Violent Venus Fly Trap:

Simone’s Notes:

In the 1993 Nirvana song, “Heart-Shaped Box,” one line goes; “Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet.” It was said that the lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, had a fascination with the female body just like American social critic, Camille Paglia. Both compared parts of the female body, the genitals in particular, to flowers. In Paglia’s book, Sexual Personae, female genitals are wounds. Many artists have got with this theory. Blake, Huysmans, and Williams have all compared the vagina to sick and diseased flowers. But are they really like that?

Steven was dressing up causally nice today. He was planning to hang out with Yasmine this afternoon. She invited him over this morning because she said that she had a surprise for him. The lt. colonel couldn’t wait to see what it was. The man had taken extra steps to make himself look presentable to his soon-to-be girlfriend. “This is going to be great!” hr thought. They had gotten close for the past week and a half. They enjoyed each other’s company. Yas even kissed him on the cheek from time to time. It was all too clear that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The man was sure he had this one in his grasp. All he had to do was bring her in and keep her by his side. For once, Doug didn’t steal one of his dates away.

“Going out dad?” a voice asked him from behind. Steven looked in the mirror to see Paul leaning on the stairs watching him. The boy was a son any father could be proud of. Paul was a good boy. He did his chores without any complaints, did his homework, made all A’s in his classes, and when Steven divorced his wife, Paul took care of everything in the house! Father and son made such a great team together and were really close. The boy was a charming thing to look at. He had long gold blonde hair to his shoulders, deep brown eyes just like his father, and a tone slender body to complete his looks. Today he was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

“Yep!” Steven called. Paul kept smiling at him. “With Yasmine no less?” he asked. “How did you guess?” his father asked. His son kept smiling at him. “Great,” he said. “I’m so happy for you!” Then, Paul walked down the stairs and came beside his father. “Just don’t mess up this time!” he encouraged. “I know! I know!” Steven brushed out. “I mean it!” his son reassured. “You are a good man, dad! But you hadn’t had it good with women. Yas seems to like you for you! Don’t blow this!” Steven smiled at his son. “Okay,” he replied. “I won’t screw up!” Paul smiled at him greatly. “Good!” he called. “Now have fun!” Then, Paul patted him on the back and walked back upstairs to his room. Steven smiled to himself as well. “You know what?” he thought. “I sure will!” Then, the lt. colonel headed right out the door.

Steven made it down to the Sun Drenched Café. Hughes suggested that he took Yasmine here for a first date. “The atmosphere is perfect for you guys!” Hughes told him. He looked around inside. The man was completely excited. He was actually getting a date with the girl of his dreams! But ironically, that date would come with some baggage. Steven finally found Yasmine at a table near the window. Joy flooded into his heart like a great wave. “She’s here!” he thought in excitement. Then, the lt. colonel hurried over to the table. But when he made it close to her, the joy faded into disappointment. Steven saw Yasmine sitting at the table with another man. Strangely, it wasn’t Doug. Steven leaned in closer for a better look. This man looked like a Goth punk rocker. His hair was short black and slicked back. His eyes were a piercing blue. The man was all dressed in black. Steven quickly became worried. “Are they… flirting with… each other?” he thought. The lt. colonel quickly became sick to his stomach. “You’ve seen the other man now, eh?” a voice asked behind him. Steven jerked around him in a rush. Doug was sitting at a table behind him. The lt. was smirking coldly at his rival. Steven was both worried and annoyed now. “Doug!” he called out in a low voice. “What the hell are you doing here?” Kobe just kind of shrugged at him sweetly. “What else?” he asked harmlessly. “I’m here to steal Yasmine away and keep her for myself. But since that doesn’t look like a possibility at the moment, I’m waiting until he leaves to get that chance again.” Steven froze for a long moment. For once, Doug’s logic actually made sense! Kobe grinned at him. “Care to join me in watching?” “Yeah!” Steven said strongly. Then, he took a seat next to his rival. Doug kept grinning as they watched Yasmine and her gentleman friend.

Moments went by slowly. Yasmine was still talking to her guy friend. Nothing had happened between them. Doubt was making itself present in the scene. Was Yas really two-timing him or was this a simple meeting between? Something kept nagging in the back of Steven’s head. “I don’t get!” he spoke up. Doug slowly turned to him. “Get what?” he asked his rival harmlessly. “Why are you doing this for me?” the lt. colonel asked in suspicion. Doug smiled at him. “Because,” he replied. “I just want to steal her from you! I can’t have anyone else stealing my prize!” Right then, Steven knew what to do. The lt. colonel rose to his feet and walked over to Yasmine’s table. Doug smiled to himself as he paid for his tab. “That should be interesting!” he thought. Then, the lt. walked away in triumph.

But Steven was in for another surprise. When he made it to his date’s table, he found another woman with the man. She had dark red hair to her shoulders and deep olive greenish blue eyes. She was dressed in a black corset, long black skirt, and black leather stiletto heels. Her nails were just as black as night. Now, Steven was really lost. Sensing a shadow over them, the trio stopped talking and looked up at him. The lt. colonel stood staring at them. He didn’t know what to say. Yasmine smiled sweetly at him. “Oh Steven,” she exclaimed in joy. “You’re here! These are my friends, Syd and Ella! They will be staying with me for a while until they find a place of their own here.” Steven began to relax. “Oh hi!” he said to them. The other couple waved at him politely. “So you must be Steven,” Ella addressed. “Yasmine has told all about you!” “Really?” the lt. colonel asked. The woman nodded at him. “Come join us!” Yas spoke up. “Gladly!” her soon-to-be boyfriend called. Then, the lt. colonel pulled up and chair and sat down with them.

The four of them all ordered lunch and talked together. Steven grew to like Ella and Syd very quickly. Ella supported Yasmine’s latest choice in her boyfriend. She saw a great guy in him. Syd still didn’t take it so well, but his girlfriend made him be nice about it. (“Not a singe word about it this time! You got me?” she warned before they entered the café.) The man was wise enough to keep his comments about Steven and Yas together to himself. “I am not up for hearing her mouth afterwards!” the hunter-boss thought in justification. “It’s just not worth it!” Then, just before desert while Yasmine was getting the drinks, Ella leaned over to the lt. colonel. “Steven,” she said softly. “I need to speak with you in private.” “But why?” he asked. “Just follow me!” the woman whispered back. The lt. colonel nodded at her. Then, they headed to the back outside.

“Do you really love Yas?” Ella asked Steven when they get outside. The spring breeze was beautiful this afternoon. This was Amestris’s most peaceful hour. “Yes!” Steven said strongly. “Why? What’s wrong?” Ella turned to him smiling softly. “There are some things you don’t know about her yet,” she went on. “So until I find out how you’ll take the truth, my advice to you is to take things slow her. I only ask of this because I just want her and you to be happy together.” Steven’s face became serious. “Okay,” he said. “I will try to follow your advice.” “Good!” Ella said. “Now, let’s get back inside. Yasmine is probably wondering where we got to.” “Okay.” Steven replied. Then, they headed back into the café.