The Melody Remains the Same
So yeah... Been sitting on my laptop for a while and figure I'd post it. Inspired by Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
Disclaimer:shit ain't mine.
xXxXxXx
He liked the South. The slow days that melted into soft nights. A blues band was playing in the outdoor pavilion and couples were dancing slowly to the music. Logan had to admit that he was a little shocked at some of the couples' behavior. They danced close together, not even an inch between them. In reality they weren't doing anything wrong. Eveybody's hands were where they were supposed to be and only one or two couples had actually kissed. But the way they moved, turning and swaying slowly to the music.
Logan wondered how much longer the others would be. They had come down for a mission a few weeks ago. Things had gone off without a hitch, so Xavier had decided to give his over worked team a well deserved vacation. Of course that meant Logan was stuck watching the happy couple fawn all over each other. He grimaced and tossed back the last of his drink, slamming the glass back down on the bar with more force than was necessary. It didn't help matters that he had gotten into a regular knock down drag out brawl with Scott just an hour before, which had led to him stalking off to find a place to himself and a drink. So what was he doing here, watching couples dance in a nearly pornographic way?
"They're in love," murmured a voice, "You can't hold it against them."
He glanced to his right, an eyebrow arching when he saw what stood next to him. Or rather, who. A woman stood beside him. She was dark skinned, darker than anyone he had ever met before. She was tall, with a curved body and long legs. She wore a long, flowing white skirt that Logan could remember Jubilee jabbering about (he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was called…Peasant skirt or something like that). Her tube top was dark, dark red. Gold jewelry sparkled in the soft lights, delicate necklaces with copper colored coins and bracelets that made soft noises as she moved. Her head was shaved, her features delicate and her lips were full and plump. Between the jewelry and her revealing outfit, she should have looked garish and tacky, but…
She had been looking at the couples dancing while he studied her, but she looked over as if feeling his eyes on her. For some reason, he didn't feel embarrassed for being caught looking. It wasn't like he thought she was easy or anything, in fact the queenly air she carried herself with banished all such thoughts from his mind. There was just something about her.
He gave her a smile and said the magic words.
"Can I buy ya a drink?"
"Yes, thank you." She gave him a slow luxurious smile as she spoke that didn't exactly match her soft husky voice. She had a thick accent that made her words sound delicate and precise, an accent he couldn't even begin to place. It sounded a little Jamaican, but it lacked the pizzazz.
They sat in silence for several minutes, each sipping their drink of choice. She watched the couples on the dance floor and he watched her. Her expression seemed wistful, as if she were longing to join in. "Why haven't you found yerself a dancin' partner?" asked Logan suddenly.
She glanced at him before answering slowly, "What makes you ask that?"
He shrugged, "Jus' from the way yer lookin' at the people out there. Ya deserve ta have a good time, same as them." He gave her a dry smile, "I appreciate the attention though. Ain't often a guy like me catches the eye of a beautiful woman like you."
She had actually turned to face him full on now, treating him to a better look at her lovely, dark eyes. She studied him for a long minute before speaking, "You too are in love, though it is not returned to you?"
He turned his attention to the bar top. "It happens. Ain't no one's fault 'cept my own."
"There is another man?" she asked.
Logan was quiet for a long time before answering. "I'm the other man. He had claim on her long before I came into the picture." His eyes darkened and he tossed back the last of his drink with a vengeance, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. She never loved me."
They sat quietly for a long time. She looked up when a new song started, her eyes trained on the stage. The music began with the low tones of a piano, followed by the sultry cries of a violin. It was a slow song, more seductive than any he had heard all night. As he listened to the opening strains, he looked over at the woman next to him. She seemed to be looking at the couples with even more longing than before. As the singer began the opening lines, she sang softly along with him, her voice low and husky and painfully sensual.
Lines on your face, don't bother me
Down in my chair when you dance over me
I can't help myself
I've got to see you again…
"You've got a good voice," he said quietly.
"Thank you."
"Ya know it well?"
She gave him another luxriously slow smile, "The melody and the meaning behind the words are very old. The only thing that changes is the words."
Late in the night
When I'm all alone and I look at the clock
And I know you're not home
I can't help myself
I've got to see you again….
"Would you like to dance?" he asked suddenly. He wasn't sure why, it just seemed like the right time.
Even she looked a little surprise, before that smile came back and she said in her soft husky voice, "I would love to."
I could almost go there just to watch you be seen
I could almost go there just to live in a dream
But no I won't go for any of those things
Tonight touch your skin, is not why I sing
I can't help myself
I've got to see you again.
The piano played, the violin moaned it's seductive tune and they danced like lovers. Logan suddenly realized why the couples who he had been watching were so oblivious to everything but their partner. His hands were on her hips, moving her closer as her arms looped around his neck. Her jewelry made their soft bell like noises as they moved with not even an inch separating them. She was soft and sweet against his own body, her scent driving him insane. There was no artificial stink of perfume on her anywhere. Just the smell of woman, of a jungle at midnight and a full moon. They were still moving. Their hands were where they should have been and they hadn't kissed. But when he moved his body against hers, Logan knew there was no way this looked like your average dance. He could almost see how they must look, as if he was witnessing and not living it.
The tall, beautiful woman with skin as black as night, her arms wrapped around the neck of a solid, well muscled man who had his hands placed almost possessively on her hips keeping them close together. The man angled his head slightly so that his lips just barely brushed against the curve of her long neck. The woman's breath hitched just a little and she arched against him ever so slightly, as one of his legs slide ever so slightly in between hers, the veil of her skirt separating them.
There was never anything absolute, nothing firm and demanding. It was slow and delicate and they both were responding to it.
I could almost go there just to watch you be seen
I could almost go there just to live in a dream
But no I won't go to share you with them
But oh even though I know where you've been
I can't help myself
I've got to see again.
They stopped dancing as the music began to slow and the singer paused for that final line.
Oh, I can't help myself
I've got to see you again.
And they kissed. It wasn't anything like the dance. It was real and hard. He kissed her the way he had wanted to kiss Jean. The kiss was like climax. Like orgasm. They were tangled together for what seemed like forever and then, slowly, it receded, leaving him weak kneed. In the back of his mind he thought he could hear the others calling him. Only he was getting tunnel vision and everything was starting to fade to black. He looked at the woman he had been dancing with just in time to see her transform.
xXxXxXx
"Logan? LOGAN! Wake up!"
He struggled up from the darkness, pushing aside the drugged sleep to sit up. Rogue was kneeling beside him, holding his head. She gave a soft sigh of relief. "You gave us quiet a start there, Wolvie," she said, gently, "How ya feelin'? What were ya doin' kissin' that thing anyway?"
"Thing?" he asked blearily, sitting up for real this time. He saw her then. She…Hell, she was still beautiful. The jewelry was still there in fact it was more decadant than ever, the necklaces draping down over her breasts while the bracelests went up all the way to her elbows. Her lower body from her hips down was a long, glistening black snake's body. The human part of her, two times bigger to match the large snake body, reclined on the ground, while the snake half disappeared into the darkness. She was watching him from where she lay, her eyes completely black and sparkling. She seemed saited.
"I told you he would be fine," she said that familiar soft husky voice with the strange accent, "That's why I chose him." As she spoke Logan could see the flash of long fangs and a forked tongue.
"Yes," said Jean, almost furiously, "And since he is awake maybe NOW you will be willing to explain yourself! Why did you trick Logan into coming here and what exactly did you do to him."
The woman took her time in answering, giving Logan the chance to look around. What had previously been a brightly lite pavillian was now deserted and overcome by moss and plants.
"That," hissed the woman, "Is really none of your business little mind witch." The hiss became a sharp pained cry as the telekinetic weight on her increased.
"Jean stop," Gambit said almost nervously, "Remy knows 'bout la femmes like her. They is powerful swamp witches, ain't wise to cross them. 'sides, ol' Logan ain't hurt none, oui?" Here he looked over at Logan, who was still looking at the snake woman.
"I am not a mere swamp witch, child," the snake woman said, pushing up against the telekinetic weight, "I am the goddess of the People of the River."
"You expect us to believe that…" began Scott, but he was interrupted by Ororo's hand on his shoulder.
She moved passed him to stand before the snake woman. The two goddesses regared each other in silence. "I know of you," the snake goddess said finally, "You are the living goddess. The one who did not need the prayers and offerings of her people to live on. The child goddess."
"Yes, I am her," the weather goddess said, "And I know you. You are the goddess who gave the People of the River strong babies and kept away diseased vermin, you and your snake people. One of the old ones. You are very far from home now."
The goddess nodded, "In the minds of my people I traveled. In this new land, they offered up what little sacrifices they could to me. But gone were the festivals, the dancing lovers and the young men they sent to me." She seemed suddenly very old and very tired, "I became weak and useless, surviving on what little they could give me. As time went on, I did as many of our kind who were brought to this land did. I found ways to survive, found a new people to love."
"And how was that?!" demanded Jean, "Draining the life from helpless victims?! Is that what you call love?!"
The snake goddess leveled a dark stare at her, "And who might you be to judge me, little mind witch? If you are his lover than pray do step forward and claim your man! The strong and the good fall to my kiss this is true, but the weak and wicked never get up again. I chose him and he courted and wooed me of his own will. You have your man, little mind witch, I can smell him on you from here and he is not the one I chose."
Jean's face reddened and she looked as though she were about to drop her entire telekinetic weight on the snake goddess when a firm hand was placed in the small of her back. She turned sharply to see Logan behind her.
"Take everyone back to the hotel," he said softly, "I'll take care of this."
"But Logan you…"
"Don't worry about it, Jeanie," he said looking over at her, "Just go."
He waited until the others' scents had faded before walking over to sit on some of the crumbling ruins in front of the goddess. "I dunno what to say," he said in a near growl, "Or how I should feel about what happened."
"It was a test of manhood in the old days," the goddess said, "In return for that, I received a small bit their love and their belief."
"That ain't the way it works anymore, huh?" he asked in the same half growl, "Bet now you gotta hunt for men who're strong enough to handle that kiss of yers. How can ya tell if he is?"
"The dance," she said, softly, "It's the same song in every city in the world. The only thing that ever changes is the words." They sat in silence for a long while.
"What're ya gonna do now?"
"I shall return to my homelands," she answered, "I have been gathering the strength for several years now, so that I may make the journey on my own. It will be a long journey and I do not know what I will find when I return to my jungles. If my people still remain or if there is, perhaps, another who has taken my place. All my kind truly need is one heart who belongs to us." She gave him a tender look, "I found what I needed in you."
Logan studied his hands for a while, "Yeah, I guess. Feels like a piece of my heart is missing."
"And for that I thank you."
He looked up at her one last time, "I'm never gonna see ya again, am I?"
"No," she said softly, "I'm afraid not, but what you have given me will not be for nothing. That is my promise to you." She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. "Good-bye, dear one."
"Good- bye, baby."
And with that she was gone, with nothing but the scent of her and the soft sound of her jewelry left behind.
xXxXxXx
"Excuse me," came a softly husky voice, "Is this seat taken?"
Logan looked up, half expecting to see the near black skin and obsidian eyes of a goddess. Well, the skin was a few shades too light and the eyes weren't nearly dark enough, but she still looked like a goddess to him.
"Storm, what're you doing here?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to take in her full figure.
"It is the last day of our vacation, is it not?" asked the former goddess, taking a seat next to Logan, "I decided that I would take it upon myself to intrude upon your misery ridden solitude." They sat in a comfortable silence, watching the dancers on the pavilion move to the blues band. In a quieter, gentler voice she asked, "Do you miss her?"
"Who, Jean? Nah, I'm used to it."
"Not Jean, Logan…"
He was quiet for a while before sighing, "I really have no idea. I guess there's always gonna be a part of me that keeps waitin' fer her to come back."
"It was the custom in her village that after a young man passed the test of her kiss, they would return to the village and dance with the young woman who chose them." She paused a second, "My people had a similar custom but as a goddess, I was never allowed to take part." She paused again as they watched the couples dance without an inch between them. "I have always….wondered…what it would be like to dance that way with someone."
They sat quietly for a little while. She looked up when a new song started, her eyes trained on the stage. The music began with the low tones of a piano, followed by the sultry cries of a violin. It was a slow song, more seductive than any he had heard all night. As he listened to the opening strains, he looked over at the woman next to him. She seemed to be looking at the couples with almost undisguised longing. "Would you like to find out?" he asked suddenly.
She looked a little surprised, pausing for a second before smiling shyly, "I would love to."
The singer began the opening lines, her voice low, husky and almost painfully sensual.
Lines on your face, don't bother me
Down in my chair when you dance over me
I can't help myself
I've got to see you again…
The piano played, the violin moaned it's seductive tune and they danced like lovers.
Fin