"Ningen"
–By Vega
***
Author's Notes: Inspired by a whacked out dream. Yeah, right. Thanks Trin!
Thanks: Shadow! I LUV YOU!!! THANKS FOR A PLOT!!
Rating: R. Lotsa cussing. And Lemon. Mmmm... lemonade...
Disclaimers: DragonBallZ, and all recognizable concepts and characters belong to Toriyama
Akira-sama and Bird Studios. The lyrics belong to ...er... whoever wrote them!? *sweatdrops* So please don't sue me, the DBZ guys aren't mine... I just slip in and play with them when no one is looking.
HOWEVER... any and all original characters are mine! MINE MINE MINE!! Wanna borrow them? ASK SO I CAN SAY "YES"!!
And now:
A note on the Japanese:
wagakimi: my lord
Honto: Really.
Ore no Gaki: My brat
Hai: Yes.
Ile: No
Chikyuu :Earth
-jinn: the people of (ie: Chikyuu-jinn)
Ningen: Foreign.
-sei: the planet of (ie: Chikyuu-sei)
watashi no okiniiri: My Pet
watashi no guujin: My Puppet
***
"Ningen"
–by Vega
***
Perhaps a year after the Saiyans came to Earth is where my tale begins.
We humans - Chikyuu-jinn - grew almost accustomed to having them around. Of
course, by accustomed I mean, we were used to having to watch what we said and did
all the time.
Strange, to be living with the Saiyans always on Earth. Or rather, above Earth. Most
of them lived on those huge orbiting cities around the planet. A select few others lived
on the surface. Usually in camps, spread around the surface according to the
population distribution of Humans.
To keep us humans under control, don'tcha know.
Really, the intimidation factor was enough to keep the general human population from
rebelling Saiya-jinn rule. Bunch of sheep that we are.
We fought back at first, but the Saiyans quickly enough quashed that. And then,
surprisingly, when the rest of us left were certain that the Saiyans were going to kill us or
rape or cart the rest of us off to slave camps... they left us alone.
That is to say, they told us to go about our normal lives... with a few adjustments.
Global Curfews.
We had to give up a lot of minerals and natural water. But the mines the
Saiya-jinn set up employed millions. The businesses that catered to the Saiyans
generated a marvellous global economy.
Nope, not a bad way to live if you ignore the fact that you are always looking over your
shoulder, wondering if you'll be targeted as either an 'example' or a 'threat.'
Now, if they had wanted to purge our planet, they could have, but they decided that the
natural resources were too precious to them to sell to the highest bidder, and so took
Earth for themselves.
I suppose we all were, in essence, slaves, but they Saiyans let us live out or daily lives
somewhat normally. So, like most of the other people in my small town, little changed
for me with the coming of the Saiya-jinn.
I still attended school on a daily basis. However, we began to learn about other inter- galactic cultures in Social Studies. And we learned Saiyago in Languages. What a
growly, grunty language that is.
I still can't get my head around it.
I still saw my friends on the weekends, and pondered getting a part-time job when I had
to mooch money from my parents.
Like everyone, I was careful to get back home before midnight -curfew- each night, and stayed tucked in my basement during full moons. More often than naught, though, I was smart and stayed inside after sundown.
It was a schedule that I stuck to...
...except when I started choir rehearsals after school at the beginning of my senior
highschool year.
My parents were worried that I would be out after dark come winter when I walked
home from school (that walk usually took me a half-hour), and even though the official global curfew was midnight, the Saiyans were known to fly around after sundown. The meaner ones sometimes would use helpless pedestrians as target practice. The cruder ones might suggest with a wave of a tail that a particular female ought to follow them into an alley.
Or else.
People that displeased the Saiya-jinn tended to disappear.
We'd all heard stories of that happening in the cities. Saiyans forcing humans, male or
female.
But I lived in a little nothing town in the boonies of North America. Heck, the nearest
Saiya-jinn outpost was nearly an hour's drive away. So I really wasn't too scared of
that happening to me.
And besides, it had been almost a year since the Saiyans had taken over earth, and if
they hadn't grabbed me yet, and didn't think they ever would. (I wasn't exactly Claudia
Shiffer, y'know).
So, about the middle of September, I was walking home alone, just a few steps off the
school property, and I began to sing to myself.
Now, ordinarily, you wouldn't consider that dangerous. Even with the Saiyans around, singing wasn't dangerous. But it's what got me into this mess.
As I strolled down the sidewalk, I began to hear the crunch of leaves following behind me, footsteps hitting the pavement in beat to my song. I stopped singing and stopped moving, my heart leaping up into my throat.
I turned slowly, coming face to face with every human's worst fear.
A Saiyan.
Or rather, the chest-plate of Saiya-jinn armour. The guy was THAT tall.
I gulped heavily, hands trembling, breaking out into a sweat. This was it. I was going to die.
"Do it again." the Saiyan barked at me and I craned my head back to look at his narrow, angular face. The long scar that trailed over his right eye down to his chin made him look all the more menacing.
"D-do wh-hat...?" I managed to stutter, by some unknown miracle.
"That... sound." he said, black eyes narrowing.
It took me a second to realize that he meant he wanted me to sing again. "I c-can't..." I
mumbled, my mouth going dry and my tongue feeling limp.
"Why not?" he growled, and I looked at my feet, a blush staining my cheeks. He understood instantly. "You're too scared." his scowl faded into an arrogant smirk. "You're terrified of me."
I could only nod.
He sighed, masses of spiky black hair that trailed down to the bottom of his shoulder-blades bobbing as he nodded to himself. "Understandable. What do you call it?"
"Th-the noise?"
WHY was he still here? What did he WANT?
"Hai." he snapped, annoyed that I had to keep repeating his questions.
"Singing."
The paused for a moment, blinking, tail flexing around his waist. I watched that extra appendage carefully, for it was known that Saiyans could hit someone hard enough with their tails to kill.
"That's not singing." he hissed. "Not the way we do it on Vejiita-sei."
I couldn't control my... well, shock. "You SING?"
He glared murder at me. I cowered. In fact, I damn near fainted. And I don't faint easy.
I had to grab a nearby telephone pole to stay on my feet. Hell, I wanted to retain at least a LITTLE dignity before I died!
"Is that hard for you to believe?" He asked stoically. I shook my head obediently. Consequently, the scrunchie in my mousy-brown hair slipped out with the movement, and my hair spilled around my face. He glared at the fallen scrunchie for a second, and bent to scoop it up faster than I could see.
Much to my shock, after he sniffed at it and examined it, he handed it back to me.
"Um, thanks." I muttered. I took it back very very carefully, and was about to put it back in my hair when he reached out and brushed his gauntleted fingers through it. I cringed away from his hand and squeezed my eyes shut.
Great! Not only was I going to DIE, he was going to RAPE me first!
"P-please don't..." I whispered very softly. I'm honestly surprised he heard me.
He dropped his handful of hair and frowned at me.
He turned his back to me, the scowl growing deeper. "I may be a Saiya-jinn, but I would never harm a woman who didn't want me. " he turned his face so I could see his dark profile. "I was only curious about your hair. It's so... limp."
I said nothing. What could I say? I was ... ashamed to think that he just wanted to kill me... of course, I had reason. But I had insulted him.
"Nothing to say?" he snorted. Had I hurt his feelings? Did Saiyans even have feelings to hurt? "Don't you have somewhere to be, Ningen?"
I didn't know if he could see me nod frantically, but I'm certain he heard my heart pounding against my chest and my sneakers pounding against the pavement as I ran for home.
I locked the door behind me, dropping my schoolbag to the ground and ran for the basement, where my room was.
"Honey!" I heard Mom shout down after me. "You're late! Did anything happen?"
"No." I called back up.
She didn't believe me. Mom came down the stairs and stared at me. "Nothing happened, did it? You... you didn't have a problem with... with a Saiyan?"
I didn't know how to respond. So I lied. I mean, what if he was listening right now? "No Mom." I snorted. "Why does everything have to be about Saiyans with you? I was just... talking to someone. Sorry, okay?"
Mom gave me a look like she wasn't sure if she should believe me, and went back upstairs. I went into the downstairs bathroom and turned on the shower so it would be hot when I stepped in, and stripped.
God, I felt dirty.
"Talking." I laughed quietly to myself, staring at my face in the mirror. "Talking... with a Saiya-jinn. That's practically an Oxymoron."
I stepped under the steamy water, curled into a corner under the spray, and stifled the tears.
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that this was just the first of many times I was going to see that Saiya-jinn man.
I often wished I had been wrong.
***
The next night, after choir rehearsal, I tried to run home, hoping he wouldn't see me.
I ran right into him, literally.
"Where are you going so fast, Ningen?" He smirked down at me. "Trying to avoid me?"
"N-no..." I said, and he scowled. "Yes." I stepped away from him and bowed my head so he couldn't see my frightened expression.
"I really do have you terrified." He chuckled. Then he reached out and touched my cheek. "Your exercise has made you hot."
I took a shaky step away from him, and he let me. My mouth was dry and my knees knocking.
He stared at me for a very long time with an unreadable expression, then grinned wide. I shuddered. "So..." he said, "A moron, am I?"
I blinked. "What?"
"You called me an 'Oxymoron' last night."
Oh, shit! He had HEARD ME?!
I shook my head frantically. "No, that's not what I meant!"
"Honto?" He smiled and took a step closer to me. "I'm very certain of what I heard."
"N-no! The word 'Oxymoron' means two opposing words describing the same thing... like... uh..." I searched frantically for an example, and came up with the cliches. "Jumbo Shrimp. Stupidly clever. Military Intelligence!"
I cringed as he frowned at the last one, and I remembered that every Saiya-jinn was a soldier. Shit.
He looked very very darkly at me, and if looks could have killed...
"I'm sorry." I mewled.
He stepped forward to wrap iron fists around my shoulders. It hurt so much I let forth a squeal of pain and my knees buckled. Then only thing keeping me from succumbing to gravity was his hands.
"You think you're funny?" he hissed.
I chocked back a sob. "N-no..."
He threw me into the leaves piled on the curb and took to the air.
I stared after him with wide eyes, surprised I was even alive to watch him go.
***
The next night I skipped choir to avoid him.
It worked.
The next night I skipped again. It only took him one night to get wise.
"Avoiding me, Ningen?" he smirked as he appeared in front of me that fourth night.
I said nothing.
"Why?" he questioned. "Do I scare you that much?"
After four days of avoiding my parent's questions and my friends worried looks at my drawn and pale features, I could no longer hold it in. I began to freak. "What do you WANT!?" I screamed at him.
He merely blinked at me.
"Oh, so you do have bite." he said. I fell to the grass of a deserted lawn in wonder and he stared down at me, arms crossed.
"Please," I said, "Just tell me what you want..."
"I want you to make that noise again." he said, as if I should already know. "Sing."
I stared at him blankly for a few seconds before beginning to laugh. "Sing." I said softly. "Sing..." I sighed and buried my face in my hands. "Sing."
The man scowled down at me. Then he raised an eyebrow, "So?"
I looked him in the eye. What could I do? Say no? And die? After all, all he wanted was a song, perhaps then he'd leave me alone...
So I sang. I didn't feel very happy at that particular moment, and so chose to sing one of the slow ballads we'd been learning in choir. Luckily, I was a soprano and had the melody.
"Oh Danny Boy" came to my mind immediately.
After I finished, the Saiya-jinn blinked down at me. "What was that?" he asked.
"A song about a boy." I said quietly. "His father is telling him that he loves him and that he's going to die before Danny gets back from war. But he asks Danny not to grieve for him, because he'll rest peacefully just because he knows his son loves him."
The Saiyan simply stared at me. "Foolish. If his father is that weak, why doesn't Danny just kill him?"
I stared back, horrified. "Just.. K-kill him!?"
"Hai." the Saiyan snorted. "That's what Saiya-jinn do."
I lowered my eyes.
"Humph." the Saiyan snorted, and took to the air. He was gone.
I shuddered on the cold evening grass, got to my feet, and trudged home, praying that I would never see that man again.
Too bad Kami was too busy dealing with all the recently departed souls to deal with me.
***
"Where are you coming from, Ningen?" I heard, the words all but whispered directly into my ear as I waited on the street corner for the light to change. I really didn't need to wait, this part of the town was figuratively dead this time of evening, but I waited all the same.
I jumped when the hot breath tickled my ear. I yelped when I realized who it was.
"I– I thought you were going to leave me alone..." I said softly.
"Did I say that?" the Saiyan smirked, tapping a gloved finger against his chin. "I don't think so."
"Well, no. But I assumed--"
"Don't assume." he snapped at me. "The first rule when dealing with an enemy. Never 'assume'." I nodded weakly, eyes lowered, taking his advice. So, I was an enemy. Or, was he telling me to be wary of HIM?
He made an approving sound, like a teacher having gotten a lesson through to a pupil... or a master to a slave. "So?"
I looked up puzzled. "Pardon?"
Before I even knew it was coming, his hand lashed out and struck my cheek hard enough to draw blood from the corner of my lip. I was honestly shocked that he had bothered to control himself enough not to kill me.
"Pay attention when I ask you something, Ningen!" he snapped.
"I'm sorry." I responded softly.
He growled low in his throat, sounding very unhappy. "Don't be sorry! Answer!"
I nodded again. "School."
"For what?" He asked irritably.
I looked him in the eye. Suddenly, I didn't care if he killed me or not. Fuck this, anyway. If he wanted to play cat and mouse, he could go find a target with less of a backbone. I was going to KEEP MY DIGNITY, DAMMIT!
"Because I WANT to." I spat back, as impudently as I could, and walked across the intersection before the light changed back.
He followed me, trotting across the street to stride beside me, tail swaying behind him. "Oh." he smiled. "The ferrokan has claws."
I didn't know what a 'ferrokan' was, and I didn't care. Besides, didn't we have the same saying on Earth, with cats?
When we got to the other side of the road, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. He looked angry. "You still haven't answered my question, little bitch."
I glared right back. His expression never wavered, and I finally had to look away first. "To learn." I said, down over my arm.
"Learn what?"
"History. Geography. Sociology. Languages." I looked back up at him. "We study the great literary works of our planet. It's best music and art. We formulate math equations and scientific principals and pursue physics and biology. We philosophize about the world and reality around us."
The Saiyan seemed to mull this over. "What's the point?"
"To apply the greater knowledge to the real world and succeed!" I snapped.
The warrior frowned, let me go, and continued walking up the street. When I didn't follow he looked back over his shoulder and clasped his hands behind his broad back expectantly.
I quickly caught up and we began to walk. I said nothing, waiting to see if he had any other questions, biting my tongue to keep from asking mine.
When we reached the end of my street, almost twenty minutes later, he still had said nothing. But here he stopped, looked me up and down and said, "Tomorrow, Ningen. I will have more for you to answer."
"Yes." I said calmly, obediently. He took to the air, and was gone. Alone on the street corner, something suddenly occurred to me. I had been terrified of this man for almost a week... and I still didn't know his name.
***
"Ningen." he said in greeting, if you could call it a greeting.
"Saiyan." I responded with a half smile, waiting for the light to change.
"Where were you for the last two days?!" he snarled immediately. "I told you to meet me here!"
"Yes." I said slowly. "But I didn't go to school yesterday, or the day before. We never go to school on weekends." Then I waited to be hit as he raised his hand.
The Saiya-jiin narrowed those black eyes of his at me, and I cowered.
He seemed pleased with my reaction, and lowered his arm. "I suppose it was my fault for not studying your habits more before assuming. You shall not be punished for it."
We continued walking. Finally, he said, "Where did you learn?"
I looked over at him. "Learn what?"
"How to sing like that. It's so... strange. Too many ... smooth sounds."
I laughed to myself. He almost sounded like a child... almost. "I'm lucky, I'm naturally good. But everyone can sing." he gave me a look. "Not everyone can sing WELL..."
And believe it or not... he laughed. After a few more minutes of silence I screwed up my courage and said, "Can I ask you something?"
He looked at me, as if surprised that I was even bold enough to ask such a question. I suppose his curiosity won over because he responded with a nod.
"Why Earth?"
He stopped and looked at me for a very long time, eyes roaming up and down my frame. I blushed and hid my face in my scarf. It had gotten colder recently, and I'd switched from light jackets to sweaters and scarfs... and boy was I glad I had it.
"Because it was here." He finally said, judging my question worthwhile. "And it had what we wanted. And you humans were easy enough to conquer. That is, after we killed all those of you who were intelligent enough or stupid enough to try to start a rebellion."
I said nothing and looked away from him, resuming walking.
"Oh-ho." he laughed, "Have I insulted the Ningen's tender sensibilities?"
"My name," I flared, "Is NOT Ningen!"
The Saiyan shrugged. "I don't care what your name is. You are whatever I choose to call you."
"Very well." I snarled. "Why should I care?"
The Saiyan caught up with me and smirked into my face. "What IS your name, Ningen?"
"It doesn't matter, SAIYA-JINN." I spat.
He scowled. "Rurutip."
"Huh?"
"My name," he growled, "is Rurutip."
"Turnip" I echoed softly.
"Feh." he sighed, and we reached the end of my street. "Tomorrow, Ningen."
"Hai," I said, head bowed, obedient. "Tomorrow."
***
I wasn't surprised when Rurutip showed up beside me on the deserted evening sidewalks the next night.
"May I ask another question?" I said immediately.
He laughed at me. I suppose I must have sounded awfully eager. Then he gave a slight inclination of his head, telling me to go ahead.
"Rurutip, you said Saiya-jinn sang. Sing for me, please! I've been curious all day! What does it sound like?"
He blushed. Rurutip the mighty bad-ass actually BLUSHED! "I don't sing." he said, his deep voice low. "I'm no good."
"Oh." was all I said. We walked in silence again until it was time to part. Every once and a while, I snatched glances at Rurutip.
He was actually rather good looking... for a psychotic cold-blooded killer. Sharp features, dark deep eyes and heavy bangs with just-below-shoulder length hair. Massive ridged scar that began just above the eyebrow of his right eye and traced the curve of his cheek all the way down to the chin. Some one had taken a good chunk out of him once.
Now that the weather was colder, he had begun to wear boots and gloves and a full-length, sleeveless black combat suit. Spandex.
And boy, did that spandex let me know EXACTLY what the temperature out was like.
Not that I was developing a crush on Rurutip. Ick. No, but he was interesting. It was helping me realize that while maybe life under the Saiyans may not be nice, but it'll be at least intellectually rewarding.
When we reached the end of my street, I touched his hand to keep him from leaving just yet before he took to the air, and it surprised him.
"I have one more question."
He raised an eyebrow, and I took it as a "go ahead."
"Why me?"
He stared at me for a very very long time. "I was flying overhead. I heard you sing. I was curious. That's all."
And then, abruptly as his words, he was gone.
I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or not.
***
The next day Rurutip didn't show up. I didn't know what to think. Had I angered him? Was he tied up and couldn't come?
Should I be glad he was gone? Should I be insulted?
Should I even care?
***
The next night -Friday- Rurutip was back, but very bloody and bruised.
"Ningen." he grunted at me.
"Rurutip!" I squeaked. "What happened?"
He stared at me coldly. Distant. Much more distant than he had been for the last two weeks.
"What's wrong?" I asked slowly. I was sure we had been growing more comfortable around each other lately.
"I shall not meet you here anymore." he snarled before I could say anything else. He tensed, and was about to leave, when he slowly turned back to me and touched my cheek. "I never noticed before." he said softly. "But the way the cold bites your skin makes your cheeks flush. It's attractive."
And then he was gone.
***
That night, I showered like normal and pulled on my boy-pyjamas, and crawled into bed.
I rolled onto one side, punched my pillow, and tried to get comfortable. But thoughts of Rurutip wouldn't leave me alone.
Had he been punished for visiting me each day?
Is that why he had been so beat up? Or had there been a tournament or something?
Was I worth it?
I couldn't get comfortable, so rolled in the other direction. I wrapped my arms around the pillow... then... I realized... "Why is the damn thing so hard?" I punched to soften it, and nearly broke my fingers.
"Ow!" I howled, and a large hand immediately stifled my cries.
"Shhhh!" A deep voice hissed. "Do you want your parents to hear us?"
I immediately recognized it as Rurutip's.
"Rurutip!" I mumbled around his hand. "Let go! What are you doing!" Of course it came out more like "Brubib! Lego! Wha'reewpoi?!"
I tried to pull away from him, to pull back, but could not move. I began to panic, tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes. "Please, please, don't Rurutip!"
Something warm and furry wrapped around my waist and pulled me flush against his side.
"Please, please..." I whispered. "No..."
"Shut up, Ningen." Rurutip whispered, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "If you're too loud, you'll wake up your 'tousan, and then I'll have to kill him."
I froze, and he finally moved his hand from my mouth. "Please, no." I pleaded under my breath, I begged.
I felt rather than saw his hand run down my cheek, into my hair, and along my shoulder.
"Rurutip." I said softly, begging in only one word.
"I won't do anything you don't want me to if you obey." He answered in gentle tones. "I merely wish to speak to you more. This seems the most feasible method." The furry thing around my waist -his tail, I realized - pulled me so much that I was actually on top of his broad chest.
I gulped, noticing that he wasn't wearing either his breast plate or his under-shirt. Damn.
I began to tremble. I know I had resolved never to be afraid of Rurutip again, but now he was in my bed, wearing no shirt, clasping my body to his.
I was scared absolutely shitless.
I stayed very quiet, and felt very small as he shifted his grip to the back of my shoulders, pushing me against his broad, hard chest. I whimpered.
"Stop making such pathetic sounds." Rurutip snapped. "I hate it when you whine."
I forced my voice to be non-existent.
"And stop shaking like that." he snarled, "Or you'll make me do something you'll regret."
I TRIED to stop quaking, really I did, but the threat made me even more terrified, and I shook more.
Rurutip snarled low in his throat, and the sound held warning.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my cheek into his neck, trying with all my might to relax and stop squirming, but my body wouldn't stop shivering.
The second sound that came from him was a growl that held less menace than lust.
The third was a purr that was pure enjoyment.
I grew tense and snapped my head up when I realized why. I had finally relaxed, but had been so intent on calming myself down that I hadn't paid any attention to where my various limbs were sprawled.
My lips had been pressed to the skin under his ear. My hands had been fisted over his huge pectorals... and my legs had somehow shifted so one was on the outside of his hip, while the other was in between his legs.
I whimpered again when his teeth closed gently on one of my ears.
"Just remember..." he smiled in the dark, and I felt him roll. I was suddenly pinned beneath him on my mattress, his hands on my shoulders, his legs on either side of my knees, and his tail lashing in the dark as he arched his entire body. "...you started this."
I thrashed madly, but I couldn't get free from under him. I began to beg. "Rurutip, please, please don't! It was an accident, I didn't mean to– !"
His hand came over my mouth, effectively silencing my cries. Then he leaned down slowly and bit the tip of my nose. I'm certain my eyes must have been fearful pinpricks in a sea of white.
"There is something I must tell you, Ningen." he said softly as his free hand began to slowly move down my side. I squirmed to avoid it, but I could only move my body so far. "I heard you sing, yes, and that is why I stopped. But there was something that kept me coming back."
I screwed my eyes shut, praying to Kami that this wasn't the reason I thought it was.
"I killed my concubine three weeks ago. I need a new one."
I whimpered against his mouth as he suddenly drove his tongue between my lips. I fought back with everything I had, but to no avail. It was like beating my fists against concrete. His tongue slithered across my cheek, down my neck to the little hollow where my collar bones dipped together.
He then lifted his face to my ear. "I think you'll do."
***
I sat alone, on my bed, shivering.
Rurutip was gone.
Then why the HELL was I still... a virgin?
He said he wanted to keep me, so why hadn't he...?
Unable to do anything more, I hid my hands in my face... and wept.
***
I didn't go to school the next day. What was the point? Rurutip had made it more than obvious that I no longer had a future to plan for.
Mom was worried, and when she saw my pale face and sweat-soaked brow the next morning, she assumed it was the fever and made me stay in bed all day while she and Dad went to work.
That bed was the last place I wanted to be, but I couldn't gather enough energy to move.
That is, until Rurutip suddenly appeared at the foot of my bed late that afternoon.
Then I screamed, the loudest, harshest sound I could possibly make and dove for the door. He intercepted me in the hall, a hand wrapping around the top of my arm.
"Let me go letmegolemmiego!" I screamed, beating against him ineffectually. He dropped my arm and backed away from him. "Leave me alone!!"
Rurutip grinned and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me flush against his chest. "Have you said your goodbyes, Ningen?"
I crumpled into a pile on the carpet by his feet and began to sob. He stared at me for a very long time, a frown etched onto his face and finally crouched. "What the Hell's the matter with you? You should be honoured that I picked you."
I merely blubbered.
"Damnit, I thought you liked talking to me!"
I snapped my head up an narrowed my eyes at him. "So that automatically means I want you to rape me every night?!" I hissed harshly.
His frown got deeper as he tucked my chin in his palm. "I'm taking you with me." he hissed. "I really don't care if you want to or not, Ningen, but know this...." He pushed me back onto the carpet and grazed his sharp canines across the tender flesh of my throat. "You are mine and I will do whatever I want with you."
He got up with a dark sigh and glared down at me. "Get up." he snapped and slowly I did so, head bowed as the silent tears continued to slip down my cheeks. "I will return at sunset for you. Pack up the things you wish to take with you to my ship. Bring your music." he grinned ferally, his tail loping to and fro behind him, the tip quivering. "Tonight is a very special night. I will be the first and only man to tear you. I will make you mine, Ningen."
I could only nod numbly. A few seconds later I realized he was gone.
And that I was really and truly alone for the first time in my life.
***
END PART ONE
–By Vega
***
Author's Notes: Inspired by a whacked out dream. Yeah, right. Thanks Trin!
Thanks: Shadow! I LUV YOU!!! THANKS FOR A PLOT!!
Rating: R. Lotsa cussing. And Lemon. Mmmm... lemonade...
Disclaimers: DragonBallZ, and all recognizable concepts and characters belong to Toriyama
Akira-sama and Bird Studios. The lyrics belong to ...er... whoever wrote them!? *sweatdrops* So please don't sue me, the DBZ guys aren't mine... I just slip in and play with them when no one is looking.
HOWEVER... any and all original characters are mine! MINE MINE MINE!! Wanna borrow them? ASK SO I CAN SAY "YES"!!
And now:
A note on the Japanese:
wagakimi: my lord
Honto: Really.
Ore no Gaki: My brat
Hai: Yes.
Ile: No
Chikyuu :Earth
-jinn: the people of (ie: Chikyuu-jinn)
Ningen: Foreign.
-sei: the planet of (ie: Chikyuu-sei)
watashi no okiniiri: My Pet
watashi no guujin: My Puppet
***
"Ningen"
–by Vega
***
Perhaps a year after the Saiyans came to Earth is where my tale begins.
We humans - Chikyuu-jinn - grew almost accustomed to having them around. Of
course, by accustomed I mean, we were used to having to watch what we said and did
all the time.
Strange, to be living with the Saiyans always on Earth. Or rather, above Earth. Most
of them lived on those huge orbiting cities around the planet. A select few others lived
on the surface. Usually in camps, spread around the surface according to the
population distribution of Humans.
To keep us humans under control, don'tcha know.
Really, the intimidation factor was enough to keep the general human population from
rebelling Saiya-jinn rule. Bunch of sheep that we are.
We fought back at first, but the Saiyans quickly enough quashed that. And then,
surprisingly, when the rest of us left were certain that the Saiyans were going to kill us or
rape or cart the rest of us off to slave camps... they left us alone.
That is to say, they told us to go about our normal lives... with a few adjustments.
Global Curfews.
We had to give up a lot of minerals and natural water. But the mines the
Saiya-jinn set up employed millions. The businesses that catered to the Saiyans
generated a marvellous global economy.
Nope, not a bad way to live if you ignore the fact that you are always looking over your
shoulder, wondering if you'll be targeted as either an 'example' or a 'threat.'
Now, if they had wanted to purge our planet, they could have, but they decided that the
natural resources were too precious to them to sell to the highest bidder, and so took
Earth for themselves.
I suppose we all were, in essence, slaves, but they Saiyans let us live out or daily lives
somewhat normally. So, like most of the other people in my small town, little changed
for me with the coming of the Saiya-jinn.
I still attended school on a daily basis. However, we began to learn about other inter- galactic cultures in Social Studies. And we learned Saiyago in Languages. What a
growly, grunty language that is.
I still can't get my head around it.
I still saw my friends on the weekends, and pondered getting a part-time job when I had
to mooch money from my parents.
Like everyone, I was careful to get back home before midnight -curfew- each night, and stayed tucked in my basement during full moons. More often than naught, though, I was smart and stayed inside after sundown.
It was a schedule that I stuck to...
...except when I started choir rehearsals after school at the beginning of my senior
highschool year.
My parents were worried that I would be out after dark come winter when I walked
home from school (that walk usually took me a half-hour), and even though the official global curfew was midnight, the Saiyans were known to fly around after sundown. The meaner ones sometimes would use helpless pedestrians as target practice. The cruder ones might suggest with a wave of a tail that a particular female ought to follow them into an alley.
Or else.
People that displeased the Saiya-jinn tended to disappear.
We'd all heard stories of that happening in the cities. Saiyans forcing humans, male or
female.
But I lived in a little nothing town in the boonies of North America. Heck, the nearest
Saiya-jinn outpost was nearly an hour's drive away. So I really wasn't too scared of
that happening to me.
And besides, it had been almost a year since the Saiyans had taken over earth, and if
they hadn't grabbed me yet, and didn't think they ever would. (I wasn't exactly Claudia
Shiffer, y'know).
So, about the middle of September, I was walking home alone, just a few steps off the
school property, and I began to sing to myself.
Now, ordinarily, you wouldn't consider that dangerous. Even with the Saiyans around, singing wasn't dangerous. But it's what got me into this mess.
As I strolled down the sidewalk, I began to hear the crunch of leaves following behind me, footsteps hitting the pavement in beat to my song. I stopped singing and stopped moving, my heart leaping up into my throat.
I turned slowly, coming face to face with every human's worst fear.
A Saiyan.
Or rather, the chest-plate of Saiya-jinn armour. The guy was THAT tall.
I gulped heavily, hands trembling, breaking out into a sweat. This was it. I was going to die.
"Do it again." the Saiyan barked at me and I craned my head back to look at his narrow, angular face. The long scar that trailed over his right eye down to his chin made him look all the more menacing.
"D-do wh-hat...?" I managed to stutter, by some unknown miracle.
"That... sound." he said, black eyes narrowing.
It took me a second to realize that he meant he wanted me to sing again. "I c-can't..." I
mumbled, my mouth going dry and my tongue feeling limp.
"Why not?" he growled, and I looked at my feet, a blush staining my cheeks. He understood instantly. "You're too scared." his scowl faded into an arrogant smirk. "You're terrified of me."
I could only nod.
He sighed, masses of spiky black hair that trailed down to the bottom of his shoulder-blades bobbing as he nodded to himself. "Understandable. What do you call it?"
"Th-the noise?"
WHY was he still here? What did he WANT?
"Hai." he snapped, annoyed that I had to keep repeating his questions.
"Singing."
The paused for a moment, blinking, tail flexing around his waist. I watched that extra appendage carefully, for it was known that Saiyans could hit someone hard enough with their tails to kill.
"That's not singing." he hissed. "Not the way we do it on Vejiita-sei."
I couldn't control my... well, shock. "You SING?"
He glared murder at me. I cowered. In fact, I damn near fainted. And I don't faint easy.
I had to grab a nearby telephone pole to stay on my feet. Hell, I wanted to retain at least a LITTLE dignity before I died!
"Is that hard for you to believe?" He asked stoically. I shook my head obediently. Consequently, the scrunchie in my mousy-brown hair slipped out with the movement, and my hair spilled around my face. He glared at the fallen scrunchie for a second, and bent to scoop it up faster than I could see.
Much to my shock, after he sniffed at it and examined it, he handed it back to me.
"Um, thanks." I muttered. I took it back very very carefully, and was about to put it back in my hair when he reached out and brushed his gauntleted fingers through it. I cringed away from his hand and squeezed my eyes shut.
Great! Not only was I going to DIE, he was going to RAPE me first!
"P-please don't..." I whispered very softly. I'm honestly surprised he heard me.
He dropped his handful of hair and frowned at me.
He turned his back to me, the scowl growing deeper. "I may be a Saiya-jinn, but I would never harm a woman who didn't want me. " he turned his face so I could see his dark profile. "I was only curious about your hair. It's so... limp."
I said nothing. What could I say? I was ... ashamed to think that he just wanted to kill me... of course, I had reason. But I had insulted him.
"Nothing to say?" he snorted. Had I hurt his feelings? Did Saiyans even have feelings to hurt? "Don't you have somewhere to be, Ningen?"
I didn't know if he could see me nod frantically, but I'm certain he heard my heart pounding against my chest and my sneakers pounding against the pavement as I ran for home.
I locked the door behind me, dropping my schoolbag to the ground and ran for the basement, where my room was.
"Honey!" I heard Mom shout down after me. "You're late! Did anything happen?"
"No." I called back up.
She didn't believe me. Mom came down the stairs and stared at me. "Nothing happened, did it? You... you didn't have a problem with... with a Saiyan?"
I didn't know how to respond. So I lied. I mean, what if he was listening right now? "No Mom." I snorted. "Why does everything have to be about Saiyans with you? I was just... talking to someone. Sorry, okay?"
Mom gave me a look like she wasn't sure if she should believe me, and went back upstairs. I went into the downstairs bathroom and turned on the shower so it would be hot when I stepped in, and stripped.
God, I felt dirty.
"Talking." I laughed quietly to myself, staring at my face in the mirror. "Talking... with a Saiya-jinn. That's practically an Oxymoron."
I stepped under the steamy water, curled into a corner under the spray, and stifled the tears.
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that this was just the first of many times I was going to see that Saiya-jinn man.
I often wished I had been wrong.
***
The next night, after choir rehearsal, I tried to run home, hoping he wouldn't see me.
I ran right into him, literally.
"Where are you going so fast, Ningen?" He smirked down at me. "Trying to avoid me?"
"N-no..." I said, and he scowled. "Yes." I stepped away from him and bowed my head so he couldn't see my frightened expression.
"I really do have you terrified." He chuckled. Then he reached out and touched my cheek. "Your exercise has made you hot."
I took a shaky step away from him, and he let me. My mouth was dry and my knees knocking.
He stared at me for a very long time with an unreadable expression, then grinned wide. I shuddered. "So..." he said, "A moron, am I?"
I blinked. "What?"
"You called me an 'Oxymoron' last night."
Oh, shit! He had HEARD ME?!
I shook my head frantically. "No, that's not what I meant!"
"Honto?" He smiled and took a step closer to me. "I'm very certain of what I heard."
"N-no! The word 'Oxymoron' means two opposing words describing the same thing... like... uh..." I searched frantically for an example, and came up with the cliches. "Jumbo Shrimp. Stupidly clever. Military Intelligence!"
I cringed as he frowned at the last one, and I remembered that every Saiya-jinn was a soldier. Shit.
He looked very very darkly at me, and if looks could have killed...
"I'm sorry." I mewled.
He stepped forward to wrap iron fists around my shoulders. It hurt so much I let forth a squeal of pain and my knees buckled. Then only thing keeping me from succumbing to gravity was his hands.
"You think you're funny?" he hissed.
I chocked back a sob. "N-no..."
He threw me into the leaves piled on the curb and took to the air.
I stared after him with wide eyes, surprised I was even alive to watch him go.
***
The next night I skipped choir to avoid him.
It worked.
The next night I skipped again. It only took him one night to get wise.
"Avoiding me, Ningen?" he smirked as he appeared in front of me that fourth night.
I said nothing.
"Why?" he questioned. "Do I scare you that much?"
After four days of avoiding my parent's questions and my friends worried looks at my drawn and pale features, I could no longer hold it in. I began to freak. "What do you WANT!?" I screamed at him.
He merely blinked at me.
"Oh, so you do have bite." he said. I fell to the grass of a deserted lawn in wonder and he stared down at me, arms crossed.
"Please," I said, "Just tell me what you want..."
"I want you to make that noise again." he said, as if I should already know. "Sing."
I stared at him blankly for a few seconds before beginning to laugh. "Sing." I said softly. "Sing..." I sighed and buried my face in my hands. "Sing."
The man scowled down at me. Then he raised an eyebrow, "So?"
I looked him in the eye. What could I do? Say no? And die? After all, all he wanted was a song, perhaps then he'd leave me alone...
So I sang. I didn't feel very happy at that particular moment, and so chose to sing one of the slow ballads we'd been learning in choir. Luckily, I was a soprano and had the melody.
"Oh Danny Boy" came to my mind immediately.
After I finished, the Saiya-jinn blinked down at me. "What was that?" he asked.
"A song about a boy." I said quietly. "His father is telling him that he loves him and that he's going to die before Danny gets back from war. But he asks Danny not to grieve for him, because he'll rest peacefully just because he knows his son loves him."
The Saiyan simply stared at me. "Foolish. If his father is that weak, why doesn't Danny just kill him?"
I stared back, horrified. "Just.. K-kill him!?"
"Hai." the Saiyan snorted. "That's what Saiya-jinn do."
I lowered my eyes.
"Humph." the Saiyan snorted, and took to the air. He was gone.
I shuddered on the cold evening grass, got to my feet, and trudged home, praying that I would never see that man again.
Too bad Kami was too busy dealing with all the recently departed souls to deal with me.
***
"Where are you coming from, Ningen?" I heard, the words all but whispered directly into my ear as I waited on the street corner for the light to change. I really didn't need to wait, this part of the town was figuratively dead this time of evening, but I waited all the same.
I jumped when the hot breath tickled my ear. I yelped when I realized who it was.
"I– I thought you were going to leave me alone..." I said softly.
"Did I say that?" the Saiyan smirked, tapping a gloved finger against his chin. "I don't think so."
"Well, no. But I assumed--"
"Don't assume." he snapped at me. "The first rule when dealing with an enemy. Never 'assume'." I nodded weakly, eyes lowered, taking his advice. So, I was an enemy. Or, was he telling me to be wary of HIM?
He made an approving sound, like a teacher having gotten a lesson through to a pupil... or a master to a slave. "So?"
I looked up puzzled. "Pardon?"
Before I even knew it was coming, his hand lashed out and struck my cheek hard enough to draw blood from the corner of my lip. I was honestly shocked that he had bothered to control himself enough not to kill me.
"Pay attention when I ask you something, Ningen!" he snapped.
"I'm sorry." I responded softly.
He growled low in his throat, sounding very unhappy. "Don't be sorry! Answer!"
I nodded again. "School."
"For what?" He asked irritably.
I looked him in the eye. Suddenly, I didn't care if he killed me or not. Fuck this, anyway. If he wanted to play cat and mouse, he could go find a target with less of a backbone. I was going to KEEP MY DIGNITY, DAMMIT!
"Because I WANT to." I spat back, as impudently as I could, and walked across the intersection before the light changed back.
He followed me, trotting across the street to stride beside me, tail swaying behind him. "Oh." he smiled. "The ferrokan has claws."
I didn't know what a 'ferrokan' was, and I didn't care. Besides, didn't we have the same saying on Earth, with cats?
When we got to the other side of the road, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. He looked angry. "You still haven't answered my question, little bitch."
I glared right back. His expression never wavered, and I finally had to look away first. "To learn." I said, down over my arm.
"Learn what?"
"History. Geography. Sociology. Languages." I looked back up at him. "We study the great literary works of our planet. It's best music and art. We formulate math equations and scientific principals and pursue physics and biology. We philosophize about the world and reality around us."
The Saiyan seemed to mull this over. "What's the point?"
"To apply the greater knowledge to the real world and succeed!" I snapped.
The warrior frowned, let me go, and continued walking up the street. When I didn't follow he looked back over his shoulder and clasped his hands behind his broad back expectantly.
I quickly caught up and we began to walk. I said nothing, waiting to see if he had any other questions, biting my tongue to keep from asking mine.
When we reached the end of my street, almost twenty minutes later, he still had said nothing. But here he stopped, looked me up and down and said, "Tomorrow, Ningen. I will have more for you to answer."
"Yes." I said calmly, obediently. He took to the air, and was gone. Alone on the street corner, something suddenly occurred to me. I had been terrified of this man for almost a week... and I still didn't know his name.
***
"Ningen." he said in greeting, if you could call it a greeting.
"Saiyan." I responded with a half smile, waiting for the light to change.
"Where were you for the last two days?!" he snarled immediately. "I told you to meet me here!"
"Yes." I said slowly. "But I didn't go to school yesterday, or the day before. We never go to school on weekends." Then I waited to be hit as he raised his hand.
The Saiya-jiin narrowed those black eyes of his at me, and I cowered.
He seemed pleased with my reaction, and lowered his arm. "I suppose it was my fault for not studying your habits more before assuming. You shall not be punished for it."
We continued walking. Finally, he said, "Where did you learn?"
I looked over at him. "Learn what?"
"How to sing like that. It's so... strange. Too many ... smooth sounds."
I laughed to myself. He almost sounded like a child... almost. "I'm lucky, I'm naturally good. But everyone can sing." he gave me a look. "Not everyone can sing WELL..."
And believe it or not... he laughed. After a few more minutes of silence I screwed up my courage and said, "Can I ask you something?"
He looked at me, as if surprised that I was even bold enough to ask such a question. I suppose his curiosity won over because he responded with a nod.
"Why Earth?"
He stopped and looked at me for a very long time, eyes roaming up and down my frame. I blushed and hid my face in my scarf. It had gotten colder recently, and I'd switched from light jackets to sweaters and scarfs... and boy was I glad I had it.
"Because it was here." He finally said, judging my question worthwhile. "And it had what we wanted. And you humans were easy enough to conquer. That is, after we killed all those of you who were intelligent enough or stupid enough to try to start a rebellion."
I said nothing and looked away from him, resuming walking.
"Oh-ho." he laughed, "Have I insulted the Ningen's tender sensibilities?"
"My name," I flared, "Is NOT Ningen!"
The Saiyan shrugged. "I don't care what your name is. You are whatever I choose to call you."
"Very well." I snarled. "Why should I care?"
The Saiyan caught up with me and smirked into my face. "What IS your name, Ningen?"
"It doesn't matter, SAIYA-JINN." I spat.
He scowled. "Rurutip."
"Huh?"
"My name," he growled, "is Rurutip."
"Turnip" I echoed softly.
"Feh." he sighed, and we reached the end of my street. "Tomorrow, Ningen."
"Hai," I said, head bowed, obedient. "Tomorrow."
***
I wasn't surprised when Rurutip showed up beside me on the deserted evening sidewalks the next night.
"May I ask another question?" I said immediately.
He laughed at me. I suppose I must have sounded awfully eager. Then he gave a slight inclination of his head, telling me to go ahead.
"Rurutip, you said Saiya-jinn sang. Sing for me, please! I've been curious all day! What does it sound like?"
He blushed. Rurutip the mighty bad-ass actually BLUSHED! "I don't sing." he said, his deep voice low. "I'm no good."
"Oh." was all I said. We walked in silence again until it was time to part. Every once and a while, I snatched glances at Rurutip.
He was actually rather good looking... for a psychotic cold-blooded killer. Sharp features, dark deep eyes and heavy bangs with just-below-shoulder length hair. Massive ridged scar that began just above the eyebrow of his right eye and traced the curve of his cheek all the way down to the chin. Some one had taken a good chunk out of him once.
Now that the weather was colder, he had begun to wear boots and gloves and a full-length, sleeveless black combat suit. Spandex.
And boy, did that spandex let me know EXACTLY what the temperature out was like.
Not that I was developing a crush on Rurutip. Ick. No, but he was interesting. It was helping me realize that while maybe life under the Saiyans may not be nice, but it'll be at least intellectually rewarding.
When we reached the end of my street, I touched his hand to keep him from leaving just yet before he took to the air, and it surprised him.
"I have one more question."
He raised an eyebrow, and I took it as a "go ahead."
"Why me?"
He stared at me for a very very long time. "I was flying overhead. I heard you sing. I was curious. That's all."
And then, abruptly as his words, he was gone.
I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or not.
***
The next day Rurutip didn't show up. I didn't know what to think. Had I angered him? Was he tied up and couldn't come?
Should I be glad he was gone? Should I be insulted?
Should I even care?
***
The next night -Friday- Rurutip was back, but very bloody and bruised.
"Ningen." he grunted at me.
"Rurutip!" I squeaked. "What happened?"
He stared at me coldly. Distant. Much more distant than he had been for the last two weeks.
"What's wrong?" I asked slowly. I was sure we had been growing more comfortable around each other lately.
"I shall not meet you here anymore." he snarled before I could say anything else. He tensed, and was about to leave, when he slowly turned back to me and touched my cheek. "I never noticed before." he said softly. "But the way the cold bites your skin makes your cheeks flush. It's attractive."
And then he was gone.
***
That night, I showered like normal and pulled on my boy-pyjamas, and crawled into bed.
I rolled onto one side, punched my pillow, and tried to get comfortable. But thoughts of Rurutip wouldn't leave me alone.
Had he been punished for visiting me each day?
Is that why he had been so beat up? Or had there been a tournament or something?
Was I worth it?
I couldn't get comfortable, so rolled in the other direction. I wrapped my arms around the pillow... then... I realized... "Why is the damn thing so hard?" I punched to soften it, and nearly broke my fingers.
"Ow!" I howled, and a large hand immediately stifled my cries.
"Shhhh!" A deep voice hissed. "Do you want your parents to hear us?"
I immediately recognized it as Rurutip's.
"Rurutip!" I mumbled around his hand. "Let go! What are you doing!" Of course it came out more like "Brubib! Lego! Wha'reewpoi?!"
I tried to pull away from him, to pull back, but could not move. I began to panic, tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes. "Please, please, don't Rurutip!"
Something warm and furry wrapped around my waist and pulled me flush against his side.
"Please, please..." I whispered. "No..."
"Shut up, Ningen." Rurutip whispered, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "If you're too loud, you'll wake up your 'tousan, and then I'll have to kill him."
I froze, and he finally moved his hand from my mouth. "Please, no." I pleaded under my breath, I begged.
I felt rather than saw his hand run down my cheek, into my hair, and along my shoulder.
"Rurutip." I said softly, begging in only one word.
"I won't do anything you don't want me to if you obey." He answered in gentle tones. "I merely wish to speak to you more. This seems the most feasible method." The furry thing around my waist -his tail, I realized - pulled me so much that I was actually on top of his broad chest.
I gulped, noticing that he wasn't wearing either his breast plate or his under-shirt. Damn.
I began to tremble. I know I had resolved never to be afraid of Rurutip again, but now he was in my bed, wearing no shirt, clasping my body to his.
I was scared absolutely shitless.
I stayed very quiet, and felt very small as he shifted his grip to the back of my shoulders, pushing me against his broad, hard chest. I whimpered.
"Stop making such pathetic sounds." Rurutip snapped. "I hate it when you whine."
I forced my voice to be non-existent.
"And stop shaking like that." he snarled, "Or you'll make me do something you'll regret."
I TRIED to stop quaking, really I did, but the threat made me even more terrified, and I shook more.
Rurutip snarled low in his throat, and the sound held warning.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my cheek into his neck, trying with all my might to relax and stop squirming, but my body wouldn't stop shivering.
The second sound that came from him was a growl that held less menace than lust.
The third was a purr that was pure enjoyment.
I grew tense and snapped my head up when I realized why. I had finally relaxed, but had been so intent on calming myself down that I hadn't paid any attention to where my various limbs were sprawled.
My lips had been pressed to the skin under his ear. My hands had been fisted over his huge pectorals... and my legs had somehow shifted so one was on the outside of his hip, while the other was in between his legs.
I whimpered again when his teeth closed gently on one of my ears.
"Just remember..." he smiled in the dark, and I felt him roll. I was suddenly pinned beneath him on my mattress, his hands on my shoulders, his legs on either side of my knees, and his tail lashing in the dark as he arched his entire body. "...you started this."
I thrashed madly, but I couldn't get free from under him. I began to beg. "Rurutip, please, please don't! It was an accident, I didn't mean to– !"
His hand came over my mouth, effectively silencing my cries. Then he leaned down slowly and bit the tip of my nose. I'm certain my eyes must have been fearful pinpricks in a sea of white.
"There is something I must tell you, Ningen." he said softly as his free hand began to slowly move down my side. I squirmed to avoid it, but I could only move my body so far. "I heard you sing, yes, and that is why I stopped. But there was something that kept me coming back."
I screwed my eyes shut, praying to Kami that this wasn't the reason I thought it was.
"I killed my concubine three weeks ago. I need a new one."
I whimpered against his mouth as he suddenly drove his tongue between my lips. I fought back with everything I had, but to no avail. It was like beating my fists against concrete. His tongue slithered across my cheek, down my neck to the little hollow where my collar bones dipped together.
He then lifted his face to my ear. "I think you'll do."
***
I sat alone, on my bed, shivering.
Rurutip was gone.
Then why the HELL was I still... a virgin?
He said he wanted to keep me, so why hadn't he...?
Unable to do anything more, I hid my hands in my face... and wept.
***
I didn't go to school the next day. What was the point? Rurutip had made it more than obvious that I no longer had a future to plan for.
Mom was worried, and when she saw my pale face and sweat-soaked brow the next morning, she assumed it was the fever and made me stay in bed all day while she and Dad went to work.
That bed was the last place I wanted to be, but I couldn't gather enough energy to move.
That is, until Rurutip suddenly appeared at the foot of my bed late that afternoon.
Then I screamed, the loudest, harshest sound I could possibly make and dove for the door. He intercepted me in the hall, a hand wrapping around the top of my arm.
"Let me go letmegolemmiego!" I screamed, beating against him ineffectually. He dropped my arm and backed away from him. "Leave me alone!!"
Rurutip grinned and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me flush against his chest. "Have you said your goodbyes, Ningen?"
I crumpled into a pile on the carpet by his feet and began to sob. He stared at me for a very long time, a frown etched onto his face and finally crouched. "What the Hell's the matter with you? You should be honoured that I picked you."
I merely blubbered.
"Damnit, I thought you liked talking to me!"
I snapped my head up an narrowed my eyes at him. "So that automatically means I want you to rape me every night?!" I hissed harshly.
His frown got deeper as he tucked my chin in his palm. "I'm taking you with me." he hissed. "I really don't care if you want to or not, Ningen, but know this...." He pushed me back onto the carpet and grazed his sharp canines across the tender flesh of my throat. "You are mine and I will do whatever I want with you."
He got up with a dark sigh and glared down at me. "Get up." he snapped and slowly I did so, head bowed as the silent tears continued to slip down my cheeks. "I will return at sunset for you. Pack up the things you wish to take with you to my ship. Bring your music." he grinned ferally, his tail loping to and fro behind him, the tip quivering. "Tonight is a very special night. I will be the first and only man to tear you. I will make you mine, Ningen."
I could only nod numbly. A few seconds later I realized he was gone.
And that I was really and truly alone for the first time in my life.
***
END PART ONE