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AUTHOR: Lady Isis
RATING: R
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon and most probably never will, I only use the characters to write fictional stories. However the story line for Cursed Blood belongs to me.
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Chapter 4
Job Proposition
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I awoke the next morning to the mother of all hangovers. My head was pounding with every heartbeat and my body ached. Opening my eyes I looked around at my surroundings only to squint them closed at the bright piercing light of the morning jabbing into my eye balls.
"Oh" I groaned sitting up.
"What did I do last night?" then managed a weak laugh that sounded like a croak as I remembered.
It wasn't funny, it had hurt- just had an impulse I guess.
"Oh yeah, I got wasted by a vampire." Climbing out the bed I looked down at my body I was still in the nude, I didn't even think of changing last night. I steered into my bathroom, locked the door and spun to look at my reflection in the mirror; there was bruising all over the place.
"Damn vampires" I mumbled moving my hands over the injuries I gathered last night. My collarbone was much better, the bone had joined together to make a whole but was only very delicately and my shoulder was very stiff.
My ribs were the worst, they did not look bad outside, only some bruising...but...it was a different story inside, they were screaming in pain.
The broken rib had moved into position, but had not healed it would take at least a week before I was properly internally healed and that did not include the external part of my body so I'd still be black and blue.
Fortunately being part vampire my healing capabilities are faster than humans and a bonus - no scars but still it's no where near as fast as a vampires.
"Stupid, asshole vampires" I cursed as I ran a bath.
Dropping in the water I chose some home made bath salts my Aunt Meredith had made of rose and vanilla scent and slowly slid into the hot frothy water feeling my body relax and the tense muscles loosen...it was...only one way to say this...HEAVEN.
"Oooohh this is so good, so so gooood." And it would have been better if a certain roommate didn't choose to interrupt at that exact moment.
"Sere...um I don't think you'll want to hear this but...Seiya phoned he..." at the name Seiya I dunked my head beneath the water. Its not that I don't like him its just all he talks about is work, work, WORK!
Seriously that guy had no social life. Sounds like some slayer I know huh? I tried to persuade my self that I'd heard wrong, lets hope.
When my oxygen supply ran low I raised my head to get some when Amy opened the door a crack to see if I was alive.
"Serena are you okay?" She asked slowly looking at me dripping wet, practically submerged to my shoulders in bubbles.
"What...oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine nothing to worry about. What were you saying?" She looked irritated
"I said...Seiya phoned he's coming over in half an hour." I groaned I had heard correctly
"Did he say why?"
"Something about a job proposition." What did I say, all he talks about is WORK.
"Phone him and say I'm ill or something."
"Come on Serena, he's offering you a job, your graduating from University this year and you'll need a job to pay the bills. You can't depend on your Aunt all your life."
I wanted to shout 'I've already got a job I earn 3 months of your salary killing an average wanted vamp in one night.
"Fine, I'll talk to him." She closed the door and I moaned.
I dunked under the water to wake my self up and succeeded in making my head hurt even more so I climbed out. Seiyas visit had ruined a beautiful bath, next time I'm gonna put a hex on the door.
Wrapping myself in one of my fluffy bath towels I walked into my bedroom and climbed into some under wear. Throwing on some sweats and a t-shirt I winced quietly when the sudden movement caused my rib to sting. Opening the door I left my room and headed towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen I was about to prepare a breakfast when I saw it was already done for me, waffles, syrup and orange juice, yum yum. However something else distracted me from its brilliance. It was a raven-haired beauty contrasting with my white sofa. I looked at Amy strangely as she came from her bedroom.
"Serena, I wanted to talk to you about this." She said as she plonked next to the woman. "But this is Ray and she is our new roommate."
"Ahhh did we put an add in the news paper?"
Amy gushed an explanation "No, but I met Ray the other day and we became friends real easy and she told me her predicament with her boyfriend, how he treats her and I suggested she break up with him so she did and she wants to start again so I offered if she wanted to be our roommate." Gasping and breathing in for some air.
"Ahh huh, well I would have liked it if I had some warning Amy." I said hurt
"I'm sorry Sere, but you weren't here yesterday and it was a one off thing."
"Well okay..." I grumbled
"So lets start the introductions Ray this is Serena, Serena this is Ray." I looked at Ray and smiled at her.
"So ya wanna join the singles club." I said playfully, making Amy interject
"Hey I'm not single!"
"Too bad...you can't come with Ray and I man hunting." I teased "Were gonna have so much fun." I said as I sat at the table and began wolfing down my breakfast.
"Well you can't go man hunting to day, we're going to the hardware store to decorate Ray's bedroom, you want to come?"
After taking a gulp of orange juice to push down the waffles that got caught in my chest I replied
"Sorry I feel like crap, but I'll help you paint when you've chosen your design."
"Now that you mentioned it Sere, you don't look to hot." Both coming closer to examine me.
After a sec Ray spoke for the first time, she had a firm and authoritative voice, really reassuring.
"What man hunting did you get up to last night that bruise looks nasty."
"Huh...what bruise?" I ran into my bedroom closely followed by the others to look into my full moon mirror...there on my cheek like black and white was a hideous bruise, it was purple and slightly green. How'd I miss that? How'd I get that? I asked my self. The image of the back hander I received last night flashed through my mind.
Damn, stupid, ass holed, idiot, moron, prick, jerk, jackass vampire he's caused me so much trouble!
"What happened Sere...did some one...try and take advantage of you?" Amy asked worriedly
"NO of course not I...I" I wracked my brain for a lie "got hit in the face with a closing door when...when I went to a club, no biggie." Amy I could see bought the lie but Ray looked sceptical...damn...I'm gonna have to watch her.
I nervously laughed; Amy was about to say something, probably suggest that I go to the doctors or something when the door rang.
You know that cliché 'saved by the bell' as I raced off to fling the door wide open revealing theWorkaholic Seiya.
I resisted the urge to slam it closed. Oh joy, stay with those two and be interrogated till death, or go with Seiya and be bored to death. Another very difficult decision
"Ahh...hey Seiya...your early?" He stood in the door looking very good in his charcoal grey suit, very good indeed
"Got out of the staff meeting early." He pushed past me into the lounge catching eye of Ray
"And who's this lovely lady." He said moving over to Ray...what a charmer.
I answered for her "This is our new roommate."
He extended his hand to Ray "Hey my names Seiya and you are..." he prompted
"Ray" flashing him a stunning smile. I closed the door and dropped on my lounge suit resting my head on Amy's lap. Seiya sat in the right armchair and Ray in the left.
"Well Serena, I have a job proposition."
"Why me?" I whined lifting my head and turning to look at Seiya
"Because Serena you know why. Getting into University at just barely seventeen and becoming the highest achiever...Except for Amy of course...is very impressive, you would be a valuable asset to my business, and therefore I just had to offer you a job in my business before the rest of the world does."
Damn brains, why couldn't I just be born a dumb blond? Then I wouldn't have to suffer Seiya.
"Well I don't know...it sounds really boring." Sounding like a child.
"Of course you would be paid generously and have an assistant." I still was not convinced
"Oh come on Sere...not many people would get the opportunity to have this job, it's highly classified."
"I know Seiya, but there are so many things I want to experience I don't want to sit in an office all day. Besides if I got an assistant I'd want it to be in my age group and someone I know not some-no-one."
Seiya must have realized he was not going to sway my decision.
"Why don't we go and have lunch?" he suggested out of the blue.
"Wha...why?" he gave me a looked with his chocolate brown eyes pointing them towards the door that said you'll want to.
I sighed and walked to my room "Okay give me five minutes to get my shoes and coat."
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Sitting in Star Bucks I sat opposite Seiya on a rather skimpy sized table. A waitress came along stopping at our table and faced Seiya as she spoke.
"Hi there, welcome to Star bucks. Would you like to order?" She was a teenager, Serena could just tell.
Though she had the body of a woman which she flaunted in a rather small mini and midriff tank top, the subtle things like her clogged up mascara eyes batting for Seiya, and all the hair flicks screamed 'amateur'.
Seiya smiled at her, loving the attention "Hi there Shirly" She blushed.
"How did you know sir?" She asked breathlessly totally charmed by him. I laughed in amusement wishing to knock her down a peg or two by telling her about the name tag drooping on her apron front saying 'SHIRLY'.
As she heard me she spun round only just noticing I was there and shoot the evils my way making me change my laugh into a cough.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I would like a Turkish coffee."
Taking note of my order she turned back to Seiya putting on that sickly sweet smile.
"Yep and you would li..."
"And a latté." I interrupted. She scowled and wrote it down.
"And yo..."
"Oh yes and a chicken sandwich." I interrupted yet again.
"Okay..." noting that down her lips pinched and again turning to Seiya.
"What would yo...."
"And one of those chocolate muffins." I loved pissing her off it was so much fun. She slowly looked at me again, seething with barely contained impatience and annoyance.
"Any thing else?" she squeezed between her teeth.
"Nope that should be all" Mirroring that sweet smile of hers, causing her to twist her face into a sneer.
Across the table Seiya was grinning but it wiped off his face when she turned to look at him.
"What you'd you like?"
"I think I'll have some black coffee."
"Anything else? "
"No that will be all."
She walked off with the order in her hand and I released the laugh that had mounting up then sobered up to talk to Seiya.
"I'm guessing we did not just come here to flirt with your wee waitress?"
He smiled "Right Serena, but first..." from his pocket he drew out a large article and handed it to me.
I picked up the article and the head line caught my eye...
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ARSONIST OR TERRORIST?'
'New York police have been investigating the Friday night attack on the night club 'The Snare' which
resulted in the deaths of an estimated 700 innocent civilians...'
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Innocent civilians...they were as innocent as the devil himself
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'An investigation is being carried out at the moment by New York police teams and forensics. Senior Sergeant Christopher Timms is head of the case, with the backing of over fifteen years experience in various cases.
When we interviewed Senior Sergeant Timms he reported
"This bloodthirsty massacre against our city was a vicious and unnecessary act of violence..."
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Unnecessary...you've got to be kidding me, hell if I didn't get them they would have got us sooner or later.
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"...with the forensics team, we have been able to piece together parts of the puzzle, and when we complete it, it shall be a great step to bringing this person or persons to justice."
When the explosion was reported it was first dealt with by the Fire Department who was very pessimistic of any survivors. They left the charred remains of the nightclub in the hands of the Forensics who removed the poor souls of those that died in this fatal attack.
The forensics has scoured the sight for hours now, collecting every shred of evidence to take back to the lab to be analyzed.
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What souls? Vampires don't have souls, their mean, lean, killing machines no heart and definitely no soul.
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'...The head of the forensics team Dr. Melvin Harrington told us
"Our team has come to the conclusion that it was indeed the crime of a terrorist. Small fragments of bomb have been discovered within the rubble.
This act was highly sophisticated from their latest technology to the careful planning of it execution that eliminated the element of witnesses or suspects "
The Snare night club is owned by the business tycoon Darien De Silva who owns a string of others. Though he may own already a highly successful business, he claims he opened nightclubs for others to manage and open job opportunities for unemployed people. From these nightclubs he takes less than a fifth of the profit they make and generously pays the workers the rest.
We could not talk directly to him but his lawyer Maxemus Bandin said that Mr. De Silva was deeply disturbed by the news.
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Mr. De Silva disturbed???...HALLO...from what I have heard he's a very intimidating man and all that crap about 'opening job opportunities'... I know men like him and they don't give a damn about people around them.
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'...the police and forensics will keep investigating the crime scene for another week or so yet. As citizens of this city we hope they can figure this mystery out and bring some justice into this world.
New York Reporter Mina White.
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You know...that article makes me look bad and the vampires good. It's so unfair, if I told any one about my job they would probably send me to an insane asylum, I don't get paid for going out there and cleaning the streets when I'm not on a bounty and I never so much as get a thank you. Life stinks.
I put the article down on the table soon to be crushed by the annoying waitress with a tray of our order, she smiled at Seiya, scowled at me, was about to say something but fortunately called away by a new customer.
Seiya picked up his black coffee. Drunk some, and put it back onto the table before speaking again
"I presume this was your work?" It was more a statement than a question
"You know me too well." I replied
I picked up the Turkish coffee in its little cup and downed it in two seconds flat grimacing at the strong bitter taste of concentrate coffee.
Ahhh even though it is the bitterest thing ever, it was worth it as it made my head feel clearer.
"Guess things didn't go to plan last night." He answered looking inquisitively
"No it didn't..." picking up the latté and drinking it.
"What happened?"
I sighed and gulped down the piece of chicken in my mouth.
"I thought I could repeat the plan." And bit another huge chunk out the sandwich.
Seiya groaned in response "You didn't?"
I nodded "How do you think I ended up like this?"
"They were waiting for you?" he asked
"Mmmmm" I mumbled through my sandwich
Now your probably wondering why I'm telling him all this.
Well Seiya is a werewolf which I met when I first came to New York. It all happened one night when I was patrolling and inconveniently happened to get stuck in the middle of a rather large fight between a group of Vampires and a pack of werewolves. Nothing unusual, I always get stuck in pickles.
Any way sadly for the werewolves, they were losing...very drastically. Because of the mutual desire of vampire deaths I helped the werewolves to beat the vampires...but only just.
Seiya's pack was decimated some survived but many didn't. Werewolves though creatures of the night do not possess the strength and ability that match that of a vamp. Vampires have always been superior to any night creature.
His father was the pack leader, and in his death he had left Seiya his heritage, his pack. Seiya's mother was injured pretty badly, but the news of her mate's death had just finished her off.
From then Seiya and I became friends and strove to destroy the vampires that had stolen so much from us.
Reaching for my muffin I began to eat it slowly, plucking small pieces off and placing them into my mouth savouring its wonderful taste.
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Seiya watched Serena eat her muffin and was enticed. The way she put small chunks of muffin into her mouth through those kissable lips and smiled contentedly as she chewed.
She was a woman that did not need makeup or material objects to shine, she was truly the most wonderful thing...a goddess...soon to be his goddess. Even now sitting there with a large bruise across her cheek and probably more injuries over her body she never showed pain. It made him just want to rip those vampires apart.
Though Seiya had tried to hide his feelings he could not deny the fact that he was...in love with her, from the first moment he laid eyes on her. He wanted to be more than just friends...a thousand times more but he knew she did not feel the same for him.
He wanted her to become his mate, to make love with, to be the one to explore every inch of her glowing body to bear his children because of their love. He had never wanted any thing more in his entire life.
When Serena was broken hearted because of her boyfriend Scout cheating with another woman, he almost bust his flood banks and would have done any thing to hold her, kiss all her tears away. In his whole life his usually low temper and wolf side wanted nothing more than to rip the bastard to pieces for all the pain he had caused his love.
"Hello- Earth to Seiya?" interrupted his thoughts and he looked straight into Serena's violet blue eyes laced with concern.
"Mmm" he replied to show he was back.
Looking rather impatient she repeated what she was talking about
"Your job proposition, the one that you had to drag me away from my apartment to talk about. Remember?" She said slightly distracted as she looked down her front and lightly brushed the muffin crumbs off her chest. Seiya watched this as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Coming back to reality he cleared his throat and said "The reason I took you here is I knew you wouldn't accept my job offer-"
"Too true, too true." She interrupted
"I wasn't finished...but would you take the job if I said you would be a financial advisor at Crimson Corps?"
"Nope" sipping again on her latt
"My, my, I am disappointed...little miss slayer hasn't done her home work."
"What do you mean I haven't done my homework?" she was getting a bit cranky
"Well all good slayers know that Crimson Corps is run by the big vampires"
Serena choked on her latté "Big vampires? Like who?"
"You're not interested in the job, so I best leave and not waste any more of your precious time."
Just as he got out of his seat, she darted and grabbed his hand
"I'm interested." Sounding breathless
Seiya sat back on his chair.
"So what would I exactly be doing if I accepted this job?"
He answered "With this job you would represent me and my Bank. You'd tie agreements together and make deals with other businesses. You know that type of work."
"But in other words you're saying if I take this job I can spy on the 'big vampires' society?"
"Exactly." Seiya simply said
"I'll take it" was all she said and Seiya cracked a smile
"Welcome to Revell Reserve Bank.".
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MY JAZZ EXAMS ARE DONE!!! so now i can focus on writing again
For my RK fic 'Blood Guilt' I'm hoping to have the next chapter out before my weekends over but no promises.
Thanx to these people who reviewed my last chapter Shisei, Snoggitz, Don't eat yellow snow, brett and Tori If I've missed any one I'm truly sorry
Review if you like or if you dislike, please if you have any criticism make it constructive, and don't forget to leave your e-mail, not so I can black mail you but reply back.© Lady Isis 2004-07-17