Author's notes: It's weird. I've been debating whether or not to keep writing this. Meh, oh well. I have fun coming up with new ideas for this story, so it'll stay up here as long as even just one person keeps reading it. A little note on this. This second part was done completely out of random. Meaning, I sat down at my computer, and just started typing. No notes, no nothing. Sometimes that's the best way to write, and sometimes it just blows up in your face. Well, we'll see what happens.
Thanks: Thank you to my friend Will, my friend Ayrean, my friend Liz M, my friend Stagsleap, and my friend RockofMarduk for the lovely reviews. I love you all so much!!! =.= (happy kitty face....err...whatever....)
Warnings: More bad language ahead. Commence to shoving marshmallows in each ear.
Disclaimer: I'll you......(shakes fist)
Title: Bisses Mr. Minister
Chapter: Duke of Red
Rated: PG-13 to R
Narration: Skunk Kusai
OOC: Hmmmm......
And then you had to bring up reincarnation
Over a couple of beers the other night.
And now I'm serving time for mistakes
Made by another in another life time.
- The Indigo Girls
Duke of Red
They called him the Red Duke.
Duke, by far, was an understatement of this man's elegance. His posture, the way he held that single glass of wine, his pressed suit, that rose pined to his jacket, his smile, that firm handshake, his smile....ah, his smile. It was no wonder he had been getting so much fame. He was new, he was crisp, something different. This banquette alone was held in his honor, for he was the one who administered and provided funding for the completion of Metropolis' grand Ziggurat, the pinnacle of man's achievement, the height in government, politics, marketing, stocks, agriculture, commerce, and though few have come to realize, military.
The Ziggurat was completed just under a week ago, and this feast of epic proportions was to celebrate that. Music, dancing, talking, drinking, smoking, well rounded business men arguing over which bets are going to be the ones carried through, this is what I see each direction I turn. But, I don't mind. I can watch the world as it spins from my corner, much like I usually do at these nauseating gatherings. Did I mention I'm claustrophobic? Oh, how embarrassing.....
I have my own special section reserved for me. This includes about five cubic space across from my left and my right, where I press myself up against the wall and try to look invisible. Most of the time it works.
My feet are getting tired so I pull a chair over from one of the tables. I sit down, and look out. Most of the men on the dance floor do a very good job acting like their suits aren't bothering them. Mine's itchy as hell. And hot, too. Which is not a good combination considering winter was over six months ago. Officially that is. But it seemed to me it decided to quit two months prior to that. Stupid winter.
Lamp walked over, and leaned against the wall next to me. He had already taken off his suit jacket, throwing it on the back of a chair, but I would never have the courage to do something like that. It's canon to look as best as one can at these gatherings. Either Lamp didn't care about the rule, or he really didn't know how stupid he was being. He looked at me, dug deep into his pocket, and handed me a handkerchief.
I looked down, what the fu....
You're drooling. You know, all over the place... He moved his hands around to indicate a big area.
I blushed furiously. Lamp had always been good at detecting little facts and motions even when you tried to hide them your best. It was just now I realized that I was staring at the Duke profusely, non stop. Luckily, Lamp just saw that I was staring, not who I was staring at.
Let's see..... He put his hand on his chin and rubbed it, much like a detective does when analyzing a case, and scrutinized the crowd. It's her, isn't it...? He pointed to a tall, blonde woman, whom I had never even seen before. I sighed, and just looking for an escape out of this situation, I nodded. Yes Lamp, I was staring at her.
You're lying!
I rolled my eyes, Well, what do you want from me? What does it matter who I was staring at, it's not like I'd tell you anyway...
Why not?
I turned to him, and stared. He lifted his shoulders up, and gave me his What?' look. I sighed and looked towards the ground, I said at last, you'd tell everyone in the whole district. Tomorrow morning I'll turn on the news only to hear about the Minister's new crush.
Pfft....you worry too much. C'mon, you can trust me.... He moved his hand towards me as an attempt of comfort and friendship. Instead of welcoming it, I took an extra pair of gloves out of my pocket and whacked him over the head.
Ow! You awful man! But he was laughing, and like always, I can never break him. I leaned against the wall and wiped my brow with my sleeve, then began to fan myself with my hand. Evidently, it doesn't work very well, and I just ended up wasting more energy.
There was concern in his voice, but basically he knew it was nothing to worry about. He rolled his sleeves up.
Don't do that.... I sat down in the chair again.
Don't do what? He finished rolling them up and continued to lean against the wall, watching the world go by as we sit and complain to each other how hot it is.
Don't roll your sleeves up like that. I crossed my arms but quickly decided against it. It makes you stand out in this place.
He stuck his toung out and crossed his eyes, an indication of how uncomfortable the temperature was in this place. It's just looking at you gets me so hot.
Now, and ordinary man would have said that as a joke, or referring to the heavy uniform I was wearing. But noooooo, not Lamp. Lamp was anything but ordinary. And as I continued to stare at him, the more he began to realize he had said something wrong, and the more I began to realize he was hinting to me about something......something I didn't really want to deal with right now. Christ it was hot....
I'm going to kill you.
The creepy guy actually had the nerve to look surprised. But, what I....!
You know exactly what you did! Damnit, now I sound like a woman! You know what? Fuck this! And fuck you! I don't need to deal with this right now! It's too damn hot anyway! I'm gonna go take a piss!
And piss I did.
Ah yes, Lamp. Just a few months ago, we began talking again, as if nothing ever happened. It's not like I mind, in fact, I'm glad he doesn't bring up the past. But I can't help wondering what his connection is to me. It's almost like he couldn't go on without talking to me again. He's so stupid.
..
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, you won because you were the better man, and because you'd make a much better minister of State than I ever could.
I looked towards the ground. Lamp had just walked in on me suddenly while I was doing some paper work in my office. He stood there, with his hands in his pockets, smiling. We haven't talked in over a year, and now he walks in thinking everything can go back to the way it was. Asshole.
I said, shrugging my shoulders, it's good to know you're not holding a grudge. He looked up at me and smiled. Yes, of course! But he said it a little too loud, a little too enthusiastically, so much that I knew he was hiding something. I didn't really care at this moment.
Is that all you wanted? He looked at me once more, the smile slowly vanishing from his face, contemplating what I just said. It must have been a shock. When I looked at him with question written all over my face, waiting for his answer, he began to smile once more. Yes, yes. That's all I wanted to say. But he wasn't moving.
I sighed, and looked towards my desk. I had so much work. Well then, could you....you know.... He stared at me. You know..... I got nothing. He looked towards the ground. he fidgeted uncomfortably. Should I....
Lamp get out of my office.
He was silent for a minute, just looking at the ground. Then, he lifted his head up, and smiled. Of course. Maybe I'll talk to you again sometime. And with that, he was gone.
..
When I left him standing there as I headed off towards the men's room, he had a look of dazed confusion on his face, much like the day he was born. Oh, my outbursts frighten him, but are one of the only kicks in my day. So, I'll continue.
I stood in front of the mirror and stared. So white. My grandmother used to say it like a compliment. Oh Skunkie! You're so white!' Yeah, she was a little nuts. I turned on the water and let it run for a minute before sticking my hands under and collecting the cool discharge. I splashed my face and let it run down my neck. I sighed, and closed my eyes.
Oh damnit! I forgot. Towels cost money now. There is a man by the door of the bathroom with towels. Ten bucks per towel. I dig furiously in my pocket for some money, but all I come up with is eighty two cents.
This banquette is sponsored by the President's officials, I was just invited as a guest and to do some interviews I had been putting off for a while. So naturally, I thought it best not to bring my wallet. Or maybe I just forget. Yes, that seems more reasonable....
I finally give up on my search for wealth and ask What can I get for eighty two cents?
He hands me a tissue.
Fuck.
By now I assume people are taking their jackets off, so I do the same. Except by jacket' I mean my heavy Russian like dress with a belt. The thing weighed about half my weight. I used it to dry my face and then draped it over my shoulder. I would hang it behind a chair when I got back downstairs, but for now, my biggest concern was to get the hell away from there without anyone noticing it was me. I put my head facing the floor and began to walk quickly down the hall to the stairs. But, of course, because this is always the way my life ends up, I didn't quite make it there. The top of my head came in contact with someone's chest, and because my head was still facing towards the ground, I got a good look at their shoes. Hmmmmm, nice. They were polished.
I quickly jumped back and stared upon the person I must have offended, the person I would have to explain my childish and queer actions to, the person who obviously now would have nothing to do with a man walking quickly down the hall with his head bent and the top of his shirt damp like he had fallen face first into a toilet. I stood back, and stared upon this person.
At that exact moment, I figured out what it feels like to go into cardiac arrest.
Standing in front of me, was none other, than the Red Duke himself.
O! To have such an honor placed upon you! However, I'm not deserving of it. His suite, pressed and clean, that crisp rose pinned to his jacket, his eyes alive with wonder and astonishment, how perfect. He was perfect. And so was this situation. Out of all the times to run into someone with as much class and etiquette as him, this had to be the time. I could hear water dripping onto the carpet from my jacket and the tip of my nose, but all I could do is stare, my mind an endless void of emptiness. I did my best to think quickly, to tell him how unbelievably ecstatic I was to be facing him, this man, the one I want to be like, the one I admire, I want to say everything, I want to say something perfect, something to make him realize I'm not just some weirdo with a soaking wet shirt, something that will blow him away, I can do this, I've done it before....think Skunk! Think!
Oh, you really thought this one through, didn't ya...? Pathetic....
But he laughed.
That was a surprise. My hopes began to rise just a bit, but as quickly as that happened, they plummeted right down again. Perhaps he was laughing at me? How crazy I must look, a humorous sight. I lowered my head in shame as he continued to laugh, but was taken aback when I felt his hand lightly on my jaw bone, lifting my face up to his view. He looked at me in the eyes, laughed and shook his head, as a mother would do when a child rips his jeans or does something so stupid that it's funny. He dug deep in his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and began wiping my face and drying my hair with it.
Well, well, well.....this is a surprise now isn't it? His voice was just as I expected it to be, smooth and powerful, he knew who he was. I was just talking to your boss downstairs, told me you were something of a mystery. Guess now I know for sure! What a lovely smile. So, you must be Mr. Skunk Kusai, the minister! I must say, it is a true honor to finally be meeting you! No, no, no. The honor is all mine. Well now, I like your thinking! It is very uncomfortable down there, I was just going down to the bathroom to cool off as well, but apparently, from the looks of it, you forgot to dry yourself!
I blushed a deep crimson. Why do I do stupid things if I know they're just going to blow up in my face afterwards? This always happens. I do things too quickly before thinking them through. But....he was smiling. Still. Which made me think maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought. That everyone else thought.
He was still talking. And still drying my hair. Maybe he was so locked into what he was saying, he completely forgot to stop. God, he can talk a lot. Now my scalp is starting to hurt.
......and you know what happens when you don't dry off completely? You get sick! And.... He looked at his watch. Goodness! Please excuse me Mr. Kusai...
...but I must....pardon?
I mean, if you want to, you can call me Skunk. No need to be so formal. And, I realize now from your talk how much of an important necessity a towel is. No sarcasm intended.
Oh no. I think I must have said something wrong, because he just stood there for a few seconds staring at me. But, thank the Lord, he soon began to laugh once more. Smiling. Such a proud smile.
You, my friend, are one of a kind. I hope we see much more of each other in the future. He took my hand in his own, and shook it with such force I thought I might fall over. When he let go, he straightened his tie, and began to look past me down the hall. Might you point me in the direction of the men's room?
I nervously stood straighter, wracking my brain to try and remember what door on the left it was. Or was it the right? Shit.
He must have sensed my insecurity and confusion, because he lightly put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. Fine, fine. Don't hurt yourself, now. I'm sure I'll be able to find it. He started past me down the hall, only to turn to me with a broad smile and say, See you around Mr. Kusai...I mean, Skunk. And he was gone.
It took me a while to figure out if my pants were damp from sweat or if I wet myself while talking to him. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the later. Anyway, I must have passed out because the next thing I remember was the smell of really cheep cologne. When I opened my eyes...well, you can pretty much guess who was standing over me.
Quick! Quick! We need to give him CPR! You pump your hands down on his chest, and I'll breath into his mouth! Lamp opened his mouth wide, ready and set to engulf mine in his. Luckily, that was the exact moment I woke up, realized where I was, and shoved my hand violently in his face.
Ow! Oh, Skunk! Thank God you're alright. He took me into a big bear hug, me whipping my arms around his face, feeling like I might pass out again from lack of air. Careful sir... One of the paramedics came over to us and pried him off of me. Don't want him blacking out again.
I looked lazily around. There were people everywhere, some from the party, a few doctors, and some men from the state house. No Duke Red.
What happened? I rubbed my eyes tiredly, Lamp still hovering over me, ready to jump into action if I needed him. I pushed him away.
The nurse said, helping me up, we think it was a combination of the heat and the clamminess. Me, I tend to black out when I'm in a lot of heat too.... Lamp butt in. And you have that heavy jacket and everything.
Don't worry, she said, handing me a glass of water, you were only out for about fifteen minutes. Lamp began pushing me out of the crowd of people and down the stairs. Yeesh! Would you give this man some air! As he violently and quickly herded me down the stairs, I saw we got more people's attention. Is he alright? Whispering to each other. What happened to him? I covered my face with one of my hands as Lamp continued pushing me through the mob and towards the door.
Don't worry buddy, he tried his best to comfort me, I'll get you out of this. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I could feel a headache coming on. Great, Lamp. Just great. You know I'm not a little kid. I can direct myself out of a crowd without any help.
Shhhhh! You're delusional! You don't know what you're saying!
Outside, Lamp called a cab for me and told them the address of my apartment. Of course, I could have very easily done all of that myself, but with Lamp's hands clamped tightly around my shoulders, getting ready if I should collapse again, it was very uncomfortable and embarrassing to even take my head out of my hands.
I hate cabs. And cab drivers. And basically anything that has to do with cabs and cab drivers. During the ride home, I was bombarded constantly with questions, such as what it's like to be minister, how early do I have to get up in the morning to make it to work on time, do I get any sleep at all, was that guy outside my boyfriend or was he one of those creepy, psychotic fans that follow me everywhere.
It's such an honor Mr. Minister to be driving you home! Uh huh, yeah, okay. I mean, you're the most famous person I ever had the pleasure of being in my cab! I just smiled and nodded. I want to sleep. Just get under the covers and forget this whole day ever happened.
When the cab finally pulled up to my apartment, I handed the man a hundred dollar bill. Keep the change. I quickly leapt from the car and sped up my stairs. Have a nice night Mr.... But the door was already slammed shut, me on the other side leaning up against it, sighing deeply. I threw my jacket on the couch on flopped myself down on my bed, my feet dangling over the edge. I could feel my cat, Mr. Mookie, rubbing his face up against my toes and nibbling on them.
Nice to see you too. I rolled over on my back, picked up the remote, and turned my T.V. to the news. A young woman was on the screen.
...and tonight, for a little bit of lighter news, The minister of State, Skunk Kusai, blacked out this evening at a banquette for Duke Red celebrating the completion of the Ziggurat. Officials say he was only out for a short time and there is nothing to worry about. He left a short time ago in good condition. Back to you, Bill...
I turned it off, and stayed on my bed for a few more minutes, my mind a blank. I threw the remote on my pillow, got up, went to the bathroom, and slammed my head against the door a few hundred times.
Author's Notes: That's it for chapter two. In Chapter three, some more of your favorite characters will come in. Ta ta! And remember, reviews keep the world spinning! Keep em coming!