The year is 7053…
Scarlet lights shined throughout the entire club, topless women slinked and grinded against iron poles, seducing the fantasies of their audience. Dollar bills flooded the stage to motivate the girls to go further, do more and give the viewers what they wanted. This place was unmistakably The Inferno Room, Crystal Tokyo's most popular strip club.
Sitting on a stool, sipping a glass of cranberry juice was man with rich golden eyes. He drank the cranberry juice as if its divine liquid was the sweetest in the world. His jet black hair was spiked into tips courtesy of a lot of hair gel and he wore a sharp snake skin suit and boots. He shook his glass for no apparent reason at all when a soft hand grasped his shoulder.
"Having fun yet?" A woman asked. She wore a schoolgirl outfit and her long violet hair had been pulled back into a neat ponytail. Her eyes were dark almost hypnotically dark with a swirl of violet in them.
Mesno was speechless as he gazed at her mesmerizing face. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, but still she was only a stripper. Mesno gawked at her for a moment as his imagination ran wild. He nodded and she smiled at him and strode across the stage to another man. She began conversing with him and trying to seduce his wallet and deep pockets.
Mesno tossed the handful of cash onto the stage to her; his eye candy of the week, but he was too late as she dragged the lucky guy to the private room where he would be getting a lap dance. Mesno felt a surge of anger and disappointment as he watched another girl scoop up the King's ransom he had tossed onto the stage for the object of his affection. Mesno had been coming to The Inferno Room everyday for the past week just to watch her. He couldn't explain why he did it? It was just the strange power a woman had to ensnare the attention of a man effortlessly.
Mesno slammed his foot on the gas, the tires squealed for mercy as the car shot down the road with an unforgivable vengeance for anything that crossed its path. The fury within Mesno shot through at twice the speed the car was going. He wasn't angry at the stripper who stumbled upon the bundle of cash that was for Mesno's fantasy sweetheart. He was frustrated with himself. Why he hadn't said anything, he could've done something anything to catch her. Bought a lap dance, bought her a drink or just talk to her, but he had to play it safe and scope her because of his fear and constant war with the opposite sex because of his tragic past.
The night sky was filled with stars but the sallow moon that had once hung over the orb as a celestial lantern was gone, never to be seen again, lost to history. The mighty castle of Crystal Tokyo stood tall, with its silver pillars twinkling like a disco ball and stretching into the sky, piercing the clouds. The stone entrance stairs were crowded with thousands of children. Some were playing with dolls, some with action figures and others just staring at the stars in the sky. Mesno pushed through the many children, steamrolling his way toward the double doors.
Mesno pushed open the heavy diamond doors and entered the elevator. He quickly jabbed the button marked sixty-nine and crossed his arms in the b-boy stance waiting for the doors to pop open at the sixty-ninth floor.
A few seconds later the doors opened on the thirtieth floor and inside stepped Crystal Tokyo's new monarch. Her long pink hair was odango styled just like all the other former queens. It seemed to be a hair style that would never die among royalty. Her ruby eyes were cloudy, trying to hide the sorrow she was feeling from losing both her parents a few days prior.
"Good evening ChibiUsa," Mesno said cautiously.
Queen Serenity said not a word; she quickly threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep embrace sobbing onto his shoulder.
Mesno soothingly rubbed her soft back, his nostrils flooded with her sweet potpourri perfume that cast a love spell on everyman that inhaled it.
Mesno and ChibiUsa had been friends for a long time. Going back to diapers after King Endymion visited the old orphanage he was raised in. ChibiUsa immediately became infatuated with Mesno and still hadn't shaken off Mesno's unconscious charms and still easily fell to her knees and resisted drooling over the old photographs of them.
"I miss them so much," She sobbed.
Mesno couldn't say a word to comfort her, he had never felt the loss of his parents. When he was born his mother had thrown him away in the trash as if he were garbage and he had never heard nor wasted a thought on his father. He merely held her as tightly as he could as if threatened by the duties that would soon take her away.
"Don't cry," Mesno pleaded wiping her tear away, "Remember,"…he said remembering a quote from his idol. "Tears are the gifts of humans." He wiped her eyes and at that moment everything felt right as if it were destiny.
ChibiUsa shut her eyes and parted her lips. Mesno took her beautiful face in his hand and slowly lowered his lips to hers.
"Oooooh," A group of girly voices teased.
Mesno and ChibiUsa quickly separated and gazed at their viewers, the new inner sailor senshi who had inherited the powers of Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. Formerly know as the Amazon Quartet, CereCere, PallaPalla, JunJun and VesVes had all reawakened with the task of protecting the new queen of Crystal Tokyo.
ChibiUsa went scarlet, her embarrassment quickly consuming the sorrowful thoughts as the girls teased her.
"That's how so many relationships start out," VesVes nodded, "I mean Ms. Rei and Yuuchiruo were undercover. And even both your parents had a secret love for one another."
Immediately everyone glared at VesVes who said nothing, realizing she had already said too much.
ChibiUsa burst into tears as the memories submerge her mind with grief, and ran out of the elevator.
Mesno glared at VesVes for a second before chasing down ChibiUsa. He ran and ran until he nearly crashed into a small group. One was a tall man with long blond hair, another with spiky pink freakazoid style hair and the other a woman with bright blue hair. The former Amazon Trio had also been reawakened as ChibiUsa's guardians to guide and protect her.
"Leave her alone," Hawk said.
Mesno stared past them and sitting on the comfy sofa with Chibi Usa was a tall man wearing a white uniform with magma red eyes with icy blue hair was Helios. ChibiUsa rested in his arms her tears streaming down her cheeks and onto his uniform as he mumbled comfort into her ears.
"Leave her alone," Mesno asked, pointing to Helios as jealousy stung his heart.
"We've got it from here, just leave it to us," Fish assured him.
Mesno gritted his teeth, shaking his head as he headed back to the elevator.
"Oh and Mesno, we need the prototype by tomorrow." Tiger called as the elevator doors slammed shut.
Mesno gritted his teeth and kicked the elevator doors, fury, anger; malice and envy were combination of emotions that broiled his blood. He gave the door another kick before retreating in the corner and cursing. The doors popped open and once again he stood outside the palace. There was no way he could complete the prototype in the mind state he was in.
The ignition roared to life and like a bullet the car shot down the road. Flaring past stop signs and through red lights, the car spun to a stop in front a large hotel titled The Zaratoga.
The Zaratoga Hotel was where Mesno did all of his thinking. He would always sit in the bar downstairs, chugging bottle after bottle of cranberry juice until an idea popped into his head.
His table was vacant, as usual. He sat on the soft sofa, giving him a perfect view of the stage where a piano sat…alone with no one, just like he was.
"Can I get you anything?" The waitress asked, with a smile.
Mesno stared at the piano, he couldn't help but shake the feeling it was giving him right now. As if it was important. "Huh?" He said turning to the waitress.
"Can I get you anything?" She repeated with the same cherry smile.
"Cranberry juice," He nodded.
"Be right back," She smiled, striding across the floor and on her way to the counter.
Mesno turned back to the piano. It radiated an imperative feeling to him, as if it were divine, a subliminal message of some kind.
"Here's your cranberry juice," She smiled, carefully placing the glass onto the table. Without looking at the huge amount of cash in his hand, Mesno gave it to the waitress who looked shocked. She had never seen nor imagined this amount of money before.
"Excuse me sir-"
"Keep the change," He grunted, taking a sip of the sweet drink.
"So is your wife meeting you here," She asked, still smiling.
Mesno sat his glass down and glanced at the piano before turning to the waitress, "I'm not married."
"Really, how is it a guy like you isn't married?"
"What made you think I was married?"
"Well, you're a very handsome man, you look successful unlike most of the people who come in here and well, you seem to really have it together."
"You have no idea," He replied, shaking his head.
"Well I was," She began before Mesno cut her off.
"No," Mesno said flatly.
"No what?" She asked.
"I don't have the time." Mesno said, he knew that she knew full well what he was talking about.
"Sorry to have bothered you," She said, striding away quickly to take another order.
Mesno watched her go and gazed at the starry sky outside the window. The stars sat there, basking in their glory as children watched and dreamed of visiting them and humans dreamed of owning them as just another shining diamond in their collection. Suddenly, a shooting star burned through the sky. It vanished, quickly without a trace as if it never came. Mesno stared at the spot hoping it would come back, but he quickly gave up. He shook his cranberry juice, staring at the vacant piano as an old song he had heard pounded in his brain.
Windmill, windmill for the land.
Learn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is sticking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
He shook the lyrics out of his head as a woman he recognized stepped onto the stage.
With no introduction she sat in front of the piano, closed her eyes and let her fingers glide over the keys, playing an angelic melody. Mesno sat there, captivated by her beauty and talent.
Her long violet hair had been tied into a bun and she wore a tight black dress. Mesno stared at her, knowing he had seen her before somewhere, than it hit him. She was a stripper at the Candy Store.
For once, he had been wrong. She wasn't just a topless dancer, who would do anything for a dollar. She was a complex, deep and beautiful woman from what he could see. She sat there elegantly playing the piano with a natural ease while her audience listened, judging the quality of her work.
(She's so beautiful.) He thought watching her play the melancholic notes.
Mesno dared himself to go to her, but thought against it. The room was filled with people, her audience and the perfect setting for his embarrassment but at the same time it was the perfect setting for him to declare his admiration for her. He stared at the cherry red cranberry juice and took a deep swig of it. He sighed feeling his tongue go numb for a second. He climbed out of his seat, suddenly feeling a lot braver.
Her beautiful face grew clearer and larger with every step he took. Her violet eyes hidden behind her eyelids at the moment, not a thought ran through his mind as he stepped closer to the stage.
He stood inches from the spotlight and her, his eyes locked on her as she continued to play.
Suddenly, reality hit Mesno. Here he was, standing in front of nearly a hundred people staring at some woman playing a piano.
(I'm making a fool of myself.) He thought.
Suddenly, the music stopped and she opened her eyes. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the men behind the piano. He stood there with no expression on his face. She had seen him many times at her other job. Why had he come here? Was he stalking her, or just some jackass trying to reveal how she paid for her dress?
Mesno face contoured into a smile and he clapped, applauding her. The audience soon followed his lead, applauding the talented pianist.
She went scarlet, cracking a goofy smile as she bowed for them. Her eyes fixed on her number one fan. She nervously ascended the stairs, leaving the public eye.
Mesno stared at the top of the staircase, where he had caught a final glimpse of her. Wondering why she had left so suddenly. Had he scared her? Or did he bother her in some way?
Mesno shook his head. Admitting if there was one thing he knew nothing of it was the female mind. He awkwardly returned to his table and ordered another cranberry juice. He had completely given up on the pianist, feeling she would be no more than a repressed memory from now on. Mesno gulped down his cranberry juice hastily, hoping everyone would stop looking at him and whispering. How he wished he had diplomatic immunity right about now.
Mesno gulped the cranberry juice as if he were racing everyone.
"Umm, excuse me?"
Mesno opened his eyes, and standing before him, wearing a tight black dress that hugged every curve of her body with long lavender hair and dark violet hypnotic eyes was the pianist/stripper.
Mesno's glass hit the floor as the cranberry juice spilled all over him. He was too nervous he thought he was squeezing the glass too hard. He gagged, choking on the sweet juice.
"Are you okay?" She asked quickly.
"Yeah," Mesno nodded, dabbing his clothes with napkins. "Happens all the time?" He lied, not realizing how silly he sounded.
She covered her mouth trying to hold in a giggle, "…May I?"
"Aaaa…," Mesno thought aloud as his mind crashed.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She asked a melancholic look in her eyes.
"N-no," Mesno replied shaking his head, trying to forget how ridiculous he must look right now, "Please sit down."
She slinked her petite body across from him. She studied him for a moment, which only increased how nervous he was. "…Are you okay?" She asked again.
"Yeah, I'm fine," He nodded, trying to play it cool.
"Were you nervous?" She asked.
Mesno fell silent for a moment, he didn't like the way she was looking at him about now as if she were using his awkwardness as a tool of amusement and the way she eyed him as if she would transform into a type of creature and eat him. "…No," Mesno said, "You just surprised me a little."
"Sorry," She smiled, not sounding sorry at all.
"Say," she sighed, dropping her voice to a whisper, "would you like to go someplace more private?"
"Umm, yeah," He nodded; feeling today must be his lucky day.
"It's kind of hard to talk freely here," She replied.
Mesno gazed around the room, and for the first time noticed it was dead silent and all eyes were on the two of them.
"I have a room here," She whispered.
Mesno kept his mouth shut, trying not to say anything that may spoil his chances.
"Come to room 217. I'll wait for you there." She whispered before standing up and leaving the table.
Mesno coolly spun around, watching her go. He ordered one more cranberry juice and killed it before he headed upstairs.
The halls of the hotel were wide and the numbers were fancily stamped onto the doors in gold. Mesno stood in front of Room 217. He stared at the ceiling thinking, 'Well, here goes. Don't mess up. Just play it cool,' Mesno sighed, shaking his head and wishing he had a glass of cranberry juice right now. He raised his fist and softly knocked on the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened and standing in the doorway was her. "Thanks for coming." She smiled allowing him into the room. The room was filled with a single bed, a television and a suitcase.
"No thank you for inviting me." Mesno smiled, but suddenly her smile turned upside down and her face became stern and serious.
"Who are you?"
Mesno eyed her skeptically, he had expected something a little more, but once again she was going to interrogate him. "I'm just a fan of yours."
"Is that why you come to watch me dance so often?"
"…Like I said, I'm a fan…that's all. What did you think I was?"
"A stalker…or worse." She replied not pullong any punch in her honesty.
"So why do you…well,
"Why am I stripper?" She said, filling in the blank for him.
"Yeah," Mesno nodded.
"This is Crystal Tokyo," She said, "Unemployment doesn't put food on the table."
Mesno nodded, agreeing with her. "I was just, ya know, shocked because, well the stereotypical strippers are usually doing other work on the side and you're a pianist."
"Sorry," She shook her head, "I never introduced myself," She outstretched her hand, "My name is Uratoh."
"Mesno," He said, taking her hand and shaking it softly.
"You have beautiful eyes," Uratoh said ardently staring into the golden orbs.
Mesno went slightly red; his face had changed more colors than Dennis Rodman's hair all day.
"Don't be so nervous…," She giggled. "I just wanna talk while gazing into those eyes."
Mesno;s face only reddened from the comliment, "…I can't help it, I'm a big fan of yours."
"Is that why you come to watch me dance so often?"
"…Something like that," Mesno nodded.
Uratoh giggled, "So what do you do?"
They continued talking for hours, just saying things as they came to mind, impressing and exciting each other with their wordplay.
"Uratoh?" Mesno called, breaking yet another icy silence.
"Yes?"
"Tell me more about you. Tell me your dreams for the future."
"I…," She said, suddenly as nervous as she begged him not to be, "I…I…I don't know. I don't know what I want." She admitted, her eyes burning with tears, "I know I should. I'm a grown woman…and I don't have any direction or any clue as to what I want to do."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Mesno said, advancing on her.
"I know I shouldn't be, but I feel I owe it to myself…I should've been figured it out by now."
Mesno took her hand, "Don't beat yourself up, there are plenty of people in the world to do that."
Uratoh wiped her eyes, "This feels so…so," She stammered searching for the right word.
"So right," Mesno finished for her, locking their lips in a deep kiss.
The silver shooting star graced the sky once more throughout the night as they made love and laughter, commencing the bleak dark roads that painted the brick road Mesno would walk down.