Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 20

Life, Career

As Rue's life begins to go back to some sort of normality in the weeks approaching Valentine's day, Doug interrupts their day off with what could possibly be their most difficult mission yet.

The weeks passed and life returned to relative normality. As the winter weather began to warm up, Rue even noticed the nightmares about Evelyn's melting face and the grotesque feat of science beneath starting to fade from their mind. They'd been in sporadic contact with the heroes, laughing with Rachel as she came to terms with the loss of her hair and hearing from Alec that Eli was looking at upwards of twenty years in jail for a combination of stalking, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and, most surprisingly of all, corpse desecration, though Rue tried their very best not to think about where that brain had actually come from.   The weekend is always a pleasant diversion for Rue. The Spider liked to take weekends for himself and so, by extension, they often get a few days without any little errands to run and could continue working their way through Doug's extensive collection of books. At least, that is the case when Tara is working and not just filling up the living room with the sound of daytime TV and high-pitched giggling.   Unfortunately for Rue, today was one of those days and so, they were particularly relieved when, at the end of his shift, Doug messaged them seemingly worried, "Rue, can you come meet me at the rec district mall? I need a friend, and Tara cannot find out."   Although slightly puzzled, Rue seized the opportunity to get out of the apartment, grabbing their keys from the small bowl at the entrance and calling something over their shoulder about going to visit Rani.   The weather outside was mild, the cloudless sky clearly welcomed by the people of Bathala as they all seemed to have ventured outdoors. It takes Rue a little longer than expected to get to the mall, weaving through the crowds in search of the familiar burly man, “Hey,” They say when they finally reach Doug near the entrance, taking in his anxious demeanour, “What’s the emergency?”   "Rue! Glad you're here," he says, seemingly relieved at their arrival, "Listen, you're a... Well, I'm honestly not sure what you are. But you're closer to a woman than any of my other friends, so I need your help." His voice suddenly becomes conspiratorial as he looks up and down the rows of boutique shops and kiosks, "I have been up and down this mall more times than I care to admit, and I cannot figure out what to get Tara for valentine's day!"   Rue blinks at Doug, taking a moment to look around suspiciously, “Sorry,” They shake their head with a huff. “I was expecting a candid camera somewhere. You want my help finding a Valentine's present for Tara?” Seeing the despair in Doug’s eyes, they decide to keep their teasing to a minimum for now, “What ideas have you come up with so far?”   "Look, you may not be the most... romantic type, but you're perceptive, and you've got a good nose for people," he says, blanching as his hope falters slightly, "I... err... I've got nothing," he deflates, "She likes," he holds up a pair of finger quotes, "pretty things... But what the Hell does that even mean!? Maybe I should just get her a gift voucher..."   “Oh boy…” Rue pinches the bridge of their nose. “Okay, you’re not getting her a gift voucher, not if you want to have a second Valentine’s Day with her anyway,” They look around at the shops nearby, wondering if this might be their most challenging mission ever, “Alright,” They say, starting to walk into the mall. “First things first - what’s your budget?”   "Err..." he checks his wallet before looking back up at Rue, a concerned look on his face, "About a grand? Or is that not enough."   Rue’s eyes widen and they splutter a little, “You- um… yeah, no, that should be enough,” Taking a moment to regain their composure, Rue tries to think of Tara’s likes and dislikes that they’ve picked up on over the past couple of months. Having spent more time with the blonde over the weeks that they were recovering, they remember how Tara seemed to swoon over the romantic gestures in the TV shows, and though they slightly regret not paying more attention to them, they do have a vague idea of what the scenes entailed.   “What about her favourite perfume?” They suggest finally. “She’s practically swimming in the stuff, so can’t you get her more of that?”   "Phew," he says, dramatically wiping his brow, "That's not a bad idea... Swimming in it, eh?" He ponders for a moment before shrugging, "Is it... nice?"   “It’s…” Rue hesitates, frowning as they consider their answer. They hate the perfume, personally, but that might have more to do with their sensitivity to scents and Tara’s excessive use of the product. “It’s something she clearly loves, plus it would show that you were attentive to her tastes.”   They get the feeling that they already know the answer to their next question, but regardless they give Doug a quick sideways glance as they continue walking. “You do know what her favourite perfume is, don’t you? She must have a bottle - or a vat - of the stuff in your room.”   "Yeah, about that..." he says, seemingly embarrassed, "I mean... I never really smelled it. I don't have much of a sense of smell since, well... birth. And she has so many bottles of... I don't even know what. She's turned the top of my drawers into an apothecary's shop."   With a groan, Rue checks their phone for the time, looking at the opening times in the shop windows, “You are going to owe me for this.” They huff, directing them to a boutique shop that smells worse the closer they get.   "You can add it to my tab," he says, sighing as he follows Rue past each storefront and kiosk, displays getting seemingly more extravagant as they went.   Stepping inside feels like stepping through a cloud, the various fragrances mixing into one overpowering abomination. Rue briefly pulls a face before steeling themself, “Any idea as to what colour or shape the perfume bottle might be?”   "Now, I'm fairly sure it had a lid," he says with confidence.   “I’m going to punch you.” Rue mumbles grumpily, shaking their head. Once they’re a little more accustomed to the smells (though certainly not comfortable), they start to realise the boutique is split into different sections per brand.   Thankfully, the shop seems to specialise in “women’s fragrances”, although that does mean that every bottle in sight is a contender. Lovely. They make a beeline for a woman in a black pencil skirt and matching blazer who seems to be stocking up on some of their merchandise.   “Excuse me,” They say, giving the woman an awkward smile as she eyes them suspiciously. “I’m hoping you could help us find a fragrance for my friend’s girlfriend,” They point at Doug behind them, wondering which of them looks more out of place here. “We don’t know the name of it, or what it looks like, but it smells… well, it’s floral, but with some peppery notes and a tinge of apricot.”   "Oh!" Doug exclaims as if hit by inspiration, "I think it was named something in French!" he says, feeling fairly sure of himself, "Does that help?"   The sales assistant raises a brow in stunned silence as she looks over the rows upon rows of fragrances with French names, "A... a little?" her gaze falls back upon Rue, clearly deciding who her time would be better spent interacting with, "I have a few fragrances in mind, would you two be able to pick it out if you smelled it?"   “I think I might be able to,” They say with a nod, following the woman across the shop floor as she deftly picks out an array of bottles, slightly narrowed down by Doug and Rue’s descriptors. They watch as she sprays a little bit of the perfume of each onto a thin strip of paper, wafting it a little before handing the sample over. Rue can already feel a headache coming on.   They carefully sniff the first sample, “That’s not it,” They shake their head, placing the paper on the counter. “The floral scent is too subtle. And I’m not getting that apricot undertone from this one.”   "You've got quite the nose for perfumes," the woman says as the pair cycle through a half-dozen different concoctions while Doug stands idly nearby, trying not to look too awkward, "Ah, I think I know what you're after."   The woman confidently brings out a lavish pink bottle and applies a small volume to another test strip. Even before Rue leans forward to sniff it, their mind floods with memories of Tara emerging from Doug's bedroom in a cloud of noxious fragrance. They're taken a little aback and are only brought back to the present as they feel their phone going off in their pocket.   ''Ah, umm,'' Rue coughs once, pretending to sniff the sample as they reach into their pocket. ''That. Get that one.'' They point at the bottle, taking a step back from the counter. ''I'll wait for you outside.''   They get out of the store as quickly as they can without actually running, eager to get away from the perfume cloud, before they look down at their phone. They grimace a little as they see the name "Boss" on the contact, opening it up reluctantly to see what Spider wants this time.   "Rue. Emergency mission. Meet me at Brackenwood Park, near the mall, ASAP." the message reads. Rue's brow furrows, wondering what type of emergency would require Spider to call in what he's always made clear is just a glorified odd-jobs person.   They send back a quick 'on my way' message. As Doug steps out carrying a small paper bag with little tufts of pink paper sticking out the top, Rue looks at him apologetically.   ''Sorry, duty calls,'' They hold up their phone with a shrug. ''You need to make sure you pair that perfume with some nice flowers, probably pink ones, and some chocolates,'' They start to walk away from Doug, taking a brief moment to call over their shoulder ''And make a reservation for a fancy dinner place!''