Disclaimer: Over the rainbow is where… nope, even there I don't own Sailor Moon.
Story Six: Lilith
Vocabulary words:
Succubus: A demon who takes the form of an attractive woman to seduce their male victims and steal their energy through intercourse. (Male counterparts are known as Incubus.)
Geisha: Traditional female entertainers whose skills include performing various arts such as classical music and dance. (The women depicted in this tale claim to be geishas but aren't true ones.)
Nishikigoi: Japanese carp, also known as Koi.
Bekko, Gin Matsuba, Tancho Sanke: Different types of Nishikigoi.
Summary: Falling in love was the first step followed shortly by giving up your soul for eternity.
Story info:
Alternative timeline
Time period: Ancient Japan.
Horrorish/Romance
Rating: PG-13 (Language, some nudity and sexual innuendo)
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Bam! Bam! Bam!
Off in the distance, but with each moment drawing ever closer, were the loud bangs of fireworks being set off. Carried by the wind the pungent scent of gunpowder that seeped through the wooden cracks and open windows masked, overpowering all other formidable scents in the tea room- that is if a being should be so inclined to dub it as one.
Since the turn of the New Year a growing number of cases of infinitely, violent assaults and thievery in the marketplace had plagued the city. Instead of addressing the real issues the town's representatives enlisted a tribe of monks, who'd determined the recent crimes and sins were orchestrated by a multitude of evil spirits. Sutras had been plastered to every wall made of either wood or stone meanwhile they now choked the air with their gunpowder to scare away the evil ones.
An unfamiliar patron to the inn frowned; the newly acquired hard lines of his face tightening with each second that past and the bottom of his jug of sake remained empty. A hint of color had spread across his cheekbones and lit up the tip of his nose, this flush was an indicating signal of not only his intoxication but foul disposition too.
His sea colored orbs found those of a woman across the room, even under the heavy coating of white she tried to simulate a blush hiding coyly behind a fan, depicting a warm sunset, her eyes adverted. Unable to restrain himself, a snarl rip up from his chest coming out through his clenched teeth before he slammed the jar onto the wooden table. The pieces flew across the room in various directions causing some slight alarm from the other patrons.
The sea was no longer subdued in his eyes when fury began to burn deep within them. "More sake," He hissed out the order.
The woman hiding behind the fan trembled slightly. Never had she, or the others for that matter, been strangers to their customers taking out their violent temperaments on her (wearing the scars from her frequent abusers) one would think she'd would have gotten desensitized to it by now. "Y-y," Her voice shook and from her very depths hatred and self-loathing for her weakness rose up to the surface. Forcing her gullet to constrict she forced down the coarse, harsh tasting fear that had formed at the back of her throat before she dared opening her mouth again. "Yes Chiba-san," She respectfully bowed her head right when a chortle broke the strained atmosphere. Not paying any attention to the source of the sound the young woman quietly slid the door open before moving to her feet to exit.
"Mamoru, you-" A white haired man with a geisha- or what past for one in this area one should say- under each arm began but was silenced when the harsh sea that seemed to be in the midst of a typhoon snapped towards him.
"Kunzite, bite your flipping tongue before I'm forced to cut it out and hang it on my mantel as a display piece." For pure emphasis Mamoru placed a steady hand on the hilt of the weapon at his side.
Already liquid courage swam true in his veins so instead of cowering Kunzite supplied the younger man with a cheeky grin. "Consider it bitten but a word of advice from an injured tongue: Enjoy thyself."
Mamoru scoffed, his face twisting with suppressed anger at his friend's words. Once upon a time this patron had been known to be quite enjoyable company, that is before the evil temptress known simply as Resentment wrapped her powerful legs around his torso. Her saliva- which she generously spewed down his throat, was made of pure bitterness fueled by a liars tongue and had infectious skin laced with envy. Picking up her traits he was used up by his regretful lover, he'd been left hallow, a mere shadow of the once fine upstanding noble he'd seen time and time again in the water's reflection.
Only in his twentieth year his face, marked by her, had been aged terribly. An almost permanent grimace had been etched on his face replacing his once cool, handsome blank canvas. Tired, hazy eyes sought some form of distraction to keep him from slicing his friend from navel to apple. Craving nothing more than to destroy Kunzite's happy image, spit in the face of beauty sort of speak. He groaned in protest trying desperately to will away the thoughts, his eyes once again truly searching for anything.
Distraction came in the glorious form of a nishikigoi, lovely even when frozen, depicted rather elegantly on the sleeve of his kimono. The robe was a splash of cerulean, gold, black, white and the brilliance of red. Searching through the caverns of his mind Mamoru remembered vividly that this had been a gift from his very own father just a month ago. Commissioned specifically for his love of the bekko, gin matsuba and tancho sanke that he had encaged long ago for his son's sea colored eyes. This garment had been the first gift he'd bestowed upon Mamoru that night before he drove a blade into his belly leaving him with a second gift of blood and massive debt.
Mamoru clenched his teeth in an audible snap causing Kunzite's interest to be perked momentarily. 'Was this possibly a wrong idea,' Kunzite toyed with the idea of an early departure but a delicate hand slipping onto his lap whisked those thoughts away instantaneously.
Sometime during Mamoru's reverie the girl- who'd excused herself to retrieve him a new bottle of sake- had returned, pouring him a new glass. Anxiously he pawned the cup appearing almost desperate when he brought it to his greedy lips and inhaled the burning liquid down his throat. Kissing the cup's edge he closed his eyes and made a wish upon the alcohol, a wish that it would give him amnesia while dulling his eternal pain. Mechanically he placed the cup down before refilling it and repeating the process until the bottle had vanished.
The head of the household had before taking his life squandered their family's wealth and in attempt to replenish the estate dragged them into a significant amount of debt. Unable to imagine the humble life she would be forced to have Mamoru's mother also choose the cowardly route only twelve hours after her husband's untimely death. Right before his eyes Mamoru had in one fatal swoop lost his parents, wealth, estate and all of his so-called friends. He severely doubted that his wife Rei, a woman more devoted to the life at the temple then she was to him, would not use this as an opportunity to demand her freedom.
Full of good intent the last noble still speaking to him, Kunzite had forcibly demanded Mamoru's companionship that fateful evening. Depravity being one of his notable charms the white haired man considered the key to relieving a man's grief lied in the womb of a whore.
The talents of these so-called geishas were wasted as Mamoru wasn't interested in their fan dances, the tales they weaved together with their salacious tongues or the gifts which their bodies could produce. Behind their fans they had gossiped, mocking his obvious impotence to help their wounded prides before leaving him to drown in an ocean of sake.
When Mamoru caught sight of Kunzite's outer robe being removed while his hands roughly smudged the girl's painted beauty Mamoru decided it was time for his departure. "Kunzite, I'll leave you to your four be sure not to catch your death, old friend." Kunzite smiled affectionately at his words and would have waved if his hands weren't already preoccupied.
Sliding open the door Mamoru was helped to the exit by an attendant that also retrieved his wooden shoes for him. Stumbling onto the street his hazy eyes failed to notice a shadowed figure that watched his every move from an alleyway. Momentarily leaning against the wall he tried to pull from his drunken mind the map to his new home.
Lost in the inner workings of his mind he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand gently brush across his left shoulder blade. Swallowing a yelp he turned swiftly but was greeted by only the brisk night air behind him. Troubled and thoroughly not trusting his dulled senses he continued searching till he spotted a figure standing ten paces away: A woman.
Beauty incarnate, this was this strange woman's crime, being too beautiful for words.
Twin streams of rich golden ringlets flowed down her curvaceous body hanging from a set of neatly twisted buns. Unconsciously Mamoru took a step closer to her, memorized by her cerulean eyes and pink lips. "H-," Opening his mouth he could only get the first letter of the sound of greeting past his tied tongue.
Appraising her figure critically now he realized dumbly that she wasn't wearing a kimono, rather a foreign style dress that he'd only seen in paintings. Try as he might he couldn't pinpoint her ethnicity for the life of him, shooting in the dark he spouted out the first foreign greeting that came to mind. "Bon-jour," Nervously he paused in the middle of the word, trying his best to pronounce it not only with the best of his ability but also with the utmost care.
Laughter that sounded like wind chimes flowed past her pink lips; delicately she strode forward making an effort to close the distance between them. "A Frenchman?" She questioned amusement apparent on her angelic face when Mamoru's eyes widened and his breath hitched.
"N-no," He stuttered, embarrassment seeping out of her very pores and darkening his already rose colored cheeks. "It's just," He paused, "Because of your hair and dress, that's all."
"Ah," The woman twirled a ringlet around her gloved finger. "This," She gestured towards her hair, "Was a gift from my mother and the dress was a reward from a friend overseas." She frowned, "Does it not suit me?"
"No!" Mamoru shouted too loudly in protest. "You look," Words failed the young man and for the life of him he could only stare gapingly at her beauty.
"Your flattery is far too kind," The woman cupped his cheek. "Tsukino Usagi, but simply call me Usagi, no formality necessary." She made a gesture with her hand for him to continue.
"Chiba Mamoru," He replied before his eyes widen in alarm. "You shouldn't be out here alone at this hour, it's dangerous."
Once again Usagi's musical laughter filled the air, "Dangerous, eh? The danger is only for those that wish me harm," Confidence dripped from her every word, her teeth gleaming unnaturally in the light of a nearby lamp.
It was only in that moment of clarity Mamoru remembered exactly what street and district he was currently in. Ice cold shock washed over him, sharpening his dull senses. Swallowing the hard lump that had formed in the back of his throat a cold voice gnawed in the back of his mind, begging with frightening urgency for him to open his mouth and ask her a simple question. Though he knew without a shred of doubt that if his presumption was incorrect he would lose her absolutely.
"How much," Mamoru asked quietly, his eyes adverted to the ground. No matter the price he knew that he would find a way to acquire the sum to merely be able to touch this woman's skin.
Usagi's eyes were twinkles when she placed his fingers under his proud jaw and waited for him to shift his graze towards her. She graced him with a smile, "I should be the one asking you that very thing." Bewilderment spread across his face when he heard her reply. "So pure," She cooed, pressing her body against his. "I've never seen a man of you caliber so pure, it's intoxicating."
"W-what do you mean?" With her body pressed so close Mamoru was having a difficult time thinking much less attempting to speak. A strange fluttering heat began to develop in the pit of his stomach, a feeling he'd never experienced before.
"No wife?" Usagi smirked. "You've certainly never been with a woman."
Mamoru blinked, he wanted to question how she could possibly know that intimate detail but when he opened his mouth he found himself answering rather then questioning. "My marriage was arranged by my parents; I've never loved the girl nor felt any desire to lay with her."
"Delicious," Usagi lick the corner of his lips and would have turned to capture them but froze when a loud Bam! rang through the quite night's air. Confusing the annoyance on her face with perplexity Mamoru began to explain. "It's just the monks," He wrapped his arms protectively around her torso and pulled her gently further into the shadows.
"Such a an-" Usagi paused when another Bam! was heard.
"You're trembling," Mamoru spoke with surprise evident in his voice. "Don't be frightened, they are just trying to cast away the evil spirits that haunt our city. They couldn't possibly harm-" He paused when her eyes momentarily flashed silver. "You," He finished lamely.
The pair stood merely staring into each other's eyes the only movement coming off Usagi was her constants twitches when the explosions continued to grow ever closer. "I have to go," She stated, trying to pull herself from his embrace but lacking the true will to actually leave him.
"What are you?" Mamoru asked as she stiffened.
"Succubus," Usagi answered honestly. "Does it disgust you?"
He shook his head in response, "Do you plan on killing me?"
Angrily she crossed her arms over her chest, "I'll have you know I've haven't killed a single human in my entire seventy years of life, hmpt." She pouted and Mamoru almost felt bad for even asking that question of the demon. "I really need to go n-"
"-take me with you," Impulse drove the words but Mamoru found that he had to desire to retract them. "Close your eyes," Without question he did as she commanded, feeling her brush her soft fingers against his eyelids. "Open," Usagi sweet voice drifted into his ear and when he opened them a flash of light nearly left him blind. Blinking and forcing his eyes to refocus he found that the entire scenery had changed. Where cobblestones lined the streets now grass grew wildly, accented by flowers of every color imaginable while redwood trees surrounded them.
"I'm guessing you approve," Usagi's eyes were once again twinkling, a brilliant smile crossing her face.
Astonished eyes turned back towards her and Mamoru's heart nearly jumped into his throat at the sight of her. Usagi stood before him proudly with the only thing obstructing his view of her body being a large boa that was slowly wrapping itself up her torso. Stepping forward she cupped his chin guiding him closer to her before she captured his lips.
No sooner had she touched his lips did the hardened mask formed by grief melted away, the hard lines of his face softening. "I'm going to enjoy you for all eternity," Usagi replied husky against his lips before she pushed him down on the forest floor and climbed on top of him.
Fin.
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An: You know when I first started this I wanted it to be this big masochist thing where Usagi was very evil and Mamoru was enjoying the pain she inflected on him when she fed.. but then it turned into this big fluff piece at the end. :sigh:
If you were confused about the fireworks thing, fireworks were invented in China for the purpose of scaring away evil spirits and demons with their loud sound.
Well, anyways nice to see you guys again, sorry I haven't been updating anything as of late. In the recent months my mother had been hospitalized and I was helping her out at her job. Then right as she's healthy once again- well, you remember how I stuck my hand in fan blade well that got infected and caused me to get really sick too.. I was in bed for weeks and right as I get healthy I come down with a double ear infection. Such bad luck, anyways I'm sick as all hell so if this piece is riddled with mistakes my bad.
Oh! And I decided that all the M rated one-shots are going to get their own collection that's going to be entitled "Choke." ^.^
THANK YOU Raye85 (She was forced to do it and knowing them prob not), Beloved Dawn (Yes, no more ice cream and cheese is hell and thanks for not hitting me ^.^) SerentiyMoonGodness, Jessicam242, Cosmic-lover (Just ignorant lol), -Team Edward32- and Saiyagurl87 thank you so much for reviewing!
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