Thank you all for the support and reading! I don't abandon my works (a writer's death sentence); rather I've been busy with life and Gintama… Sorry!

Please forgive any grammatical mistakes I didn't catch OTL (and the shortness of this chapter)

The desert is a mysterious place with its barren landscape and hostile environment. Yet, in this abandoned and harsh area, there are signs of life that have managed to survive. There grows the occasional plants and lizard or creepy crawlers that emerge from the shadows. However, when the sun sets and the night grows cool, the darkness casts away what little signs of life the desert had to offer.

So it's amazing to find anything or anyone in the middle of what seems like nowhere; besides the moon and dirt.

On the side of the dirt road at an obscure location, there is a rundown building with only two or three cars parked outside. The building is caked with dust and the color of the pain had long chipped away. The only colors that remained were the graffiti that decorated random spots of the walls with art and vulgar words. The front of the entrance has a large neon light sign, flashing brightly, trying to beckon men to enter:

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS!

Quite convincing.

He wasn't very surprised that this is the place where they're supposed to meet. Well anyways, it took a lot to surprise him now at his age and he doesn't even know why the man tries to. He didn't approve too much, but sometimes circumstances places him in situation where his approval didn't mean much. He just wished the building could be painted better and had more plants surrounding the area.

Speaking of plants, perhaps, he'll stop by a florist and buy his son something.

The ambiance inside was mellow and dim as they watch a women dance on stage. There were very few customers as the music buzzed in the background.

No one pays attention to the old man at a strip club because there are worse things in life to imagine about.

He takes a seat near the corner of a booth and brings out his sketchbook from his bag. He plans to work on his drawing as he waits, but within minutes a woman hands him a drink.

"The man behind you bought you it. Would you like anything else?" She smiles at him, suggestively with her plump and red lips.

"I'm good, thank you young lady." He smiles politely and doesn't touch the cup. This drink was going to go to waste, he needed to drive home without being hindered by anything. It was a very long drive here.

She's persistent and leans towards him with her hips. "But you'll be better with me."

"Hey, scram." A new voice spoke up from the booth behind him, but he didn't need to see who it was. He knew the man behind him. The man is the reason why he's here today at this strip club. "Can't you see he's not interested?"

He doesn't pay attention to the rest of their argument, but he does hear a loud resounding slap ringing in the air.

The wrinkles on her face were apparent when she frowns and turns on her heels without another word.

"May I advise you on how to turn down a lady?"

"You? Advise? Women? Those three words should never be coming from you."

"You know, owing you a favor is quite a lot of work." He mumbled absentmindedly as he finishes a sketch of a scene by memory.

"I guess you'll think twice about forcing me to work."

"Force? My, you have quite the memory, don't you?"

"What? You want to back out now?"

"No, no. I did ask you for a favor and I promised I would return it. I just didn't expect such an arduous task from you."

"You reap what you sow."

A proverb that they're both intimate with.

"Really, you should be thinking of my age."

"You're still breathing, aren't you?"

"You know he's doing fine."

"I didn't ask."

"You didn't have too."

"Hmpf. I don't care." He hears the glass clink, roughly against the table.

"So you say, Mary." He doesn't really believe the aloof character that his acquaintance is trying to put on. "So you say."

"Is he also holding up his part of the bargain?"

"You mean Kamui? Yes, yes. You've become quite a worrier over these years. You'll start to get wrinkles on that face you love so much."

"Can it, old man."

"Yes, we are two old men aren't we?"

"Are you going senile? When I said old man, I mean you. I'm still in the prime of my life."

This wasn't a warm reunion between two old friends at all, but a secret meeting and a follow up on the agreement they made in the past. "Ah! Before I forget. I did sense something from the boy, but I might be imagining it. After all, I'm not as young as I use to be."

"I hope you know there is little both of us can do."

...

...

The lack of silence causes him to turn to the booth behind him, but there's no one in there anymore. He knows his words were heard. For now, he'll turn a blind eye.

"Hmm, now then." Tiedoll mutters as he finishes the final touches of his drawing and flips the pages shut. "I better find someone willing to be a model for my art class tomorrow."