A/N: This was originally written for Smutember, my first ever contribution to the event. However, it got finished kind of late and then I realised it should really be multiple chapters instead of a one shot. As such the first chapter doesn't actually have any smut in it. However, since Kinktober happens straight after Smutember I felt having this fic's release straddle the events was as good a compromise as any. So it's 'spiritually' a Smutember story.
Hope you enjoy it!
This is a collaboration with k8tj17, to whom I am eternally grateful for lending her time and skills to this story! You can find more of her work on FFN and Ao3 under the same username.
/users/k8tj17/pseuds/k8tj17
u/14881957/K8tj17
This fic has also been betaed by no less than three people.
UranusWind
u/15106993/UranusWind
/users/UranusWind/pseuds/UranusWind
RiverLethe9
u/15076405/RiverLethe9
/users/RiverLethe9/pseuds/RiverLethe9
And Secret Peitho
u/15130996/Secret-Peitho
/users/Lin_Lamont/pseuds/Lin_Lamont
Please check out their work under the same usernames!
"Jadeite."
As the cold, terse voice resounded through the throne room, a young blonde man stepped forth from the crowd of Youma. Raising his hand to the breast of his grey uniform, he gave a deferential bow.
"My Queen."
Raising his head, he noticed Beryl's eyes had narrowed slightly and an unpleasant thought crossed his mind.
"Jadeite, I demand to know what you are doing to gather energy for our Great Ruler."
It took all his resolve to refrain from groaning. As he'd suspected, Queen Beryl was in a bad mood. She always was whenever she 'demanded' he or the other Shittenou do something for her. Thankfully, on this occasion, he had a plan in place, though even he had to admit it was perhaps rather desperate.
"Well my Queen, recently I have learned that many humans expend an inordinate amount of energy on something called 'fanfiction'."
He thought he saw Beryl's eyebrow twitch and decided it was best to press on.
"Humans all over the world waste their time and energy upon tales other humans have invented. But some such humans expend so much energy on these tales they invent their own, utilizing the make-believe figures they observed."
Beryl's lip pursed. Jadeite prayed he was not sweating.
"Then yet more humans expend further time and energy reading those stories. Most foolish, is it not?"
In his nervousness the last sentence had slipped out, risking a degree of familiarity he wasn't sure Beryl would appreciate.
"Foolish was the word that came to my mind, Jadeite."
"Ahem," he cleared his throat, hoping he may yet salvage the situation. "Indeed your highness, these humans are so foolish, they made one such tale so popular that it became known across the entire planet."
The blonde Shittenou couldn't help but notice Beryl's talon-like fingers had ceased swirling around her crystal ball. Instead, they were now clenched, as if preparing to throttle somebody.
"My plan is to begin a competition where the humans will write stories of their own in the vain hope of reaching the same degree of success. Pouring their energy into crafting their tales will create a connection with my Youma and, when the time is right, we shall then steal that energy for Queen Metalia."
There was no doubt he'd won some kind of reprieve. Queen Beryl's hands had unclenched in any case. Nevertheless, Jadeite could tell she was not yet fully convinced.
"What tale could a human craft that could bewitch so many?"
Jadeite raised his hand and a book materialized out of thin air.
"It is called '50 Shades of Senshi' and it is about..." He paused for a fraction of a moment, trying his best not to blush. "Well my Queen, I believe the humans were enticed by its depictions of... of physical passions..."
Beryl's expression was utterly unreadable. "I take it you do not mean a passion for athletics," she said coldly. Though, Jadeite wondered, not quite as coldly as he might've expected?
"No my Queen, physical passions of the... of a different sort..."
She paused. "I see."
This time Jadeite was sure Beryl's tone was... Warm wasn't the right word, but it certainly wasn't cold either. It was a kind of obviously controlled neutrality. Not that he cared. Anything was better than facing her fury.
But, just as he had permitted himself a flicker of hope, his chest abruptly tightened again.
"I must say Jadeite I lack confidence in this plan of yours."
Jadeite's expression remained stoic, even as his mind raced towards possible avenues for escape.
"As such, you will be prepared to cease your activities at any moment should I deem your scheme a waste of time."
Jadeite could hardly believe it. He'd once again managed to survive the wrath of Queen Beryl.
"In the interim," she continued, "I shall inspect this tome for myself and then determine if I should permit your mission to continue."
Jadeite was so relieved he hardly noticed Beryl lightly drum her fingers upon the book's spine.
"The spine is a critical part of the skeletal structure. It is connected to nerves throughout your body so it's incredibly important to allow you to feel things when you touch them. And of course, without it, your whole body would collapse. Do you understand Usagi?"
As it happened, Usagi did not understand Ami. Her attempt to help the blonde bun-head study had served only to make Usagi wish she could collapse. That way she wouldn't have to take Ms. Haruna's upcoming biology test; or listen to Umino inevitably brag about his high score.
She let out a sigh from the depths of her soul. "I'm going to fail biology again aren't I?" she moaned, her eyes welling up, readying a fresh round of tears.
"Calm down Usagi," reassured Naru. "I'm sure you'll scrape by somehow."
"Maybe you'd respond to a different style of learning," offered Ami.
Usagi's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"There are other ways to learn besides just reading something out of a book or listening to someone tell you information. You might be more of a visual learner."
"I'd say so given the amount of manga she reads."
"Naru! You sound just like my mother!"
Naru shrugged. "Sorry," she said, nevertheless giggling slightly.
"Of course," Ami went on as though she hadn't been interrupted, "there's always practical learning too. Learning through doing something or experiencing it first hand."
This time it was Naru who's brow furrowed "Hmmm, but what would be a practical lesson for how nerves work?"
"Hey bun-head!"
Usagi's body stiffened. "I think I might have an idea," she muttered icily.
A handsome black haired man with thick sunglasses strode up to them.
"I'm surprised to see you're still going to school," smirked Mamoru.
"And what's that supposed to mean," fired back Usagi.
Mamoru gave a lazy shrug. "Just that with your newfound fame I thought you wouldn't have time for school. Or at least you'd get a private tutor or something."
Usagi felt fury bubbling up within her. "What're you talking about, idiot!" She demanded.
Mamoru threw his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to a book shop behind him. Usagi focused and noticed an ad in the shop's window. Pushing past Mamoru to get a closer look, Usagi's jaw dropped.
The ad featured a woman with sultry facial expression and two blonde hair-buns not unlike her own.
"Oh my," Ami said, her cheeks blushing as she and Naru caught up with Usagi.
Usagi managed to tear her eyes off the woman long enough to take in the ad fully.
Last year C.M. Taylor changed the world with her breakout novel '50 Shades of Senshi'
Now, it's YOUR chance to do the same!
Sign up to today for more information and come to Juban park on...
"W-Wh-What is this about?" blustered Usagi.
"You mean you didn't have anything to do with this?" chided Mamoru.
"No I didn't!" she bellowed. "That girl doesn't even look anything like me!" She thrust a finger at the advertisement.
Mamoru shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? All you bun-heads look the same to me."
"Then maybe you shouldn't wear such thick sunglasses you moron!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Usagi relax already," Naru said, attempting to give her friend a few placating pats on the shoulder.
Usagi was still grinding her teeth as Mamoru smirked again and walked away.
"I hate that guy," she muttered, turning back to the ad. "I still don't get what this is all about. Although '50 Shades of Senshi' does ring a bell. I think I saw it once in my Mama's drawer when I was borrowing her charger."
For some reason Usagi didn't understand, Ami and Naru exchanged embarrassed looks.
"Why're you-"
"Oh look!" Cut in Ami. "I think I see Rei in the Crown. We should go in and say hello!"
"Great idea!" concurred Naru, joining Ami in a swift march across the road.
Along with a baffled Usagi, the pair entered the arcade and approached a raven-haired girl in a different school uniform. Apparently sensing their presence, she swiveled around with an excited look on her face. Ami had barely opened her mouth to greet her when Rei began verbally bombarding the trio
"Guys, you'll never guess what!? They're holding a competition to write a new erotic novel like '50 Shades of Senshi'." Haphazardly Rei flapped a flyer into view displaying the same sultry looking blonde. "The winner will get a cash prize as well as a book deal! All you have to do is sign up on their website and type out your story there. For some reason, they say copying and pasting from another document is against the rules and they've implemented software to check for that."
She paused and panted slightly before sharply taking in a breath, a spark of realization crossing her violet eyes.
"Oh, and you've got to use this character they invented called 'Serena Midnight,' but she's just like a template you can do whatever you want with! These flyers are all over town so there'll be a lot of competition, but I think I stand a good chance. I mean I've written a few songs in the past so this can't be that different. In other words," Rei closed her eyes and adopted a serene yet smug expression as she flicked her long hair back. "You're looking at the next C.M. Taylor!" She concluded by throwing a wink at the three of them.
Ami seemed completely taken aback by Rei's enthusiasm.
Naru had a curiously contemplative look upon her face.
Usagi meanwhile was white as a sheet. "E-er-erotic novel?"
"This… This is… This is the greatest book I have ever read..." whispered Usagi.
"Usagi, I think that's the only book you've ever read," Luna said with a sigh. "Unless manga counts," she muttered. "I am surprised that you aren't still shuddering though? Did you do a little 'growing up' whilst reading that and accepted your mother-"
"Lalalala, I'm not listening!" Usagi yelled, covering her ears and whipping her head back and forth, her long blonde streams practically smacking Luna in the face.
As the ebony feline let out a long sigh, Usagi seemed to regain her composure; or the closest thing to composure she was capable of in any case. Abruptly, she leapt to her feet, her arm extended to the sky and a fire burning in her eyes. "I'll do it! I'll enter the competition and become the next C.M. Taylor! And I'll get payback for them stealing my likeness too!"
Luna opened her mouth to speak but closed it and lay her head down lethargically. "Just this once I'm not even going to bother trying to stop you."
Usagi evidently hadn't heard her, as she proceeded to immediately open up her laptop, pull up and sign up to the competition. With the ever sultry visage of Serena Midnight as the website background, Usagi began to type.
She was, however, far from the only one.
A/N: I hope you are enjoying enjoying my story so far!
I'd also like to inform you that I am part of a discord server called 'Moonlight Legends' which is all about Sailor Moon fanworks, including fanfics, fan art, etc.
If you would like to join DM me and I will happily send you an invite link.