

"I'd read the fuck outta that!" She laughed, Codi looking from her to Nicky. She eyed the blonde curiously before her gaze went to her laptop.

The Google Doc was a blank white with the cursor blinking in and out of existence. She clicked the pen against the notepad as the story began to play out in her head.

'So Simple. And yet, intriguing.'

"Why is he called the Striped King?" She asked Nicky, desiring to hear her simple thought behind the title.

"Cause he's got a cool cape. And the cape's got a collar made of tiger fur."

"...Shit, that's good."