Chapter Two-hundred Two: Dry Rub

Chapter 202

Dry Rub

When Tristan and Celeste were in his car, Celeste told him about her encounter with the doctor. Tristan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

Tristan: “And he said nothing to you?”

She shook her head.

Celeste: “Nah, the real Ichiro would have lunged atto me.”

She looked away. Tristan grimaced.

Tristan: “Did you get a look at his name tag?”

Celeste: “No. I assume he would also be named Ichiro Tachibana. He looked like Ichiro but also… not.”

She stated. Tristan glanced at her.

Tristan: “How so?”

Celeste: “Not sure.”

She leaned her head against the window.

Celeste: “Just didn’t have that Ichiro look.”

Tristan: “Nevertheless, I am impressed you thought to do that to test him.”

He said genially. Celeste brightened at his words.

Celeste: “Yeah?”

Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Yes, you thought outside the box to test if he was the real deal or a body double. I am proud of you.”

He smiled. Celeste beamed at his words.

She then gazed at him.

Celeste: “How come you didn’t tell Demetrio or Sylvia what happened to that guy?”

Tristan’s smile faded, and he heaved a deep sigh.

Tristan: “They wouldn’t believe me, for one. They’d demand evidence, and knowing Ichiro, it’s long gone now, and they would accuse me of stirring up lies.”

He twisted his mouth.

Tristan: “How do you tell someone their husband died horribly and painfully by being turned into a monster?”

He laughed humorlessly.

Celeste: “That he was turned into a monster and we had to kill him or be killed?”

She shrugged.

Tristan: “Celeste, this is a delicate issue, and you have to tread carefully.”

He knit his eyebrows. Celeste stared down at her lap, thinking about how much it affected Jaxon when Chelsea was turned into a richonoid.

Tristan: “The reason I am getting to the bottom of this is so I can tell them the truth and put an end to this.”

He said firmly.

~

That evening, Tristan stepped into Percy’s manor. Percy stepped out of his living room. He wore a dark red sequin tailcoat with jewels on the lapels, sequin red pants, and black Chelsea boots.

Percy: “Why, hello, my ice prince! What brings you to my humble home?”

He smiled as he helped Tristan out of his peacoat. Tristan unwrapped his scarf, and Percy guided him to the barstool.

Tristan: “Humble and you hardly go in the same sentence.”

He said wryly. He withdrew his gold cigarette case from his suit jacket, took one out, and leaned over as Percy lit it up for him.

Percy: “So what brings you by?”

He whispered.

Tristan: “Celeste and I were visiting Demetrio Donati. Your situationship girlfriend informed us Jaxon was here last night.”

He took a long drag and exhaled.

Percy: “You have nothing to concern yourself about, my love. It’s an issue you 20-somethings seem to endure.”

He waved his hand.

Tristan: “Of course, I am concerned about my friend.”

Percy: “If you must know, he witnessed Celeste kissing Fabien and came here for a shoulder to cry on with a cocktail.”

He grinned. Tristan bowed his head.

Percy: “I merely told him she is a cat who loves sleeping on two laps instead of one.”

Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “I see. Well, that is for the three of them to work out. I personally couldn’t do it.”

Percy leaned over, inches from his face.

Percy: “I am certain many couldn’t withstand the sight of Deimos.”

He teased. Tristan raised his eyebrows.

Tristan: “I understand that.”

Percy placed a martini glass before him. He filled a cocktail shaker with ice. He added 2 ounces of cranberry vodka, 1 ounce of Cointreau, ½ ounce each of lime juice and simple syrup, and 2 ounces of white cranberry juice to a cocktail shaker. He shook it for fifteen seconds and poured it into the martini glass through a strainer. Tristan smiled and took the glass, taking a sip.

Percy: “I dub this ‘Southern Lights!’ ”

Tristan: “This is nice. Were you ever a bartender?”

He asked as he marveled at the drink. Percy leaned over, tracing his fingers on Tristan’s hand. Tristan flicked his gaze to his fingers.

Percy: “No, I learned to make drinks over the years and enjoyed a drink with my fellow soldiers.”

He chuckled.

Tristan: “Soldiers?”

Percy nodded. Tristan clicked his tongue.

Tristan: “Never thought you served, but I suppose it makes sense in context with your exceptional combat skills, not to mention tactical skills.”

Percy beamed.

Tristan: “Do you miss it?”

Percy: “What, being in the service?”

Tristan sipped his drink and nodded. Percy drew a long breath.

Percy: “Some things I miss and some things I don’t.”

Tristan: “What don’t you miss?”

He locked his gaze on him. Percy had a bleak look on his face and turned to Tristan. He turned to Tristan.

Percy: “I don’t miss those MREs.”

He laughed. Tristan eyed him incredulously, not buying his response, but decided to humor him.

Tristan: “MREs?”

Percy nodded.

Percy: “Yes, darling, ready to eat meals. They come in these packages, and some you have to reheat.”

Tristan scrunched his nose.

Tristan: “I know what they are. I couldn’t imagine eating them at all.”

He groused. Percy chuckled and caressed his hand.

Percy: “Well, you, my love, are a pampered prince!”

Tristan laughed.

Tristan: “Who doesn’t enjoy the finer things in life?”

Percy smiled and kissed his hand.

Percy: “You deserve it all, Tristan.”

Tristan cleared his throat and looked away.

Tristan: “You weren’t being completely honest about what you didn’t miss.”

He said quickly. Percy smiled.

Percy: “Nothing goes over your head, my ice prince.”

Tristan cleared his throat.

Tristan: “Nevertheless, Celeste and I were visiting Demetrio Donati in the hospital. He’s under surveillance. There are disappearances from the hospital.”

He bowed his head.

Percy: “Yes, and the police are doing as little as possible.”

He grinned.

Tristan stroked the stem of the glass.

Tristan: “He went on to tell me his friend, Kahn Samra, went to the ER for chest pain. Apparently, he checked himself out and told no one.”

He removed his glasses to rub his eyes.

Tristan: “Ichiro took him to a warehouse he used to experiment on people to create richonoids, turned him into one, and how do I divulge this to them?”

He asked, his eyes pained. Percy pursed his lips.

Percy: “Ichiro resumes using people as pawns for his egomaniacal name. I caught on that he named them after himself.”

He laughed a bit. Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “The…”

He put his glasses on and stroked his ponytail.

Tristan: “The corpses inside were on the verge of turning into those things and…”

He cupped his mouth.

Tristan: “They were alive, Percy. They were still in pain and begging to be helped.”

Percy took that information in.

Tristan sighed and drained his drink.

Tristan: “He took Celeste to his warehouse and told her about this body double.”

Percy: “Body double?”

Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Someone at the hospital bears a resemblance to him, and he uses that person as a decoy.”

He elaborated.

Tristan: “And this is how he obtained those people and Kahn.”

He knit his eyebrows.

Percy leaned over.

Percy: “How do you intend to investigate?”

He whispered. Tristan sipped his drink.

Tristan: “I have to be careful. I reckon Ichiro would be watching him like a hawk, and he would have to report back to him.”

Percy traced his slender fingers over Tristan’s. Tristan twitched.

Percy: “Why are you telling this to me?”

He asked softly. Tristan twisted his mouth.

Tristan: “You have connections.”

Percy smiled tightly.

Percy: “You’re a wise man, Tristan, but your taste in men is absolutely dreadful!”

Tristan looked away.

Tristan: “I don’t want to discuss Deimos.”

He said tersely. Percy grinned.

Percy: “I understand.”

He nodded and kissed his hand.

Tristan cleared his throat.

Tristan: “So, I need someone to look into Ichiro Tachibana at the Pink Top General Hospital.”

He said firmly.

Percy: “Etsuko will gladly do that.”

Tristan grimaced.

Tristan: “I went to you because I didn’t want to go through Sylvia!”

He said harshly. Percy pressed his forefinger to his lips.

Percy: “Who said anything about her, love? We’re not going through Sylvia at all. Etsuko works for moi.”

He chuckled. Tristan gaped at him.

Tristan: “Why am I not surprised you mixed business with pleasure?”

He said evenly.

Percy: “To me, my business is my pleasure, my ice prince!”

He sang.

Tristan pursed his lips.

Tristan: “So…, what else don’t you miss during your time in the military?”

He asked softly. Percy froze and looked away. He then gazed at Tristan with a smile.

Percy: “Losing fellow soldiers.”

Tristan raised his eyebrows.

Tristan: “I didn’t think you’d grow attached to anyone like that.”

Percy: “Well…”

He leaned over.

Percy: “You have skeletons in your closet, non? So do I. Let’s leave it at that.”

He patted his hand. Tristan flicked his gaze to his hand and gazed at him skeptically. He finally nodded.

Tristan: “...I understand.”

~

Tristan was in his bedroom reading a book with a cup of tea. He had his sheer socked feet resting on the arm of the chair. He had his suit jacket slung over the leather chair, his tie loosened, his sleeves rolled up, and his collar buttons unsnapped.

Deimos barged into his bedroom. He wore a Megadeth tank top, torn jeans, and cowboy boots.

Tristan: “Some people knock.”

He said dryly. Deimos reached down and gave his foot a quick tickle. Tristan jerked his feet away and kicked them.

Tristan: “NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He whined.

Deimos: “So…, what were you doing at Percy’s shithole?”

He asked sharply. Tristan glared at him.

Tristan: “Are you stalking me now?”

Deimos: “I’m protecting you, Tristan.”

He insisted.

Tristan: “I need protecting from YOU!”

He snapped. Deimos winced.

Deimos sighed and sat down. He put Tristan’s feet on his lap.

Deimos: “Did you discuss what happened at the warehouse and about that body double?”

He asked as he massaged Tristan’s feet. Tristan fanned his toes out. He looked away.

Deimos: “I have an idea of how to corner that guy.”

Tristan: “Let’s hear it.”

He gazed at him.

Deimos: “Over dinner.”

Tristan: “You wish to discuss our private plans to gain intel on a decoy over dinner?”

He challenged him. Deimos sighed.

Deimos: “Well, no, I will after our dinner.”

Tristan: “So I have to agree to go on your date in order to get your plan, which may be terrible.”

He huffed. Deimos sighed.

Deimos: “Whatever you say, your highness.”

He said dryly. Tristan leaned over and smacked him. Deimos sighed.

Deimos held Tristan’s feet in his hands.

Deimos: “Wanna know something?”

Tristan: “Dare I ask?”

He leaned his head on his hand.

Deimos: “The highlight of my day is wanking to you in the shower.”

He smirked. Tristan looked unimpressed.

Tristan: “Romance will never be dead with you, Deimos.”

He rolled his eyes. Deimos pulled off Tristan’s socks. Tristan spread his toes and wiggled them. Deimos grunted and bucked his hips.

Tristan: “What’s your plan?”

Deimos: “Will you have dinner with me?”

Tristan’s jaw tightened.

Tristan: “Don’t do this to me, Deimos. If you want to help humanity and me, stop this.”

He hissed through clenched teeth.

Deimos pouted. Tristan’s expression softened, and he shifted his feet over Deimos’ groin. He bucked his hips. Tristan pursed his lips, moved his legs back, and placed the balls of his feet over Deimos’ groin, curling his toes. He felt Deimos’ hardness through his jeans under the soles of his feet. Deimos grunted.

Deimos: “Oh, Tristan…”

He moaned.

Tristan: “So…, what’s your plan?”

He whispered. Deimos’ fingertips dug into the arm of the sofa. He tightened his jaw and his breathing hitched as he felt Tristan’s slender feet tease his hardness. Deimos swallowed the lump in his throat.

Deimos: “I know… how to… get to the decoy…”

He said slowly, keeping Tristan’s feet on his hardness.

Tristan: “How would you get to him without Ichiro detecting you?”

He asked. Deimos cleared his throat and brushed the tops of Tristan’s feet with his fingertips. Tristan gasped and kicked his feet.

Tristan: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!”

Deimos smirked, grabbed his feet, and kissed them. Tristan shivered and flushed red.

Deimos: “Well, I’d go to the ER!”

Tristan quirked an eyebrow.

Tristan: “ER?”

Deimos nodded.

Deimos: “Yeah, remember when Ichiro brought in the man having a heart attack?”

Tristan paused and bowed his head.

Deimos: “So the body double works in the ER.”

Tristan: “But we can’t get close to him, Deimos.”

Deimos held his forefinger up.

Deimos: “You mean…, you can’t. He would know you, Jaxon, Celeste, and Jordi, but Ichiro doesn’t hesitate to call me a loser and doesn’t give a shit about me.”

He huffed.

Tristan paused and cupped his chin.

Tristan: “You know, Deimos, that’s not a bad idea, but how would you even get into the ER with your healing abilities?”

Deimos: “Lazaros has a ton of theatrics, make-up, and costumes. I could use those to apply a gash or a wound, or gore.”

He replied.

Tristan: “The doctor will find out it’s fake.”

Deimos shrugged.

Deimos: “I know, but it would get me close to the decoy and save you from going to that fuckin’ Percy.”

He pouted. Tristan sighed.

Tristan: “Why can’t we do both?”

Deimos: “So you like my idea?”

He brightened.

Tristan: “It could work to our advantage.”

Deimos smiled at Tristan.

Deimos: “Are we on for dinner?”

Tristan sighed and looked away.

Tristan: “All right. Tomorrow.”

Deimos beamed.

Deimos: “I can’t wait!”

He said breathlessly. Tristan looked away and smiled a bit.

~

Jaxon was in his bedroom, wearing a red silk dragon robe, and gaped at the screen in Fabien’s Bungle Server.

BlairDonati: I don’t know if I wanna keep going… I do, but.... I just felt bullied by that gold-digging fat whore, Ashley.

Fabien entered their house with Celeste. He wore a Nuklear Intoxikation Sucks shirt under a green plaid shir, jeans, and flip-flops.

Fabien: “Hey, Jax! Want some wings? I made a new dry rub that I’ve been dying to try out!”

He poked his head in and smiled.

Celeste: “YAY! WINGS!”

Jaxon saw red and angrily rose.

Jaxon: “GET THE FUCK OUT!”

He barked. Fabien smirked.

Fabien: “Oh, chillin’ on my server, huh? Anything funny happen with everyone’s favorite blubbering blue bitch?”

He laughed. Jaxon stormed past him.

Jaxon: “Why don’t you ban him?! He’s annoying! Get out of my house!”

He snapped and pointed to the door.

Fabien: “I don’t ban Blair because he’s hilarious. Don’t you LOVE how Tristan checkmated him on his ingenious plot to get that fat bitch?”

He laughed.

Jaxon: “I don’t care about Blair’s bullshit! You do! GET OUT!”

He barked.

Celeste: “Why are you telling him to get out, Jax?”

She asked glumly.

Jaxon: “Why are you throwing our relationship away for that troll idiot?!”

He cried.

Celeste: “I’m not throwing anything away…”

She murmured.

Fabien: “Anyway, did you see the fat frog princess?!”

He laughed. Jaxon rolled his eyes.

Jaxon: “I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about. Oh, wait, I do. It’s another troll plot!”

He huffed.

Fabien: “Hahahahaha, yeah, Gus was delivering food to that gala because Blair’s now fat ex-girlfriend ate the food, and she’s not the only one. Did you see Jordi’s latest tugboat?!”

He laughed. Jaxon narrowed his eyes at him.

Jaxon: “I don’t give a shit about Blair or your stupid trolling! GET OUT.”

He snapped.

Fabien: “Anyway, Jordi is dating a fucking land whale. She looked like a giant fat lily pad.”

He laughed.

Jaxon: “I DON’T CARE! GET OUT!”

He snapped.

Celeste: “But I want him here, Jax.”

She frowned.

Jaxon: “WHY?! All he does is talk about that blue fucker and make fun of people!”

He thundered.

Fabien: “You can’t stay away from me either. I’m making hot stuff for hot stuffs.”

He winked.

Jaxon: “Oh, not a joke about Lazaros’ girlfriend or Jordi’s girlfriend? What a surprise!”

He said wryly, rolling his eyes.

Fabien snickered and went into the kitchen.

Fabien: “I’m more than making cracks about the two hundred pounds of crack from those two lardasses.”

He teased. He got out the ingredients to make the dry rub. He added one tablespoon each of garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, mustard powder, chili powder, cumin, dried thyme, and brown sugar, and two tablespoons of smoked paprika. He mixed them together in the bowl, cut open the wings’ packages, and dumped them in. He put on latex gloves and started mixing them up. Celeste grinned as she hungrily watched him work.

~

Later, when the three were at the kitchen table eating, Jaxon glared at his plate, refusing to eat.

Celeste: “If you don’t want it, I do.”

Fabien: “I think he’s saving it for Jordi’s and Lazaros’ fatass girlfriends, but that wouldn’t fill them.”

He laughed.

Jaxon: “Yeah, make my stance a joke about them! I don’t want you to get ideas!”

He fired back.

Fabien: “Get ideas about what, Jaxon?”

He smirked.

Jaxon: “I don’t want you here, and I don’t want you near her!”

He hissed.

Celeste: “But I want him here.”

She murmured.

Jaxon: “So, you don’t want me now?”

He knit his eyebrows.

Celeste: “I do. I want you here, too, Jaxon.”

She looked beseechingly at him.

Jaxon: “I don’t want to be with HIM! He ruined my reputation and my party! Are you forgetting that?!”

His voice rose to a squawk.

Fabien bowed his head.

Fabien: “Yeah, I know, Jaxon. I’m sorry about that, and if it’s any consolation, I had to deal with a hemorrhoid named Craig who won’t let me go.”

He said flatly.

Jaxon: “Your idiot ex put me in a body cast, and I was ‘mummy metal’ for a while!”

He snapped. Fabien looked away.

Fabien: “Yeah, I’m sorry, okay?”

He said with some frustration.

Fabien: “I made a lot of mistakes over the years, and I wasn’t my best when I was with Craig. I will always regret wasting my time with that loser.”

He huffed.

Jaxon: “YOU made me lose my band!”

He flared. Fabien rolled his eyes.

Fabien: “No, I didn’t, Jaxon. You did that! You didn’t do much of anything with your band, and the work was forgettable! Also, if you told the press Vanessa wanted to fuck your dad, it would have been avoided!”

He fired back.

Celeste: “That was Robin who did that, Jax. She made Vanessa say that crap, and someone put Vanessa and your Dad on screen.”

She bowed her head.

Celeste: “Then Brad chose Makayla over you, so I think the band was done anyway.”

Jaxon bowed his head.

Jaxon: “You’re right.”

He rubbed his temples.

Fabien: “I always thought you had talent, Jaxon, but I get wasting my time with losers and Brad is one. He chose that fat purple thing over you and spends his time eating at buffets. Yeah, I can vouch that losers do hold you back.”

He said and heaved a deep sigh. Celeste stared at the chicken bones on her plate.

Fabien: “I think I was angry because I chose Craig over you and wonder what I was ,thinking?”

He laughed bitterly.

Jaxon looked away.

Celeste: “I just remembered Makayla made up a story about her and Jaxon. Then she ended up getting an abortion. She didn’t want that abortion getting out. I think she aborted Brad’s baby because she was mad at him for ghosting her again.”

She drawled.

Fabien: “Where did that even come from?”

He laughed.

Jaxon: “I never did like Makayla, but Brad worshipped her… even if he ghosted her at times. I don’t think he meant to. I think his mind was on food.”

Fabien laughed.

Fabien: “She aborted their baby because he was away putting food in his fat fucking head. Sometimes the jokes write themselves.”

He cackled.

Fabien: “And her brother is just as fucking pathetic.”

He shook his head.

Jaxon started eating some wings, and Celeste smiled, content.

~

That night, Fabien lay in bed wearing his plaid pajama pants. He lay there thinking about the conversation they had at Celeste and Jaxon’s place. Why did I give that big, stupid, dumbass chance after chance? He wondered.

He sat up in bed and gazed out the window at Celeste and Jaxon’s place, relaying the events and conversation that took place earlier. He heard the Bungle sound play on his computer. His eyes lit up, thinking it was Celeste or Jaxon pinging him on Bungle.

He threw the covers off and rushed to the computer to open up Bungle. His smile faded when he saw Blair’s username on the screen.

BlairDonati: Hey, Fabien, wondering if you’re awake. I just woke up after I couldn’t sleep thinking about how the jerk worker at Toyz World is Us didn’t get my Orb cards for me.

BlairDonati: Sylvia asked me to come see Gramps at the hospital after his surgery. I went and found out that Ashley gave him some baked goods. I was so mad I could have thrown up. My family doesn’t care that Ashley broke my heart. They’re all about Gramps and his surgery and some guy who went missing at the hospital.

BlairDonati: No one cares about me. I am all alone.

Fabien gaped at the screen.

Fabien: “Sometimes, Blair, I wish you would disappear.”

He rolled his eyes.