Question of the week as I try desperately to get the Holiday Chapter written in time: Have YOU bought a copy of The White Lion yet?
Powdered Sugre 37
Say Hello to the Sun
'LA rocked by Royal invasion'- Last weekend's ball was the epitome of glittering high society. Pitting grand showmanship and fashion with passion and insults. True to form Her Royal Highness doled out insults with great disrespect for lifestyles and earned herself a physical reprimand from the high princess of Arcadia. HRH Calliope demanded some form of restitution even hinting that war could be declared. King Zarro has been quoted as laughing and saying. "I have no desire to engage in this silly squabble. She can declare all she wants, but I won't answer. Call it what you like I'm done with it." The High King of Arcadia laughed again then the line went dead. Princess Andromache has not been concerned with the incident at all and is quoted as saying. "A guest at her ball was having a severe medical emergency and she laughed, then insisted we stay when we were merely concerned for his health. She then decided to mock his and several more guests lifestyles one of them the prince of the eastern fire dragons and his consort. She showed a decided lack of diplomacy to our kingdom and if anyone should have the right to declare war it is Arcadia. And for the record, fifteen year old Rain Cloud MaClean, a prince of Arcadia, was not kissing Boy George, he was trying to administer mouth to mouth resuscitation. Thank you very much." All in all it was an eventful weekend for all.
Ryo sat the paper down and finished eating his eggs. George looked up and smiled at him. "That article was not at all toxic like the other ones."
"No," Ryo said showing George the writer. "This is Jeremy Jameson, JJ's cousin, he's living with the police commissioner."
"The commissioner is waving the flag? Wow, LA really is top notch for queers." George laughed and sipped his tea.
"I wouldn't say that," Dee said coming downstairs and George's eyes widened at the suspenders that held the shiny guns. Ryo had already caused him to drop his tea cup. Bikky, snickering, picked up the mess while Ryo had made him another cup. "We are tolerated because we do our job."
"Those guns probably make the transition a little easier," George said. Dee sat with a smirk and shrug. "We are going back to work today, and the boys are off to their own devices, is there anything you want to do today?" Dee asked watching as George slipped his sausages to Slyphe. The large cat purred rubbing along his legs as she sat and nibbled her treat.
"Actually yes," George said with a smile he looked up when a butterfly flew down and landed on his head. "Ponchi, I've asked you not to sit there." Bells seemed to tinkle, the sound of the fairy laughing. She bounced around a few times her wings fluttering before she hopped onto the table barely missing his breakfast as she landed. "Can you take me to Angel's boutique? He wants to work on a few designs with me." Ponchi folded her arms and sat on the edge of his plate her little face screwed in a pout. George reached down and allowed her to sit on the palm of his hand. He held her up to eye level appreciating the way the sun glinted off her bright blue hair and wings. "Would you like to come with me?" Ponchi leaped from his hand and tinkled spilling little flecks of dust. Slyphe, at George's feet, sneezed and looked up at the fairy with displeasure. "Alright, but you are not riding in my hair," George said and opened his pocket. Ponchi giggled and dived right in. He felt his pocket moving and looked down to see the tiny fairy moving his lip gloss and spare bobby pins around.
Rain laughed as things began to tumble out of George's pocket that the fairy tossed out. "Looks like she is getting comfortable."
"Hey," George complained picking up his things. He stared in awe as a tanned young woman with pointed and tufted ears and long bushy tail wearing white gauze handed him the lipstick. "Slyphe," He said staring at the new form of the young woman. "That's how you opened the door to my room,"George accused to which Slyphe laughed and shifted back to her lynx form. George wondered at the sudden change until he heard the doorbell.
"It's Erick and Terry, we are supposed to go to the park today, we'll take Lyo." Bikky said getting to his feet to answer the door. Bikky had just opened the door when Peter dashed past him. Ponchi squeaked and hid away in George's pocket.
"George, George," Peter said his eyes shining in glee. "Don Magely wrote that you were kissing everyone. Kiss me too." Peter puckered his lips and George stepped back as Erick pulled Peter back.
"I like that, if I so much as look at anyone," Erick groused looking at Rain. "You are bawling at me," Erick said with red cheeks he turned back to Peter. "And here you are begging a kiss off the man."
"I can't help it, he's so..." Peter sighed and tried to walk over to George but was stopped by a hissing Slyphe. "What?" Peter asked the snarling cat. "Only Rain's allowed?"
"I wasn't kissing him," Rain grumbled shaking his head he pulled his hair back attempting to sooth his cat. "You should read more than cheap society mags."
"The only one I will be kissing is Jhaymes," George announced sticking his tongue out he patted his pocket and waited for Ryo and Dee to finish up getting ready.
"Boys," Ryo said putting his jacket on over his weapons. "Since you are now fifteen and on summer break your new hours are ten and eleven." Bikky and Rain grinned, promised to be responsible and headed out. Erick looked sullenly at Peter and stomped out careful not to touch his young lover. "And Peter, Rain is right," Ryo said. "Don Magely is trash talking scum. Don't believe anything he writes."
Yeah," Dee laughed putting his jacket on. "He will have you believing we all have random orgies and George is the ringleader."
"What's an orgy?" Lyo piped up.
"You will immediately wipe that word from your vocabulary," Ryo said sending the boys off with a warning look at Dee while George laughed.
Lyo nodded then turned to Rain and Bikky. "Can we get ice cream?"
Break
Angel squealed in delight when George entered the shop and ushered him back to his work room. As soon as the door closed Ponchi left his pocket to perch on George's head amidst the ribbon tied braids. "Keeping a fairy in your pocket, how appropriate." Angel joked as he pulled out his fabrics.
"Oh stop," George tapped his arm then moved Ponchi from his head. "I don't know why you like it up there. Now, let's see," George sat down with a pad of white, lace cut paper. "Mind if I write a letter first?"
"No go ahead, I'll go get us some lunch," Angel left George alone in his work room with his paper.
"Ponchi," George said summoning the little fairy. "Are you sure you can deliver this to Jhaymes?" Ponchi hopped up and down and George took it to mean yes. Her tinkling and sprinkling of dust covering his hands. George smiled and tickled her with his pinkie then settled down to write. When Angel returned to the room it was to find George deeply engrossed in his letter.
"Dumpling!" George looked up as Torcha entered with Angel helping him to carry the trays of food. "Since Ryo and Dee went to work and the boys are off on their vacation I decided to be the dragon at your side today." George smiled at her then went back to his letter while Angel set his soup, sandwich and iced tea around him.
"Thank you Angel, thank you Torcha for assuring my safety." George added a few more lines to his letter then freshened his lipstick. Angel giggled when George pressed his lips to the page leaving an imprint. "Alright." George sealed the envelope after rubbing each page on his wrist to seal in his scent for Jhaymes. "Are you sure?" Ponchi grabbed the letter in her tiny hands vanishing out the window before George could ask her again. "Torcha, do you really think the incubus will come after me again?"
Torcha sat down and nibbled a large turkey leg that Collins had made for her. "It is not in the nature of that beast to give up." Torcha said she adjusted her lemon yellow and emerald green skirt around her knees and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "But do not worry, he'll get what's coming to him." George smiled at the tiny dragon queen. He began to eat his lunch with a great smile on his face. When they began to go over fabrics and designs Torcha became bored. "I am going to go peruse your racks Angel. I'll smell if something comes near the vicinity." Torcha waved at them then vanished into the boutique.
Break
The chief paced inside of Ryo and Dee's office. "There has been a wave of crime since you guys decided that you needed an extra week off."
"This is petty street stuff," Dee said tossing the file back at the chief. "Pick pockets, burglary, corner store lifting, uniforms can handle it. When you get a homicide, come see us." Ryo hid his smirk behind his coffee mug. Tasting the foul brew he coughed. It had been too long since he had drank the concoction he feared his immunity was gone. "You okay?" Dee asked getting up to pat Ryo on the back.
"Yeah, don't drink the coffee," Ryo pushed the cup aside. "Tastes like Slyphe used it for dunking her vermin in." Ryo gave one last cough then addressed the chief. "Sir, he is right. This is not our department. I do regret that the petty criminals have taken this opportunity to grow more bold in their endeavors, but perhaps increasing the number of patrols of uniforms and maybe even have on duty cops out of uniform on the streets that would deter the crime rate."
"Yes, well that is what I planned, I just thought you should know," The chief blustered leaving the office.
"Ever the diplomat," Dee said placing a kiss behind Ryo's ear. He was still nibbling the appendage when Leon entered the office.
"Welcome back boys," Leon grinned then handed them the file he was working on. "Odd case here, a channel swimmer was found dead."
"Homicide?" Ryo flipped open the file.
"Has to be," Leon said with a grim smirk.
"Cause of death?" Dee sad peering over Ryo's shoulder.
Leon sighed then sat down on an empty chair. "He drowned."
Break
Torcha looked through the elegant clothes made in fun patterns and selected a few. She moved on to long shirts and short skirts just as an obnoxiously familiar face wandered into the shop. He moved over to a table where a group of young girls were sipping floaties. Collins' version of root beer floats except the patron chose their own ice cream flavor and soda. Don Magely sat down with the girls. "Hey there girls. I hear that Boy George entered this Cafe a while ago. Can you tell me what he had to eat?" Don asked looking around for George knowing full well that he was not out there having peeped in through the window for some time.
"We don't know what he had for lunch. Angel and some beautiful woman carried in covered trays a while ago. She came back out." One of the girls said sipping from her straw.
"We are waiting for him to come out so we can get his autograph. We love coming here, we have seen Rain and Bikky, all of the Arcadians at one point or another as well as the famous detectives."
"That's nice," Don said looking at the closed office door. "How long have you girls been waiting?"
One of them looked down at her watch then smiled. "This is our third hour waiting. But we'll wait all day if we have to, we are big fans of Boy George."
"Three hours huh?" Don said with a knowing grin. "Wonder what they are finding to keep occupied in there." Don stood and went to listen at the door.
Break
Ponchi flew in through the window and Jhaymes gasped. He coughed a blast of Green flames and the little fairy covered herself in a bubble of shining bubble of light. "What's that you have there?" Jhaymes stepped forward leaving a trail of feathers smoldering on the floor . "That's from George," Jhaymes shuffled over and sat down. "Will you show it to me?" Ponchi bobbled in the air she opened the envelope and pulled out the first page holding it up in front of Jhaymes. The scent of Gardenia's came to him.
Dearest Jhaymes,
I was delighted to receive your letter. Such raw emotions. I admire your honesty and bravery. I fear that I feel the same for you. Yes, there it is, out for all to see... I love you. I was shocked and amazed by this fact, and yet delirious with happiness. I have met many people in my life and yet not one of them was as honest and caring as you. You genuinely care for me. Thank you for being as wonderful as you are. I was afraid of myself, maybe I love too fast, maybe I love too much, but I promise that I won't fear love. I won't not ever. If I feel an emotion I will declare it, so let me say again, I love you...
Jhaymes continued reading the letter feeling his heart swell as George promised to be patient and wait for him to return. There were a few spicy references that made Jhaymes long for his human form and the ability to make good on George's promises of passion. The letter finished with the signature, Your sweetheart, Georgie
Ponchi tinkled a giggle while Jhaymes sang an answering letter to her. Keeping her eyes closed so as not to read the private letter she allowed her small form to be used for the romantic purpose smiling brightly. Ponchi flew out of the window the same way she entered only followed by four friends.
Break
Angel laughed in delight clapping his hands as George drew several circles on a jacket they were designing. "Chains here, gold... No, white gold and jewels." George laughed aloud when Angel jumped up and down. "Yes darling perfect, right there." Angel cooed loudly reaching over George's shoulder he drew a few lines here and there. "Yes! Yes!"
"Marvelous," George laughed pushing his hair back he leaned over the desk. "This is delightful, we must do it more often."
Don stood outside the door then brought up his hand held recorder. "I am standing outside the work room of Angel Shunard, the designer to the stars and royalty. He has been inside for hours with Boy George while his known lover, Tom Collins, is working away in the kitchen. What are they finding to do? I can't tell you but I did overhear the words. Yes, Yes, right there, chains and Marvelous. Words spoken by both the occupants of the room. I hope no one here will leave with a broken heart yet it seems as if trouble follows Boy George wherever he goes. Last week at the mall several tables were turned over as he started a fight with his ex lover after they were cozying up with a bowl of sweets which Jon was seen to be licking from his face. The next night at a ball honoring Princess Calliope, he claimed that a knight of Arcadia was his boyfriend and spent the evening dancing with him. Jon and this knight almost came to blows. He has been staying with Detectives MaClean and Laytner and speculation about the level of the physical relationship escalated when Boy George was seen stroking MaClean's bottom in public and the two were later filmed buying lingerie and sexual lubricant. LA may not be ready for the revolution of Boy George and we will all breath a sigh of relief when he heads back to his side of the pond."
"Hello," Don looked down at Torcha when she appeared beside him just as the door opened and Angel bounced out. Don dismissed the small Asian woman turning his eyes to Angel and George.
"Ah..." Angel turned his eyes to Don and lowered his brows. "What are you doing here?"
"Just fishing around for a random interview." Don smiled winking at George standing behind Angel. "Are you willing?"
"No," George stalked past Don but paused when Don asked loudly. "Is it true that Ryo likes it when you kiss his ears?"
"I never kiss his ears, I wouldn't know," George groused.
"Well, where do you kiss?" Don asked his leer enough to turn George's stomach.
"Have you ever had a spiked dildo stuffed up your arse?" George asked his cheeks red with disgust at the slimy journalist. George shoved away from the man taking Queen Torcha's arm he escorted her to a table in the cafe. "Rude is what he is."
"Does he annoy you?"Torcha asked looking back at Don just as he replayed his earlier recorded message.
George rolled his eyes and answered. "Severely." Unsure why Torcha seemed so deep in thought.
"That will be in the paper in the morning unless you give me a counter interview. If I have nothing else to print..." Don let the words hang in the air with a heavy sigh as if he regretted his choice. "What will your boyfriend think when he reads this?"
"Print what you want,"George fumed his voice rising drawing the attention of several of the patrons who had yet to notice that he had left the work room. "You filthy wanker. Those involved know the truth and Jhaymes trusts me." George said omitting the fact that Jhaymes would be able to smell another on him so he really had no reason to fret about the article.
"Listen here, you cross-dressing freak," Don said close to George all pretense of congeniality vanished as he spoke low so that only George could hear. Torcha bristled as her keen Dragon senses picked up every word. "I will launch an ad campaign against you so vile you'll have no choice but to leave the country in shame complete album or not."
"Are you threatening me?" George narrowed his eyes.
"Excuse me," Torcha said. She was all smiles as she interposed her body in between the two men. "If you need something to print, why not interview me?"
"Who are you?" Don asked giving her a once over spending an obnoxious amount of time staring at her bosoms.
"If you did more than try to sniff out scandal," Angel said standing beside Torcha keeping George away from him. "You would recognize the Eastern Dragon Queen of Arcadia, her majesty Torcha." Angel and George bowed at the title to which Torcha released a cute giggle.
"Queen huh, sure, let's go somewhere we can talk... alone." He waggled his brows at the lovely young woman before him and inclined his head to Angel's office. Without asking Angel he escorted Torcha inside and shut the door.
"He'll meet a sticky end for sure," George gasped at the soft words spoken near his ear. "Hello pretty," Heaven said her white garments seeming to glisten in the bright sunlight. "Ryo and Dee are going to be a little late tonight, so when you are done here, Torcha is to bring you to the shop. The Honlon would like to keep you in her garden until they can retrieve you."
"Oh, but Ponchi won't know where to find me," George said worried about the tiny fairy.
"Ha ha," Heaven laughed patting his arm. "Pretty should not worry about such things. Go sit and work on your songs. Ponchi will find you just fine, especially if you are in the shop." George thought for a moment more unsure about leaving the little butterfly alone. "She'll be there, you'll see." Heaven said and George sat down with a cup of spiced chai. He did indeed pull out his journal and begin to write. It was not long before Torcha joined him. "To the shop then?" Heaven asked giving Torcha a wide grin. George was lost in thought and did not notice the secret smiles that passed between
the queen and the hybrid.
Break
Leon walked with Ryo and Dee to the shop just as Bikky and Rain arrived with Lyo and Chris. "Wow, boys, just made it." Dee joked checking his watch. "Chris, does Little D know you are out this late?"
"Yeah, he said I could stay with Rain and Bikky, we were at Erick and Terry's playing their new dragon quest game. Rain beat it in one sitting, we never even got a chance to play it was just cool to watch him at it." Chris gushed he was silent as the door opened and he saw George sitting on the sofa looking drawn and worried. Lyo sat beside him patting his arm. "Georgie," Chris hopped over. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, hello Chris," George said trying to smile at the young man. "Ryo, Dee, I fear I may have made a grave mistake."
"What happened?" Ryo said sitting beside George while Count D rolled his eyes and handed Kurayami to Leon.
"He's just worried about Ponchi, she never showed up. Torcha left him with the Honlon in her garden and he fell asleep losing track of time. Here it is eleven and she is still not here."
"I sent her off with a letter to Jhaymes, she should have been back by now."
"You don't think... oh no," Ryo said aghast. "Do you think Jhaymes sneezed on her?" Ryo whispered to Dee who shrugged.
"Georgie no leaking," Aoi toddled up to him and patted his knee. "Ponchi stopped for dew drops with her friends, she's coming."
"Dew... Drops?" George asked looking at the cherubic features before him.
Aoi nodded, "in Queen Vickie's garden." Ryo tried not to laugh at hearing the shortened version of the high queen of Arcadia's name. Just as George relaxed Ponchi and four swans flew into the shop. Ponchi carried a letter on green and silver parchment, while the swans bore three dozen mixed blooms. George laughed cuddling the little blue bit of sparkling fairy in his hands glad to have her back. He even promised that she could ride all the way home in his hair.
Break
Three Days Later
"Another case," Leon said when he joined JJ, Jill, Ryo and Dee in their conference room next to Agent Miaka's office. "Arcadian?"
"No, not really CIA either," Ryo said sharing his file with Ryo. "Seems some slime ball Journalist, Don Magely has come up missing. His wife called in and said he never came home after going after a pop star. She suspects foul play."
"Who was the pop star?" Leon asked and Ryo sighed showing him a picture. "Oh, dear." Was all Leon could say as he looked at the picture of George.
"They are recording today right?" JJ asked Ryo who nodded having dropped them all off with Dee just a few hours ago.
Ryo stalled at the door. "Daphnus is not going to like our disrupting his session just to ask George a few questions that we could ask when we got home tonight."
"Yeah," Dee said pulling Ryo in for a kiss. "His tantrum will be hilarious."
Daphnus stroked the keys of the piano as one would a lover while Rain sang softly. George sat beside Andy watching the two with a sigh. Ponchi perched on his head looking like a beautiful hair pin resting above his ear. He was just about to comment when a warm breeze drifted over him. It felt for a moment as if flames caressed him, but he was not harmed. George looked up at the doorway ignoring Ryo and Dee his eyes lit on Jhaymes as he entered the room with Torcha and Laton. Laton pointed to George but found the action to be useless for Jhaymes eyes had found George and stayed. George wondered why Jhaymes looked... he could not think of the right word, but Jhaymes seemed, brighter to him. Sleeker somehow. As if he had been fine tuned. Daphnus sighed giving up on his plans to have George record today.
"We're never going to finish," he sighed as George dashed to Jhaymes. George gasped in shock to be caught up in Jhaymes strong arms and spun around before he was set on his feet. Still dizzy from the spinning he was quite limp when Jhaymes sealed their lips. "Ryo and Dee, you may as well let us in on what you are doing here," Daphnus said cross with the two who had every intention of disrupting his recording session.
"George is a murder suspect... If the missing person is dead that is," Leon said announcing his presence with a laugh.
"What are you talking about? Dumpling would never!" Torcha said standing in front of George who was still ensconced in the circle of Jhaymes strong arms.
"Ryo, Dee..." Rain said stepping away from the microphone. "Murder?" Rain felt a strange sense of vertigo that he attributed to shock as he stared out of the large picture windows in their studio seeing the blue sky with a smattering of white fluffy clouds and not seeing them or the gryphon's that flew by. It had to be shock for he sucked in air and tried to speak only to blow out the air again.
"Holy cow... Who? When would he have the time? He is always with one of us... a dragon at all times." Bikky demanded looking at George with disbelief where the man stood trembling on the shiny hardwood floors. "I would like to agree with Torcha, he really does not seem the type. Look at him."
"I never killed anyone." George said sadly as he recalled a friend that was in fact found dead in his home of a drug overdose. It had been the catalyst to his own recovery prompting him to call a doctor and confess his addiction begging aid.
"Well, Don Magely is missing and his wife said he was last seen trying to interview you." Dee smirked then sat down with a soda. " I can't blame you if you did, but I don't think you did." Dee handed Ryo his soda so that he could finish it off.
"Of course I didn't..." George protested. "He showed up and..."
Torcha slid away from George as he continued his explanation to Dee who wrote down every word. She pulled Ryo aside and whispered three words in his ear. Ryo choked, sputtered and spit his soda onto Dee.
"Damn baby, you okay?" Dee got up and patted Ryo on the back. Torcha moved away from Ryo and went to stand behind Laton.
Ryo settled down and leveled a glare at his grandparents. "Now, now Snap Dragon." Laton held out his hands trying to placate his grandson. "Let's all remain calm."
"Calm would be if he were cheating on his wife and holed up in a hotel somewhere," Ryo ground out. "Calm would be if he were selling drugs to prostitutes and got himself a disease and died in a back alley." Ryo said his eyes losing their human veneer and shining darkly at his grandparents as he considered arresting them both. "Calm would even be if he were a mafia kingpin with Scorpio's children and got knifed in the back." Laton smiled softly at Ryo hoping that he would settle down so that they could try to explain. "That would be calm."
"I don't understand," George said feeling tears and felt Torcha at his side trying to pull him into her arms but Jhaymes held him closer resisting her pull.
"There now Dumpling," Torcha patted George's back. "They can't really prove anything."
"But I didn't..." George said he pulled his inhaler and puffed. What madness was this, sure Don had been annoying, but George had dealt with annoying before and had not resorted to murder. Sure he had thought about life without Don asking him rude questions and twisting his words, but he would not, would not, would not kill the man! "I didn't I swear it."
"We know..." Ryo said giving his grandmother a heated glare. "She... ate... him."
"What?!" Dee yelled as the entire group of assembled royale went silent. George said nothing. Feeling lightheaded he dropped into Jhaymes in a dead faint.
"But he was saying really nasty things about Dumpling," Torcha said to the suddenly silent room.
To Be Continued
Author's notes: Again with the Bwa... Ha...Ha. As for Boy George, I do not believe he ever used needles during his drug days, it was all smoked and snorted and otherwise inhaled, but I needed a visual reference, so I took artistic license. Sorry. He did indeed lose two friends to drugs, one of them in his home. (Seriously, if interested, read his life story) Look forward to some extremely odd cases coming from the shop, a new detective to investigate and cameos from some good... old... friends. Not to mention... When will JHAYMES and GEORGE get it on?! Only time will tell,
Ja Ne
Chi