Chapter 33
Everybody Plays the Fool
"WHHHOOO-HO-HO, and a right hook from Wild Cat sends Wolfman crashing to the floor!" Yelled the ringside announcer as a solid punch from a feline opponent knock's Gin off his feet, however it wasn't enough to put him down for good, in which he instinctively does a somersault roll that brings him back up into a crouched stance.
"Uh oh!" Went the announcer. "But, Wolfman ain't down yet; he's just getting mad! Whew, who knew someone named after a dog would have better catlike reflexes than the Cat?"
The atmosphere was loud and foul smelling, everywhere around her was the scent of urine, sweat, even unbridled lust from people who didn't know any better that invaded every nostril; even the smell of their blood, alien to her, lacking that sweet, sweet aroma she had taken for granted assaulted Moka Aono's heightened senses and helped create a nauseating affect. She wondered if once upon a time she might have been turned on by all of this, the sight of Gin getting his face pounded and bloodied, and likewise doing the same to his opponent while safely locked away in a cage. Indeed, what with his muscular, shirtless body glistening with sweat, black hair wet, and that cocky smile etched firmly in the face of his foe did it seem like it would make her wet with excitement and arousal; it was evident on the faces of the other girls present who looked up at him like starved children at a slab of meat.
"WHOO-HOO, YEAH GIN!" One slut yelled.
"WORK IT, BABY, WORK IT!" Another yelled, flashing her jiggling breasts for him to see.
Moka couldn't help, but notice how wild these girls were for this barbaric display, and yet, now to her all of this just made her sick. There was no longer much of anything that excited her, and she wondered deeply what it was that seemed so enticing to her in the first place.
"Hey lady," one girl said to her. "Ain't he something or what? You don't look like you're really into it!"
"…He's not like Tsukune," Moka found herself muttering. "He wouldn't stoop to this, not for anybody."
"WHAT? What are you talking about?"
"FORGET HER!" Said the girl's friend.
"YEAH; GRANDMA HERE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S ABOUT TO FALL ASLEEP, ANYWAY!"
They laughed, reveling in their total lack of respect, which unfortunately for them their insult was far too many even for Moka to deal with.
"What did you say to me?" She asked, standing up and confronting them.
"Hey, sit down!" Yelled the guy sitting behind them.
"Yeah, have a seat, old lady!" The girl ranted. "Nobody cares what you have to say!"
"What... the fuck..did you just say to me?"
"You better step off, bitch!" The friend spoke up. "I'm in the military, so you best watch who you're fronting!"
"I ain't too bothered by her," her friend says. "I know who she is."
"Who is she?"
"She's that cunt Gin banged in front of her hubby; what's his name, Tsukune Aono."
"Oh yeah, I remember. What a loser!"
"Who, Moka or her limp dick of a husband?"
"What's the difference, but I guess being an old skank is a lot better than being some shitfaced retard with no balls!" She responds, both laughing their asses off.
In the ring, Gin was seemingly mopping up his match, his opponent another monster like himself and just as strong, but not as skilled as the former "mad dog" of Yokai Academy.
"Give up?" His opponent asked as they were locked in a power grip.
"Give up; to you?" Gin asked, cocky and beyond over confident. "I'm just getting warmed up!"
Ready to go all out and win this match, their contest of strength is interrupted, however when a woman comes flying through the cage and landing in between the two men, bloodied and slutty clothing torn.
"What the…?" Gin asked and turns to a scuffle in the stands.
"Hold up, ladies and gents!" One of the announcers yelled. "Seems we got ourselves a little girl on girl action in the stands!"
"Hey ladies, ladies night ain't until tomorrow!" The other one joked, as Moka continued to physically man handle one of the women, shaking her about violently by the hair with reckless abandon of the girl's safety.
"Aaaaaah!" She screamed and repeated again and again: "Let go of my hair!"
"Take it back, TAKE IT ALL BACK!" Moka shrieked and proceeded to launch a series of punches and sharp kicks.
"MOKA!" Gin cried, but she wouldn't listen, too lost in her own anger over their disrespect, disrespect that was not so much towards her, but over the stuff they said about Tsukune and the revelation of just how far this level of insult towards him had gotten. Gin's viral videos have all but completely ruined everything in her life, she now realized, and yet she refused to suffer such immature fools laughing about it.
Make her pay! Inner Moka cried with rage. Make this bitch pay! Or, better yet, release me and I'll do it!
"AAAAAH!" Moka cried when the woman sprays her with mace just so she would release her.
Fool! Inner Moka berated while Outer Moka held her temporarily blinded eyes in pain. That is it; remove the seal and I'll put this fool and anyone else here who's been privy in our business in their place!
Disoriented, but by no means winded, Moka's hand was just about to grasp the rosary around her neck, unmindful of the kind of disaster that might ensue, when she felt strong hands from behind grab and held her in place.
"What are you doing, are you crazy?" The man whispered.
The situation itself harkened back to her junior high years and of Hoshii during a similar fight, and how he betrayed her. Feeling its sting again, she went wild, buckling and lashing out in desperation to be freed so she may unleash the raw power of her vampire race upon these arrogant, lesser beings who dared insult her, regardless of the circumstances.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Moka bellowed and tried scratching her restrainer.
"Moka!" He yelled, and in that instant the voice sounded familiar, before long her vision was restored and allowed her to see Gin.
"I thought…" she muttered.
"What's gotten into you?" He asked.
Looking around, Moka could see the excited crowd and the frazzled woman from the ring tending to her wounded friend, all products of her uncontrolled actions, and yet she hardly felt any shame.
"Great match, Wolfman," the Wild Cat joked.
"Yeah; not every day you use a catfight to get out of losing a bet!" Someone else mocked.
"Come with me!" Gin whispered heatedly and dragged her to his dressing room where they could be alone. "You mind telling me what the hell was that; hm?"
"Those girls of yours were saying things!"
"That's it? So what, girls talked smack all the time and you never went all Carrie on them!"
"They were talking about Tsukune, I couldn't let them…!"
"Okay, okay, so they said something about Romeo; big whoop! God, it's like lately you've become a totally different person after we had just one or two nights together, and while I didn't mind the change at first, it's gotten to where I created a Frankenstein monster!"
"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered.
"What?"
"Why did you upload our sex on the web?"
"…Is that what this is about?" He asked with an exasperated sigh.
"Do you realize the repercussions? What this will mean for me and Tsukune?"
Personally, I think the guy could use some publicity, he thought with extreme indifference.
"It's just a webcam," he tries to explain. "The people who view them have a one track mind; I guarantee you it'll be forgotten by my next podcast and you two can act like it never happened. Is that why you called me up, to talk about this?"
"…No. Just take me back to the motel, please!"
"…Sure, whatever, just let me take care of a few things with…"
"Now! I want to go back and…and I promise I'll make it up to you."
"Really?" He asked, giving her a once over, which brought a queasy feeling that she hadn't felt from him since school, but tried to hide it.
"Yes; like I said, I know I screwed up everything last time, but as you can see I really want you, bad. Please, Gin no more waiting; I want to go back to how it was before. If you're no longer interested then I'll understand, just at least give me one last fuck, please."
In all honesty, she was just anxious to get back to the motel room and finish what she started to do since leaving the castle. In truth, one of the reasons she sought him out was to see if there had ever been anything between them that somehow justified sex at all; but as she looks at his sweaty form now and the smell it exuded that even her heightened senses had to endure, she felt no unbridled excitement whatsoever. Had fucking Gin been like trying something different for a brief moment, like some novelty, a novelty that has since worn off and now she wanted to desperately go back to what worked for her, which was now out of her reach. All that remained now was to accomplish her goal, and she wouldn't do it at some shabby fighting complex.
"What do you say?" She asked, winking and trying her hardest to blush.
It was all he needed.
"Like you said, let's get the hell outta here," he said with an eager grin.
XXX
Driving up the rounded driveway of the Shuzen castle, the elderly chauffeur had by now become accustomed to the whims of his vampiric masters' demands, whether it was driving them to exotic locales, taking them to important business meetings or just a simple, leisurely drive around the countryside, or in Ria's case unmentionable acts in the very back seat that Lord Shuzen would destroy this car over if he ever found out. But, today felt different; there was no going through the usual, routine maintenance or a call to "have the limo ready", which usually meant primp and pamper the interior to their liking. Instead, there was urgency in her voice and a demand to bring the car up immediately, a command that signaled no delay, however short. He thought that things had never become so dire that as to find his passenger, who descended the steps in her familiar, long scarlet dress whose length so obscured her feet that it appeared she floated down, with a pink ponytail flying behind a pale face that appeared to be on the brink of an emotional breakdown.
"My Mistress!" Ria called down after.
"Not now, Ria!" Akasha yelled back as she flung open the rear door before the driver had a chance to step out.
"My Lady," he said to her. "Is anything the matter?"
"I'm sending you cell phone GPS coordinates," she replies, texting him. "I don't know the name of this motel only its location, and I beg of you not to ask any questions, just take me there, now!"
"As you wish!" He said, knowing the virtue of never arguing with his masters, but for Akasha, who was someone he genuinely cared for only to see a mixture of anger and distress etched firmly upon her soft features was enough to instill fear of a different sort, a fear that compelled him into blind and silent obedience.
As Ria watched the limo race out of sight, the tall, dark haired woman could not help but smile at the wheels she'd set into motion.
"My, Lady Bloodriver certainly seemed to be in a hurry," came a voice from behind.
"Oh my, Mistress Bruensted, what a pleasant surprise to see you at this lovely hour!"
"Can the corny greeting, Ria," the red headed vampire said. "Where is Miss Perfect off at such a rush?"
"Oh nowhere important, just to retrieve the damaged goods that is her daughter…before she gets even more damaged!"
Her brown eyes lit up as Maria Bruensted's mind was almost as sharp Ria's to ascertain the meaning in those words.
"No way!" Maria said.
"Oh me, oh my, yes. It would appear that Moka, our once proud and flawless member of the family…"
"Enough with the bullshit, get on with it!" Maria said impatiently, eager to hear what gossip has befallen the line of Bloodriver.
"Is once again cavorting with her dog lover."
"Hahahahaha, that is outrageous!" Maria roared with laughter, laughter that could have awoken the whole castle. "Akasha's daughter has got to be the most screwed up person I have ever met!"
"It's what I've been saying all along," Ria commented, reveling in the dirt she's dishing when her cell phone's ringtone brings a most unwelcomed interruption. "Excuse me, I must take this."
Thinking it was Kokoa, bringing more dirt to use, her dark grin became a frown when she finds out it was some lackey from one of the Fairy Tale branches.
"Sorry to disturb you, mistress," the subordinate said.
"This had better be important, fool," she threatened. "I'm currently awaiting a call."
"It is ma'am; it involves a discrepancy in the company records."
"You dare interrupt me for this? There are levels and pay grades above your own that are better equipped to handle this; go bug them about it."
"I did ma'am, and they had me summon you; we really think you should come down and see this."
Glancing at Maria, who appears to still be enjoying herself and oblivious to the call, Ria whispers heatedly:
"Alright, I'll be there! This had better be serious or…"
"I know the drill, madam, but I assure you it is."
"…Fine! I'm on my way."
Hanging up, Ria felt like screaming in anger at this trivial interruption, but realizing she still had an image to uphold, that of her beloved father's reputation and her own, there was little choice other than being discreet.
"Ria, Ria…you must tell me more!" Maria insisted. "Details, please; like how it would seem Moka has contracted some form of rabies or something!"
"Oh, as much as I would love to, business has called me away, just now."
"So. Have the many underlings deal with such matters; it's what I do."
"I know, and normally I would but…it seems I made the error of hiring idiots rather than competent businessmen."
"Well; it would seem that's a recurring thing amongst the Shuzen brood."
"I beg your pardon?" Ria asks.
"Well, first you, and then your father hires that whore to keep him company in the wake of your mother, and look what bore fruit from that? It would just seem he has a track record of placing his trust in the wrong people, don't you think?"
Ria's blood began to boil as her muscles hardened, ready to rend this woman to shreds; Maria Brunested was hardly anyone she could tolerate, but it was only through her long standing friendship with Gyokuro that a violent vampire-catfight, which were always bloody, didn't erupt with this equally young vampiress.
"Maria…," she began to say, but the atmosphere was soon interrupted by the presence of an old lecherous fiend, whose decrepit scent had suddenly been picked up in the wind. "Oh me, oh my; why, lord Tsepes, is there anything we can do for you?"
"Oh!" He said, he and his elven mistress finally sticking their heads out from behind the door, which together, his bald and shiny, and hers full of golden locks made them seem rather comedic than a couple. "Don't mind us, ladies; me and my baby were just out for a late night stroll when we heard a disturbance outside, isn't that right, baby?"
"Yes, dear," she replied.
"Hmph; you were probably anxious to see us tear each other's clothes off," Maria said.
"And watch us roll around in the open air, on the cold, cold ground; oh me, oh my!"
"Oh, come now, a little action is enough to get the old motor running! My sexy lady knows it; you like it when I get excited watching young girls fight, don't you?"
"Yes dear?"
Thanks to one old man's lecherous interference, Ria figured she can take this time to with the ho-hum of work. As for Akasha, on the other hand, a brief interlude would be appreciated; anything to deprive her of the trouble that had her beside herself as the limo drove toward her daughter's location.
"We'll be there in no time, my Mistress!" the driver called back.
"…Thank you," she replied, too consumed by what she'll do when finally confronting her beloved daughter.
As they drove, she takes the moment to reach in her purse and, whether out of a need to take her mind off of what's happening or out of some natural reaction motivated by these events, pulls out a picture, a small, simple memento of a time long ago that depicted a very young Moka dressed adorably in the outfit Akasha had picked out. Standing behind the small child was herself, almost identical so as to make the photo somewhat cute, which she fondly recalled how small that girl was, small enough that she could have held her in her own arms like a doll; in fact she wanted to right then and there. But, Moka, with her silver hair rustling slightly in the wind and a stern expression on her face that she only inherited from her father had asserted that she was too big to be held like a baby, adamant in being portrayed as a young lady despite wearing matching outfits like her mom. The memory brought a smile to her face, and then a tear, as she wondered whatever happened to that small child who insisted she was too big to be held by her mother, but really wasn't.
XXX
For one daughter however, a Las Vegas strip club was hardly the atmosphere for her to deal with the current matter at hand, however there was very little she could do as she sat around in the dimly lit atmosphere. It was past dawn though, and the club was half deserted as the staff got ready for the next "happy hour" of the day, and while everyone in her group had managed to find rooms at their benefactors' expense, she sat rigidly at an empty table, long hair draped over like a pink haired ghost for what seemed like the entire night, with no signs of rest.
"Good morning, Ms. Aono," the bartender greeted as the Kasumi walked in. "Hope you had a nice rest?"
"Thank you," she replied, yawning and stretching, yet a bit stiff. "However, your vibrating beds leave much to be desired."
"Really? Usually our guests don't complain, but then I guess it's because they have someone to sleep with, if you know what I mean?"
"Yes, I do," she responded, trying to be cordial in the face of such a reference, and though there may be some truth in that statement, she certainly wasn't about to entertain the idea of sharing a room with her estranged husband after all that's happen. She then glances out at the tables and notices Moka sitting there, still and alone.
"Your friend over there, I've been told hasn't moved an inch since last night; I'd figured she'd leave after my boss closed shop late last night. Kept says she's waiting for him to return; I take it it's your son or nephew or something?"
Kazumi doesn't respond, but the sight only adds to her worry. Slowly walking over to this still figure to see if she was even okay, she ask:
"Moka, Moka dear, is everything alright?"
"…"
"W-What was that, I didn't quite hear…?"
"He'll come back."
"I know he will; we all know he will, but we just…"
"But, you said he is."
"I know what I said and I meant it, he is coming back, just…Child we can't keep worrying ourselves ragged like this?"
"I don't want to do anything else!" Moka snaps, startling Kazumi. "I'll sit here until he shows up and that's it; nothing else matters."
"…Sure, okay Moka," Kazumi says, resolved at being stymied by this turn of events; this was out of her hands and she didn't know what else to do.
Meanwhile, in Caro's office sat a nervous Sam, surrounded by a supportive Kurumu and equally supportive (for obvious reasons) Ageha as they sought to give him a place at the family establishment; however, it was Caro he need convincing, who, despite his cleaned up appearance, still wasn't sure about him.
"I take it my sister and 'Mumu both think pretty highly of you," she starts off by saying, sitting across from him in a tight, form fitting and small skirt, with her large shapely calves crossed intentionally to show off more than Sam wanted to see out of respect for his girlfriend and the interview he was in.
"Yes, ma'am," he responds, curt and mannerly.
"I didn't say you can speak!" Caro snaps. "Who told you you can talk, yet?"
"C'mon, Caro," Kurumu whined.
"C'mon nothing!" Caro says, shaking one of her legs in front of him, which made him even more uncomfortable than he already was. "Tsukune forces me to drag some vagrant off the streets, you allow him to invade your mind and body, and then sleep with him in one of my suites without so much as a blessing from me; and now you fix him up all nice and clean and expect him to woo me over, too? He still hasn't explained to me why I should hire him to work my club, let alone even date my niece."
"She is my daughter," Ageha points out. "And, he has earned my approval."
Sam blushed.
"But, it is my club," Caro retorts. "And, I'm as much a part of 'Mumu's life as you, I think I have a say. Tell me, marine, why should I be impressed?"
"…Ma'am, I know when you first saw me I didn't give you much reason to trust me; lord knows I wouldn't have trusted a guy like me if I was in your shoes. I…I've made mistakes that got me to where I was not too long ago, but…if I was a betting man, I'd say you've made your share too, mistakes that left you feeling like garbage on the street. We can either continue feeling like trash like a damn fool or pick ourselves up and make something of ourselves; I think you're big enough to at least let me at prove that, not just for you, but for myself. What do you, any of you have to lose? Besides, I can say with all honesty that I ain't leaving Kurumu, I don't care what you do, I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you remove me from her presence; that's just how it is."
Kurumu looked at Caro hopefully, while the two sisters each shared a look that was somewhat smitten by Sam's candor.
"Well," she finally said, "I guess there's only one thing left to say after hearing all of that."
Caro gets up, saunters over to Sam, and raises his head into her cleavage.
"Hmm, not bad, not bad at all," Caro mused at how his face felt in between her warm breasts, before finally releasing the flustered gentleman. "Now get out of here and don't come back until tonight."
"…Uh, w-what?" He asked.
"I think you got the job, handyman!" Kurumu said, winking and giving him a very affectionate hug, with her own boobs pressed firmly against him. "And, she likes you!"
"Oh; hooray!"
"Caro, I knew you were gonna accept him, anyway!" Ageha chided in her sister once they were alone. "Why'd you have to give him such a hard time?"
"I like to make guys sweat," she said with a wry smile. "Besides, after Tsukune I can't help, but feel a little over protective of my 'Mumu."
"Hmm; speaking of which, did you happen to see his 'fiancée' sitting out on the floor?"
"Oh, sis, I'm trying not to think about her; already concerned about you letting that witch bitch and Mr. Dawg into my establishment."
"I know that, but you should have seen her; it's like she's starting to lose her mind, can you believe it?"
Caro wanted to be indifferent, thinking no good would come of worrying over her, but to imagine Moka steadily losing her mind was beginning to feel unsettling even for her.
"Mrs. Aono came to me recently," Ageha added. "She wanted me to talk to you, see if you can do something?"
"Like what?"
"To… give her something to do around here and keep her busy, anything!"
"…You're not suggesting I put her to work?"
"Why not?"
"Why not? Ageha, she's a vampire! One of Issa Shuzen's many brats, and Mumu's sworn enemy!"
"I know all of that, but c'mon! Moka looks like she has some…nice dancing legs. Have work shifts that Kurumu doesn't do. Get some of the strippers on the early shift to show her the ropes. What about Rose or better yet, Celeste; Celeste is pretty loyal and easy to get along with, Moka can work with her doing the day shift, that's before Kurumu's act."
"Different shifts or not, you know how she'll feel just having Moka working the same job, anyway!"
"I am aware of that, but…c'mon look at her, do you really want her perched out there like scarecrow? She'd wind up freaking out the customers and driving them away."
Caro couldn't reply, as neither prospect seemed to be worth entertaining, however in order to avoid making a foolish decision that could cost her everything she had to think less like a concerned relative and more like businesswoman, opting for the one option that made the most sense.
"Come, this way," said the blue haired fairy/exotic dancer who led a reluctant Moka about the club.
"Look, um…"
"Just call me Celeste; most my friends do."
"Celeste, I don't know what they told you, but I really don't think any of this is for me, now or ever."
"Oh, so you think you're too good for us strippers?" Celeste asked.
"No, no, not at all, I just…"
"Relax," she giggled, "I'm kidding, and to tell you the truth I think I'm a little too good for some of these hoes here; believe me, you'll find out why soon."
"Celeste, you seem like a nice person."
"Thanks!"
"But, I know you're only doing this because of Caro. Maybe she thinks I need to take off my clothes just to get my mind off of my troubles."
"Well, from what I heard it wasn't an easy decision, but actually your friends were the ones that thought you needed to do something to get you…well motivated, a bit."
"And they thought I should do stripping?"
"Ah! See, around here we like to call this exotic dancing; strippers are the two bit whores that do the rundown dives in the south side of town."
"Whatever; how is any of this supposed to be a good thing for me?"
"I don't know, but you look like you could use something to take your mind off of whatever ails you; relax, some of us girls will show you the ropes. Besides, we think Tsukune will be a lot happier if it was just you performing for him."
"…Y-You, you know him?" Moka asked, her very eyes lit up like electricity, so much so that the fairy was a bit surprised. "You've met him, haven't you?"
"So, it is true, you really are his fiancée?"
"Well…"
"It's complicated? Well, whatever it is, it's obvious you two really love each other, and to answer your question yeah we did. Caro brought him in about a day ago; the guy was pretty down, like somebody important had just done everything possible to destroy him, mentally."
Moka, for whatever reason felt a jolt of guilt strike without warning, as though hearing first hand of his current situation from a complete stranger made the crime feel even worse than it had been before.
"If you don't mind me asking; did something happen between you two?" Celeste asked, but saw Moka slip back into her maudlin state. "Forget I asked."
"W-What happened between you two?" She asked Celeste, a part of her worried that they had been intimate. "Did any of you ever…with him?"
"No, nothing happened," Celeste simply replied. "Caro wanted us to give him a good time, take his mind off of his situation and make him feel better for Kurumu to be with." "Really?" Moka muttered in anger.
"But, the guy wouldn't even look at us; personally, I didn't think he wanted to be anywhere with a woman or with anyone for that matter, like he'd given up on living."
"…Oh god," Moka moaned.
Tsukune's deterioration, Kurumu and Caro's plan to take advantage, and it all being made privy to exotic dancers who became her only source of information made Moka angry, worse still she felt like a fool, this fool being led around on this merry chase by so many people, ranging from Ria to this doppelganger twin, and all while her life falls apart. She resolved herself then and there that there would be no more mercy on anyone who dares get in her way. She was determined that if she was to do anything to repair the damage that others had made under her nose, then it would be to fight, fight in gaining him back by doing whatever means that would seem totally unorthodox and unpredictable.
"Celeste!" She said, firmly.
"Yes, what is it?"
"You want me to dance? Fine, I'll be a dancer!"
"Good; like I said I'll teach you the ropes and get you do the early shift, that's when it's slower and it'll be a bit easy for…"
"No!" Moka loudly insister. "I'll dance on one condition; that you let me do the night shift, too!"
"Uh…what?"
"You want to do what?" Ageha asked as she, Caro and Celeste all stood around a resolute Moka Akashiya.
"You all heard me; I can dance pretty well, and I think I can handle your busiest hour or are you afraid I'll steal Kurumu's thunder? God forbid that would happen, by doing something that would hurt her rather than help her, in a way!"
The three women looked at each other, and the two sisters glanced at Celeste.
"I guess she heard more than she was supposed to; sorry," the young fairy said.
"I don't know what you're thinking to accomplish, but dancing the primetime hour is not what we agreed to," Ageha said.
"Besides, this is my club," Caro flat out told her. "I'm only letting you do anything out of a courtesy."
"So, I am not good enough for your establishment?" She challenged. "But, pimping out my Tsukune to your niece is? Really, Caro? While he was in his current state of mind, really?"
"I don't know what you may have heard, but I was not 'pimping him out', so you need to relax, honey."
"I am not relaxing and I ain't your honey," Moka says. "You let me dance when I want or else."
"Or else what?"
"…I don't know," Moka says, her demeanor suddenly taking on this strange, nonchalant tone. "I'm nothing like the Moka you've dealt with before; there's no telling what I might try to do. Do…either of you know, for a fact, what I might do; I'm already crazy enough." She looks at them innocently with her green eyes, eyes that they realized was on a totally different Moka, one they had to admit they knew so little about and whose threat hardly seemed like something they should take lightly.
"…Goodness," Caro sighed. "Celeste, take her to the locker room. I'll work up a schedule."
"Um, y-yes ma'am."
"Give her a disguise to wear too, like one of the used wigs back there. I don't want anyone to recognize our darling princess doing burlesque here; is that alright with you, 'Moka'?"
"Except for the 'princess' remark, yes it is."
You sure this is best decision to make? She heard Inner Moka asked as she is led to the changing rooms, virtually stepping foot into an unknown and intimidating world.
No more, she replied. I'm tired, I am so fucking tired of being everyone's fool; Ria, Kurumu, Caro, and now some impostor, leaving behind mess after mess after these whores wreck everything! No more; if that's how they want to play, if I'm to get back Tsukune, then it's time to stop being polite and play at their level to beat them!
Even if it means debasing yourself before disgusting perverts?
I might as well get practice if I am to win; so, yeah!
"Well, let me show you to an available locker," Celeste says as she leads Moka through a crowded, narrow corridor of nude and semi-nude women running about, applying makeup in front of the broad mirror or changing into revealing lingerie.
It made Moka want to take in a huge gulp.
Well, as long as you know what you're doing, Inner Moka snidely remarked.
"It's not too late to change your mind," Celeste explained, taking note of Moka's uneasy demeanor, her heightened senses picking up the myriad of strong odors, accompanied by the very imagery, as well as the very thought of performing before a packed house at night.
All around her, half naked dancers looked at her as if she was some foreigner who had no business being there; were it not for circumstances pulling everything out of control, she'd hardly consider doing this.
"Who's this?" A dark haired and haughty looking stripper asked, boldly standing in their way like she was queen of the locker room, despite being clad in only black panties.
"Move, Rose," Celeste wearily demanded. "I don't have time for your crap, I need to take Moka here to her locker; boss's orders."
"Oh yes; they said something about a new girl," Rose said with a smile. "Tell me, Moka did they mention anything about delivering 'favors' to VIP clients, because I'd be happy to teach you."
"Shut up!" Celeste snaps. "Don't listen to her, Moka, she's just trying to prank you; Rose is always giving people a hard time."
"Well, fuck you! I was just trying to show the new girl here the ropes; hell knows she won't learn anything from you."
This Rose person, though human, reminded Moka in every way of her elder sister, Ria, right down to the condescending attitude and faux mannerisms. Still, however faint it was, she could smell Tsukune's scent on her just like everywhere in the room; Celeste had mentioned that he was brought here to make him forget everything, she wondered, and dreaded if this Ria wannabe had also run into him.
"Did you know Tsukune Aono?" Moka asked.
"Huh?" Rose asked, genuinely confused.
"Tsukune!" Celeste yelled. "You know who? She's…well, his fiancée!"
"Ohh! Yes, now that I think about it, there was a man fitting that description in here not too long ago. A bit gay, if you asked me; the boy couldn't get it up even if he tried."
"What did you say?" Moka muttered, fists balled.
"You say that about every guy you've been with," Celeste retorts.
"That's because every one of them hadn't been real men! Trust me, Moka you're better off; all men will do is let you down, that's why I left every guy who wasn't worth my time."
"Like it wasn't mutual," Celeste muttered.
"Oh, I'm sorry; have you been with anyone lately? No. Aww, what a shame!"
"…Okay, please if you don't m…" Moka politely tried to say, who wanted to get this changing thing over and done with so she can get out, but Rose wraps an arm about her shoulder and begins walking along, effectively nudging Celeste out of the role of guide and mentor by rudely bumping her away with a sharp bang of a hip. It was only by the timely intervention of other strippers, who held back Celeste from returning the favor, that an altercation was avoided.
"This way, honey," she tells Moka. "Trust me, you're gonna want to know what you're doing out there on the stage, and no little girl will do it, either."
"I really don't think I need any help," Moka tries to say, her distaste for her sister evident by how uncomfortable she felt being this close to Rose. It reminded her of junior high, of how naively she trusted her "sister" more than she learned to trust herself and give humans the benefit of the doubt, which ultimately brought led down this very road; now just the feeling of being in the same room as Ria, let alone a spiritual double, created a claustrophobic feeling.
"Relax, honey," Rose said, perhaps sensing how uneasy Moka felt, "I won't bite, and neither will the customers; that's why we have bouncers for that, so if they so much as sneeze in your general direction, just call for Burt and he'll rearrange some heads."
"I'm fine," Moka whispered.
"Good, because we need to make a few changes like to your appearance, you're a little too mousy looking. I don't know why, I mean you can't be saving yourself for that limp dick weakling are…"
"I said I'm fine!" Moka snapped, physically shrugging the abrasive stripper from her presence and drawing stares from everyone around. "I'll tend to my business, thank you very much!"
"Well, suit yourself honey; if you wanna bankrupt Ms. Shade's establishment with your inexperience and pinning for your lost love, then be my guess."
Moka couldn't help, but notice that all eyes in the locker room were still on her, but she no longer cared; at this point what anyone thought or said behind her back mattered very little nor would it carry any weight ever again.
"Moka," Celeste said, her tiny voice nearly startling Moka while she rummaged around a vacant locker full of props and clothing.
"What!" She snapped.
"…Nothing, just that, welcome to the club," she said with a warm smile, a smile that said she'd earned at least her respect.
Moka smiled, and the whole display did help in erasing her concerns.
"So, I take it you don't need any help?" Celeste asked.
More like, you don't need any kick to the head for making this choice, Inner Moka ranted.
There was no going back now, regardless of her polarizing thoughts and feelings, and as she looked down at an assortment of material to work with, she holds up a pair of wigs and asks:
"Do you have anything to match my eyes?"
XXX
They burst through the motel's door, lips locked, warm bodies embraced and meshed together in sweaty passion as neither could wait any longer to start fucking, not even unlocking the door; indeed, to all it seemed that Gin and Moka Bloodriver, former Akashiya and former Aono, were meant for each other.
"How you wanna do this?" Gin asked, breathlessly. "On the floor? You want to do on the floor? Let's do it on the floor, like animals!"
"…Whatever…," Moka tried to say, letting him do all of the work as though going through the motions. "Um, yeah."
Without much waiting, Gin roughly takes down to the floor, straddling on top of her prone form and lays there as he begins ripping off her clothes like an animal; she never looked into his eyes, as she knew there was nothing there, and she fought back the tears that were coming. But, suddenly he stopped and she wondered what was wrong.
"Gin?"
"Moka," he said, "you've…wow, what happened to you?"
"Huh?"
"You're looking a little pudgy there."
"Excuse me?"
"Forget it," he finally says, "I'm not gonna be choosey; besides, I might have better luck with the slimmer, taller 'other' you."
Gin continues his ravaging of her, but by now she felt she had put up with this long enough and gotten all that was needed.
"…G-Gin, let me up," she begged.
"Can't," he replied, chewing up her neck, the tips of his fingers digging around the soft, exposed flesh of her tits. "You know me, babe; once I get started…"
"I…I said get off of me; stop!"
But, Gin wouldn't stop in spite of her request, convinced that she really wanted this to happen like she did before; that no woman loses interest with the Wolfman, especially one who had to put up with a mousey kind of guy like Tsukune for a number of years.
"Gin, stop!" She began to weep.
"You don't want me to stop, you want this, admit it or you wouldn't have called me up out of the blue like you did."
Moka finally realized she made a mistake calling him up, again; realized calling him up and allowing him to re-enter their lives, hers and Tsukune's was an even bigger mistake. Her reasons at first was to make her beloved jealous to the point of obedience, and when that didn't work she wanted to punish him, but when that backfired she now called Gin to see why it was she ever considered sleeping with him again and again in the first place, why him, period; whatever it had been between them was gone, which left a foul taste in her mouth, that much she knew and now she wanted it to end. Yet, it wouldn't end no matter how much she wanted it to and that more signs of this latest tryst would be permanently stamped on her wrecked body, now "pudgy" as Gin pointed out, a reminder of how far she had fallen, far from the life she once knew with the man she loved and still does, who would have come in and rescued her from trouble like this, Moka did what she could only do in times of stress, call out: "Tsukune…Tsukune, save me! Get me out of this, pleeeease!"
Gin stopped; this time there was no cocky demeanor about the amorous "Wolfman", as even at the height of his fame, never have any of his conquests ever uttered another man's name, much less their husband's. However, Moka Akashiya, his prize, daring to utter his name after all that they've been through had still managed to shatter everything in his world at that instant.
"…Ex-cuse me!" He said.
"…I told you to stop," she muttered, tears streaming down her flustered face, stressed body out of breath.
"Moka…What is going on? Why did you call me over to meet with you; if you didn't want sex, then what? Heh; I knew this was too good to be true, even when you asked me to fuck you, I…God!"
As Gin got up to get a drink, his pants still unzipped, it dawned on her that he was still jealous of Tsukune, even after everything that's happened; it was enough to make her laugh.
"What's so damn funny?" He angrily asked.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Gin, I'm willing to laughing at the both of us!"
"What?"
"You heard me; you and I really are the same, we're both so pathetic!"
"Really? H-How so?"
"I wanted to have sex with you to make my husband jealous and you wanted to fuck me because it was what you've always wanted and you wanted to make him jealous, too; we both get what we wanted and still neither of us are happy!"
"…Whatever," he grumbled.
"Gin…I'm pregnant, you know."
"Oh; so you're finally pregnant?" He asked, pouring himself another glass of liquor.
"Yes, and it's yours."
"No it's not; we made a deal, remember? I have no responsibility with you or your child!"
"…Gin, even if you raising our child was an option," she wearily proclaims as she stands back up on her feet, "I wouldn't want it that way."
"There is…no…option," he reiterates, "because we agreed I wouldn't have a damn thing to do with it; all of this was about you making him jealous enough for him to step up and deal with your drama, not me setting out to make him jealous over…high school, oh no."
"If you're not still threatened by him, then why did you stop when I mentioned his name just then?"
"It's got nothing to do with that."
"Liar."
"Why the hell did you call me up, huh? T-To point this out to me? To try and get me to be a daddy to your baby; get Tsukune to do it, he's gullible enough to do anything."
"You want to know why I called you here today? It was to see what it was that made me ever want to be with you in the first place, why I even did what I did with you; I had to see for myself what was so special about you, and I realize there wasn't anything. The only special thing I had was with the man I cheated on with you…because I hurt and angry, and confused, and you were willing to take advantage of, but believe me Gin there is no love at all for you. Nothing special. You're scared of my Tsukune, that's why you uploaded our sex online, that's why you bad mouthed and humiliated him on your podcast, because you know and I know that you will never compare to him!"
Moka heard slight, disembodied cheers erupt, most likely emanating from the pod cameras she had set up throughout the room in an attempt to repay Gin for what he'd done; he most likely heard them too, but hardly seemed affected.
"Really?" He asked. "I don't compare to him? Gee, where was all that when you called me up? Where was this when you fucked me in front of him, when you clawed my back and I chewed up yours? Now you're gonna stand there and tell me you were confused? Bullshit!"
"I'm not saying I was confused enough to not know what I was doing, but I used you to get to back at him, that's all that was. I'm not denying that you and I are the same kind of disgusting people."
"We're the same?"
"Yes, Gin we're the same; we're both use one another to get what we want and hurt the ones we love. I'm ashamed to admit it; perhaps it's time you did, too."
Gin stared daggers at her, his shirtless chest heaving and rippling in an intimidating manner, and as she instinctively reached up to her rosary seal, Moka realized that if it came down to it, witnesses or not, she'd have to unleash her inner persona to put him in his place. Indeed, the angered Gin did look like he might try something, as he was clearly bothered by what everything she said and began to move toward her; neither said a word to each other, both half clothed, both excited but for the wrong reasons. However, she was surprised when he began to laugh and casually sat down on the couch with nary a care.
"We're the same, huh?" He asked. "Moka, I always knew you had delusions of grandeur, but this…this really takes the cake!"
"What's so funny, it's true, we're are both pathetic!"
"No, we're not."
"Yes, yes we are; stop denying it, Gin."
"Oh, I'm not denying that I'm a piece of work, but I'm not half as messed up as you."
"What do you mean?" Moka asked, her turn to become angered. "Explain yourself!"
"Well, I am who I've always been, a guy who'll fuck any chick who's willing; that's why I did what I did with you. You, you did what you did to piss off your husband because he wouldn't do one little thing for you. You did what you did because you had unresolved, childhood issues and were worried about kids you didn't even have at the time, so you let me violate you again and again just to be vindictive; that's a whole new level of fucked up!"
"Yes, I know; and they're the same thing! They're both sick and despicable things and we're both terrible people!"
"NO, no, no, that makes you and you alone the sick and terrible person; because, see I would never do that to Sun or anyone I cared about. I'm not so messed up that I would ever put my own body through something like that; it takes a really low and pathetic mind to go to those lengths, and it really shows you don't care about anyone or anything, that you'd sacrifice not only your marriage, but your own body just to get what you want! That's sick!"
"Shut up!" She shrieked, her hand literally squeezing the metal edged rosary so tight that her knuckles turned red. "Don't make me into the monster here, you're the freak here, not me!"
"'Monster'; heh, isn't this the whole reason you decided to defile your body over, because some kids messed you up during grammar school and you were worried they'd mess your kids up even worse? Now look at yourself, you're calling me monster and freak and basically doing everything to hurt my feelings just like them, eh? Just like those bratty kids you grew up with!"
"Shut up!"
"But, unlike you I'm not bothered by it, because I'm not some crazy little princess who gets fucking pissed when everything don't go her fucking way!"
"I said shut up!"
"I'm not the one who'll use his own body to do something I don't like just to get my way! You call it whatever you like, but at the end of the day it is what it is and you are what you are: a train wreck, something lower than shit. We're nothing alike!"
"You think you're something?" Moka asked, vindictively.
"Bitch, I know I'm something."
"You think you're god's gift to women. That you're the 'Wolfman' and you're better at being a man than Tsukune or anyone else, but really…you're an animal! You're not even a monster, you're nothing close to being a high level being! And, you think I'm pathetic?"
"I'm not as low as you. I didn't force myself on you or trick you into doing something you didn't want."
"Yes, Gin I know."
"Do you? Because, I think you don't."
"I used you and you were willing to go along because that's the kind of people we are; we're animals! But, don't go making me seem like the worse person here, when we both know that ain't the case!"
"So, what?" He asked. "Is that what you brought me here for; to tell me all of this? Huh? To humiliate me in front of my adoring audience because you blame me for letting you turn yourself into something you hate? HA! You think I give a shit what you think; I got what I wanted out of this and I'll get it again from someone else, and don't think for a moment that we are in this together, princess!"
"Why are you making this so difficult, Gin?" She growled. "Why are you so stupid and…"
"Let me tell you and half of your newfound feminist committee something you probably already know, deep down. I like sex; it doesn't matter where I get it, it doesn't matter how I get it, and the bottom line is that you slutty housewives and girlfriends always come crawling to me because I'm the only one who can satisfy you. Sure you got your 'reasons', whatever piece of crap it is, and along the way you figure 'hell, why not make it enjoyable', am I right?"
"You're wrong," she said, her hand clutching the rosary seal ever so tightly. "We have our reasons, sure, but…it isn't always about sex!"
"Bull-shit! That's why I'm not worried about you dissing me in front of a live audience, hell, call me whatever you like, it won't make a bit of difference. Sooner or later, there's always going to be some beleaguered damsel whose husband or boyfriend just isn't doing it for her, and out of desperation you come looking for yours truly; it's so predictable! You need guys like me, because you're hungry for guys like me; Tsukune just didn't do it for you just like all the other hapless guys girls like you marry, and all these hoes listening know it. So what if you all leave me; you'll go looking for someone else to satisfy your 'needs' like a bunch of sadomasochists because you get off on it, and it takes a special kind of guy to satisfy those needs, one who's willing to do it and not judge. But, you're angry at me and you want to humiliate me; go ahead, I'm not worried, more like you will come take your places, I got time, while the rest of you will just find somebody else only to realize that no one can satisfy you the way I can."
There was silence in the room.
"And, you know it," he added. "So, stop deluding yourself, okay? Don't drag yourself even lower than you are now, because it's really sexy!"
"You piece of worm ridden filth!" Moka muttered through gritted teeth. "You sick bastard! You know nothing about me or any woman! What we do…we make mistakes, perhaps looking for love in all the wrong places or doing these things because we really have no other choices available, because we genuinely do love our men and the children we wish to have with him! But you, you are a mistake! You are nothing but some cowardly vulture taking advantage and nothing more!"
"Look, I don't care what color you think the sky is, because at the end of the day it is the way everyone else sees it; so, keep fooling yourself."
"You…I wish you get put in your place, for as many times as all the women you've tricked!"
"Tricked?"
"Yes! You led me to believe you actually cared about me, that you loved me!"
"Loved?" He laughed out loud.
"But, it was all lie; because, the only place I could find that kind of love, real loving was never with you, but with him."
"And, I take it you're going to go back to him?"
"If I can somehow fix things, then yes."
"Ha! Good luck!"
"You sound so confident, what about Sun, huh? You think she'll take you back after I reveal to her what you did!"
"Go ahead, tell her, I don't care!"
"Y-You don't? But…"
"Look, all you hoes do this again and again, cheat for a while, go through a break up, and then when you've had your fill and blame me for ruining your life, you go back to your hubby and go see some marriage counselor; it's predictable!"
"But, not for men like you, right?" Moka asked vindictively. "Sun will just take you right back like some kind of idiot!"
"No, bitch, because Sun loves me and she knows me, she and Maron know what kind of person I am. I know they'll always have a place open for me; Tsukune, on the other hand."
"What about him? What makes him less likely to forgive me than Sun will be?"
"You don't see it, do you? You had sex with me in the bedroom you two shared, on the bed he slept in, with him right outside the door and you knew it, too!"
"That's because…"
"I don't care how you explain it! God, the guy worshipped the very ground you walked on, as pathetic as that was. To him, you could do no wrong, and now you've gone and practically destroyed him; you really think he'll take you back after all of this and a shit load of therapy? I don't think so. Yet again, Moka, you've fucked yourself!"
"I've had enough of this!" She said, itching to remove the seal and put this fool in his place. "I am not some animal, you are!"
"Oh really, I thought you said we were the same?" He mocked.
"You…you really don't care about anyone, do you? Not what happens to me or our baby?"
"Your baby, let's get that straight!"
"I can't believe I ever thought…I have made giant mistake!"
"Giant is right, babes, don't you know it; but, hey you were good while it lasted! I am glad though I got to bang you before you put on the baby weight."
Moka begins to inch ever so closer to him, her shadow slowly looming over menacingly.
"Oh, what are you going to do, transform into your other self in front of so many viewers and kick my ass? You know what, why don't I oblige you by taking this outside; I have been dying to have piece of that other, sexier you."
"What? You act like you don't care if I put you in your place, because you need it!"
"Let me tell you what's going to happen; you'll put on this showy transformation, for my benefit like always, turn into your leggier, bustier self, stare at me with those killer red eyes, say some sappy one liner and then kick me to next Tuesday. Rinse, recycle, repeat."
"…What are you planning this time, Gin?"
"Nothing; you're just that predictable, do the same thing again and again whenever someone displeases you. You tried that on old lover boy when he refused to give into you psychotic demand, and when they didn't have the desired effect, you turned to me, right?"
"Stop talking," she threatened. "The time for your babbling is over, come outside and I'll…"
"Do you know what will happen here?"
"What?"
"Let me explain it for your apple-shaped head to grasp; you'll beat me up, which as sure as I am talking to you sober you will do, then leave all vindicated and self-righteous while I'm writhing on the ground. But, then I'll dust myself off, go back inside, put on my clothes and go get laid with some easy slut I met before coming here; in fact, I intend to do that for the rest of my everlasting life, I mean it'll be sweeeet! But you, you'll go back to your dismal life of having to raise a baby out of wedlock, with no one helping you by the way because your darling Tsukune hates you, your folks probably hate you, you got a viral video floating around out there so everyone is going to look at you as the local slut, and on top of that you have baby weight to look forward to, all those looks wasting away in a matter of months; but, at lease you'll always have the sensation of me inside of you. So, let's get this going, I have a candle lit dinner lined up with a hot piece of half-Puerto Rican tail lined up."
Flabbergasted, confused, and ultimately livid beyond any coherent speech, both personalities within realized the truth he spoke; that as much as she wanted to rend him to pieces, no amount of physical violence will change the places in life they were both in and it nearly made her want to cry.
Turning to leave as she could no longer bear being in his presence, however she did wanted to put him in a place she thought was very appropriate in getting even with him somehow, so she stops at the door and says:
"You keep thinking you're god's gift to women, Gin. But, the one thing we both know, is that you will always be second best to him in school, and it remains so today, and hopefully one day your kid will know it, too. Take care."
With the slam of the door, she left Gin to wallow in self-loathing, annoyed by her antics and the thought she set him up for this, but just a little bit more perturbed at the thought that his own kid, perhaps a daughter, will join the ranks of Tsukune Aono's fan club.
The walk from the motel was a cold and somber evening stroll. Moka had forgotten that her clothes were partially open and she had to hold them together in a humiliated fashion as she thought painfully at the way things are. She thought herself to be alone, until she felt a presence sneaking up behind her and wondered, perhaps hoped it was Gin following after, hoping not for another "romantic" romp around, but for a chance to forego all that might happen and put him in his place, anyway. Rounding a darkened corner to make sure no one would be watching, and making certain the pursuer was close behind, she stood ready.
"If this is what you want, Gin?" She muttered menacingly, stopping and waiting with baited breath for the person to draw in closer. "Fine."
With a long and eagerly awaited pull of the rosary, she immediately transforms in a sudden blast of blinding light and energy, she painfully transforms into the taller, more sculpted, true silver haired form, in which case Moka wastes little time in delivering a solid roundhouse kick to his head. However, not only was she devastated that the kick was blocked, effortlessly by a single hand, but that to her dismay and disappointment her pursuer had not been the desired fiend she now hated, but was instead someone else, who's green eyes showed nothing other than an icy countenance.
"M-M-Mother," she managed to stammer. "How did you…?"
"Need you ask," Akasha replied. "I saw what you did with that 'Gin' boy."
"M-Mom, I can explain!" She grimaced, wanting to explain herself, but her outstretched leg was still being held in place by her mother's suddenly iron clad grip and it made standing up difficult. "Please, mother!"
From her angle, Akasha could see up her daughter's leg clearly, but there was a method to her madness, as she was able to ascertain something disturbing that she could sense for some time.
"…I would have thought this suited you," she muttered to her daughter. "Having your legs spread for others."
"What! Mother!"
"Am I wrong?"
"Yes; please, let me go!"
"How am I wrong? Your husband, if he should remain as such, is out of the country half out of his mind of what you did in the name of stupid school children, you're pregnant as a result of an extramarital affair, your father has disowned you and worse you might face a death penalty, and here you are gallivanting with the very man partially responsible for your current troubles; so, explain to me how I am wrong?"
"You were there," Moka explained. "You heard everything, understood why I sought him out; that was all, I swear it."
"Did you know Ria has been spying on you this whole time; that was how I found out."
"…She…?" Moka stammered, her entire world suddenly tipping over.
At last, Akasha lets her down, and the sore in leg quickly became evident, it's pain as shocking as a steak knife being plunged through it, followed by a familiar itching sensation around her lower extremities suddenly reignited after being exposed to the air.
"Come," Akasha ordered. "Explain to me further what you hoped to accomplish?
The car limo ride was a long and arduous one, made even more uncomfortable for the beleaguered princess by an annoying itch from her privates that she struggled to ignore, lest she gave up on what little pride remained untarnished.
"So, you wanted to…shame Gin for what he allowed happen?" Akasha asked, trying to make sense of what her daughter told her.
"Part of it; you must understand, mother, I…I admit much I should be held responsible for my actions, but he was as much at fault for everything. Had he not enticed me then, at my human wedding, I might've had a stronger resistance against him."
"Really? Because, I thought this was about your kids, with Tsukune?"
"It was; I would have done anything to make sure my children did not grow up like me."
"You mean, without a mother?" Akasha asked, vaguely.
"I mean as a victim. Marriage, the prospect of a family, these were just confusing things for me and I lost control and gave in to my lust for Gin. But, all it was was just lust, there was nothing and I ended things with him; I had to do it in order to finally burn that bridge behind me, and then focus on the future."
Moka looked at her mother, who remained staring straight ahead, silent and blank.
"You believe me, right?" Moka asked, plaintively.
"Moka…I wished…I just wished you'd come to me, first. I understand that you felt alone those years I was away, but now that I'm back…"
"Mother, I thought you'd be proud of me! Why are you behaving like I did something wrong?"
"Moka, you should never have gone to see him, again! Meeting with him again only made you look even guiltier."
"I had to do it; I had to settle things, once and for all. I assumed you'd be behind me, but I see I was wrong."
"I am behind you, dear, I've always been behind you," Akasha whispered in response.
"Then, why doesn't it feel like it, sometimes. You want to know why I haven't come to seek your advice on things?"
"You mentioned 'your future'," Akasha commented, changing the subject. "What did you mean future? What future?"
"…Right," she muttered. "I take it there was nothing that can be done?"
"Not quite, my dear. There is still a chance, and that's if upon his return Tsukune somehow takes you back and accepts the child as his; all will be forgiven."
"You really think that'll work?" Moka asked, hope alight in her weary eyes. "Yes, yes!…I'm not about to give up; even though Tsukune hates me now, we are still bloodmates, and I'll do everything in my power to reclaim that right."
"Bloodmate?" Akasha asked, and then glances down at her Moka's writhing lap. "Do you know what that means, I wonder."
"If you're going to judge me, then fine, everyone else is, right now I just don't care what any of you may think, anymore…it's pointless, now."
"…You know, a vampire with gonorrhea is quite unusual."
"Excuse me?"
"Does your pride make you believe that I wouldn't notice? I can even smell it from here, unfortunately."
Moka blushed profusely.
"W-What are you talking…?"
"However you think of me, please don't try to insult my intelligence by denying your ailment. You're dying to scratch it."
"…Please," Moka muttered, scratching furiously at her crotch. "This is…how could I…?"
"How?"
"Yes! I'm a vampire, and I know we aren't susceptible to these…human diseases; and as much as Ria has been sleeping around, why am I inflicted?"
"That's why I wanted to discuss what 'bloodmate' really means. It's a term that has become more or less as outdated as 'matrimony' is to humans; however, it has more dire connotations."
"What do you mean?"
"The Blood Bonding Rites, the ritual in which you and your lover become Bloodmates, when you two bond you do more than symbolically become one, you also physically become one. The two of you share each other's powers, strengths, and even a mental connection that flows along a spiritual path; basically you loaned a portion of your power, willingly to him. The moment that spiritual connection became strained or confused, your physical connection to your own power became distorted."
"…Wha?" Moka asked, frozen in disbelief.
"The further he is away from you, the weaker you become; you are only half your original strength! It is not like human women or, to an extent Ria, where the consequences of such actions are or a moral nature if anything, this here is both spiritual and physical. No doubt Tsukune is feeling it to and he probably doesn't even notice it; his mental state certainly seems to be a part of it. And, for one thing his lack of hunger is equally disturbing, more than just a mental depression, but his body's warning systems aren't doing their job and he'll likely collapse. Luckily for him, his union with Ria will offer him a new reservoir of power, but if that happens your connection will be lost, permanently."
What? Moka's outer persona asked, fear and shock gripped tightly in her voice.
"I don't believe this!" Moka responded. "First, I'm humiliated by Gin, then I and my unborn child is set to die, and now this! Why is all of this happening to me, mother? What did I do to deserve these misfortunes?"
She glances out the window in her maudlin display and happens to notice the same, exact ice cream stand where it all began, the very place where her motives for a better future for their children drove her to such extreme actions. Moka hadn't forgotten how cruel humans could be, that much remained unchanged, but now she loathed them even more for how they destroyed her marriage and her family. And, if she ever again has the chance to reunite with him, she'll gladly bite the bullet and hide any or all disdain for the human race; it was a small price to pay, after all.
At a nearby strip mall, a young attractive woman mills about the local stores, window shopping for something eye pleasing, yet affordable to buy when suddenly she hears a commotion.
"GET HIM!" Yelled a boy as he and his friends come chasing a hapless, young victim along so fast that the wind they kick up very nearly ruffled up her skirt.
Stunned, she watched as the group catches up with the little boy and begin beating, kicking and stomping their quarry, showing no mercy. The woman looks around to see if anyone plans on stopping this, only to be dismayed at the lack of attention, as if no one cared what was happening.
"HEY!" She finally yelled, no longer able to stand by and watch this. "HEY, GET OFF OF HIM!"
"Let's get out of here!" One of them yelled as they all fled, leaving their victim lying on the floor, sobbing.
"Its okay, are you alright, did they hurt you, badly?" She asks, consoling the child.
"M-M-Mommy!" He sobbed.
"It's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be alright," she reassured as she tenderly hugs the boy. "Do you know where your mommy is, I'd be happy to take you to her."
"HEY!" An angry voice suddenly split the air, startling the woman. "I SEE YOU, KID!"
"Shit!" She heard the boy hiss as he quickly wrenches loose from her grip and raced away as a large security guard came marching towards them.
"Excuse me!" The woman asked. "Just what do you think you're doing? You scared that poor little boy that you should have been watching!"
"Huh? Oh, I've been watching him and his friends, ma'am; I just saved you a bunch of embarrassment."
"Um, what?"
"That 'poor little' boy you were with, while you were busy hugging him, had his cell phone out and was recording up your skirt!"
"Huh?" She asked, instinctively looking around her short skirt as if doing so would catch the act.
"These kids around here have been doing this prank for about a year or two," he explained, "where they spot some attractive young woman in a mini skirt, pretend to beat each other up, and while she's busy helping the poor kid, either he or one of his buddies comes up behind and does an up skirt voyeur pic that they upload to YouTube without her knowledge. We've tried stopping it, but they keep on doing it so we just advise everybody to ignore 'em or at least call it in. Unfortunately, every so often they find a born victim who falls for it; no offense, ma'am."
"Y-You can't be serious? What kind of kids would do that just for a peek up my skirt?"
"Heh, obviously you don't have kids, lady!"