Give What You Can
Chapter 1
Contract
"You've had a busy day."
Ria was sitting in the main common room of the mansion. All the children had been sent to bed. Kurumu, Yukari, and even Moka were sent off. Ruby had refused to leave Tsukune's side while Ria was in their home. The silence was only broken by Ria pouring three glasses of whatever dark liquor was in a nearby decanter. Ruby picked up the glass and took a sip before offering it to Tsukune.
"Poisoning isn't beneath me," Ria remarked, swirling her own drink in her fingers. "But, really, after what we've been through it seems uncivilized to try and knock you off like that."
Ruby tilted her head at Ria, smiling in her way to let Ria know she was not bothered by her. "I just wanted to offer my master an indirect kiss."
Tsukune turned the cup in his hands were Ruby had sipped from, finishing the drink in one gulp.
"Just ask for one. He's quite good." Ria gave Ruby a bawdy wink. "Very good. We had quite the time just a while ago, hmm?"
"I have no doubt," Ruby took her own drink and sipped. "But only when Master wants."
"When Master wants," Ria repeated, biting her lip and nodding in approval. "You have her trained well."
"I think a fire would be nice right about now, don't you think, Master?" Ruby's free hand opened, a ball of incandescent fire plumed, giving Ruby's profile an eerie shadow. "And I think I know exactly where to put it."
Ria tensed.
Ruby tossed it in the air. It swirled about, gravitating towards Ria till she flinched. With a quick shot lunge, it ignited inside the woodless fireplace, remaining alight without the need for fuel.
"Your bitch has quite the growl, Brother Dear." Ria's fangs grew and the tips of her nails sharped to long claws. "But her point is made."
"What do you want, Ria?" Tsukune put his glass down loudly on the table.
"As I said before the fiasco, I come in peace." She raised her hand in mock surrender. "And with some documents that you need to sign."
She pulled a briefcase that was at her feet to her lap and opened it. Taking out a docket, she offered them to Tsukune to read. Ruby took them in his stead, giving Ria an emotionless smile while Ria gave a withering glare in return. Handing the folder to Tsukune, Ruby sat herself right next to Ria, facing her with her drink still resting in her hands.
Tsukune flipped through the pages, reading them just as easily in the faint light as if it was day. He paused when he read a line in the contract.
"I am to refrain from interfering with all vampire clan activities, their subordinates, affiliates, and influences either in the human world or monster realm. Any and all incidents that I participate in will be met with punishments up to and including the death or torment of any living family and friends, be it monster or human. If I understand, mark my initials here." Tsukune exhaled noisily, looking over the document with fierce eyes.
"Do you need a pen?" Ria plucked one out of her briefcase.
"You are telling me that should the council deem any actions I do for the next one hundred years an act against their agenda they're going to go after my friends or family? You expect me to agree to this?" He dropped the docket onto the floor.
"Tsukune, brother dear, you and Moka have this one thing in common that made you all so irritatingly good for each other." Ria menacing smile was mocking. "You both whine about how unfair things are when you get exactly want you wanted."
"Ria..." Tsukune warned.
"You wanted a hundred years to be free of the vampire family to frolic with your friends, make babies, probably even protect your parents while looking for a spouse to enjoy before settling down with your true kind." Ria shrugged, glancing down at the papers on the floor. She gestured for Ruby to pick them up.
Ruby extended her hand and tilted her glass to pour the liquor on the documents.
"They're signed by your Lord Father, brother dear. Tread carefully," Ria leaned back, amused that Tsukune stopped Ruby from pouring her drink over the papers. Ruby picked them up and handed them Tsukune to read over again.
"Your price for one hundred years of freedom from us, Tsukune. You don't want us to influence your life, we don't want you influencing ours. Honor the agreement and there shouldn't be any issues to be wary of." Ria handed her glass to Ruby, nearly sloshing it on her when she didn't grip it fast enough.
She stood up and made her way over to lean her breast against Tsukune's arm. "You want to pay particular care about this part, Brother dear."
Tsukune looked at the part of the page where Ria was pointing with her long fingernail. "...families that will be killed or tortured does not exclude their protectors, friends, and friends of families. For instance, Aono Tsukune's children in the Yuki-Onna's village will be decimated that is in care of the children, the mother's and the spouse of the mother's, and their extended family. Moka's child and its guardian, Otonashi Sun is not exempt from the punishment. Any and all who are in her relation, her spouse, her friends, and their business associates are within the rights of immediate demise should it deem Aono Tsukune hinder the vampire clans."
Tsukune was about to toss the papers into the fire.
"Please do that," Ria breath quickened, her smile dangerous. "The moment those documents are destroyed, your obligation to the family is immediate. Look at the last line before you toss it, Brother dear. I wouldn't want you to think I am being unfair."
Tsukune did. He looked up at Ria and then at Ruby. A cold sweat trickled down his cheek. He handled the documents with greater care. "Give me the pen."
Ria sighed in disappointment. Giving him the pen, Tsukune signed it and handed it back to her.
"A shame," She grinned, a knowing toothy smile that held a lusty passion. "But I can wait."
She dropped the file on her suit case, pulled Tsukune by his collar and kissed him, deep and hungrily. "Only a hundred years, Tsukune. For a vampire, it's a long summer break. After that," She reached down and groped his crotch. "This will be mine."
A snap of magic crackled in the air. Ria was well aware that Ruby was only a moment from releasing a magical onslaught that she wouldn't survive.
Tsukune raised a finger to stop her.
The magic quieted.
"Feel free to call me anytime, Brother Dear," She hummed in appreciation to Tsukune's size. "You are a lot less boring now that Moka's gone."
Ria reached for her glass that Ruby was holding, but Ruby drank it all in one swallow.
Ria stepped an impossible inch closer to Ruby, smiling while breathing her air. "Oh me, oh my, I like you. I look forward to breaking you if you're still alive after the hundred years are done."
Ruby pressed her lips to Ria's ear, talking so with as much menace and poison as a witch of her caliber could issue. "Anyone of your people touch someone dear to my Master, I will bring down the heavens and ride the waves of hell to every single one of you. I promise you, anywhere the earth under your feet exists, it will swallow you and yours to the most foul places that exist."
"Is that so?" Ria raised a hand to cup Ruby's long black hair.
"And I will start with your father," Ruby promised, the word 'father' being a cold hiss.
Ria snatched Ruby's hair and twisted it, torqueing it hard. "You need to train your dog better, Tsukune."
Tsukune smiled, chuckling behind his fingertips. "This is not good, Ria. For starters, Ruby loves it."
Ria did see that Ruby was smiling, a weird and ecstatic grin of pleasure. Then another thing came to mind.
"You're already breaking the rules, Sister Dear," Tsukune mimicked her tone.
He was right.
"And he signed the contract, so it's in effect." Ruby straightened her hair when Ria released her. "No one, be it his family, friends, or associates are to be harmed least the person who has done so suffer serious penalties at the behest of Aono Tsukune."
Trembling in anger and her lack of self-discipline, Ria gathered herself and stood before him. "What is your desired punishment for me, Tsukune?"
"Let me," Ruby pleaded, stepping forward eagerly.
Tsukune acquiesced, letting Ruby take over.
Ruby licked her lips with earnest glee. She summoned her scepter to her side.
"Ruby, she needs to live."
"Oh," Ruby frowned in disappointment.
"It will interfere with the Shozen's plans."
"Understood," Ruby dismissed the scepter and replaced it with a sunflower wand. She paced around Ria once before asking her, "How good is your healing?"
"Better than anything you can dish out, hedge witch," Ria spat, her red eye glare going from Tsukune to Ruby. "Do your worst."
Swish, Ruby swathed a cut with her sunflower wand at Ria, entangling her with thick ropey vines.
"I will make this night memorable, Sekitan Ria," Ruby waited for Tsukune to give his order, and he did with a nod.
A twirl and a wink, Ruby and Ria were gone.
xxxxxx
Tsukune had all but finished the decanter when he found the strength to look over the documents he signed. It was there, at the very end. "At the conclusion of Aono Tsukune's one hundred year pause of influence, should the contract be broken, or any reason the contract is no longer in effect, the first duty Tsukune will complete is to join the Shozen family by duty and marriage."
That part was expected, but it was what followed that gave him pause and treat the document and it's purpose with care.
"Should Tsukune break the contract or disrespect its intent, marriage to Sekitan Ria will be his first order of reprisal."
xxxxxx
AN: Greetings, I am your Mistress. It has been a while since I've posted. While I do apologize for the delay, I say I am not sorry for I come bearing news. Myself and Lord of the Land of Fire have been working on original material to sell. He has several books out, especially his Waldo series and Dr. Anarchy. I am just about to finish my first original story for publication called Grand Terra: Ann's Blessing. It is a story about a young man, Tommy Briscoe, whose grandmother, Ann Miller, was a badass hero in the hidden monster world. He is tasked to journey in her old monster stomping grounds to see the adventures her and her fellows took to bring down the corrupt vampire stranglehold they had on the monsters of good and evil. Comedy, danger, and some crude exchanges between Tommy and his grandmother's fellows as he explores how much his bad ass Boomer grandmother lived before her passing. I should have it completed by around January!
Your Mistress.