Work Text:
“JoJo, you will go and fetch us the Red Stone of Aja. Take care to remove the bomb first. The woman will stay with us, as insurance.” The two Pillar Men left the room in a flash of light and a rush of wind.
JoJo glanced at his teacher, but her expression was as unreadable as ever. “Lisa Lisa?”
“They want to make sure we don’t run away from the fight. It is a reasonable request. JoJo, go and fetch the Red Stone. You mustn’t worry about me.” She had expected something like this and was at least somewhat prepared mentally, if not physically.
They gave each other their assurances, and with one last glare at where the Pillar Men had stood, JoJo turned his heel and started back out of the doorway.
As soon as he was out of sight, Lisa Lisa felt a cessation in the soft respirations around her. The legions of vampires had dispersed—probably retreated to some other part of the old hotel. The feeling was a strange one. Surely, as successful as her bluff had been, she was glad to have the ghoulish soldiers gone. But their absence did make the reality of her situation a bit different.
Obviously, given the circumstances, this was a fairly optimal situation. JoJo was safe. He was able to play the honorable-to-a-fault warrior, Wamuu, like a fiddle, as was she. Her safety was also more or less ensured, as the tenacious leader, Kars, clearly preferred to err on the side of caution where the Stone was involved. And even though she sensed that Kars hadn’t completely bought into her quick lie, she trusted Wamuu’s honor to keep her alive in the case Kars decided to call her bluff.
For now, though, she didn’t have to worry about any of that. Both of them had vanished somewhere, and she was alone in the dark, cavernous room.
The suboptimal aspects of the arrangement were growing more apparent. Lisa Lisa rubbed her arms as she sent some Hamon into her scarf to trap some extra body heat, then took out a cigarette and lit it. The sun was still high in the sky. Midnight was many hours away.
She was just finishing her cigarette when she became aware of another presence in the room with her.
“Lisa Lisa, was it?” She recognized the deep voice.
“Yes. And you would be Wamuu.” She kept her own voice even.
He made a noise of agreement. “I have just realized that Kars and I behaved quite rudely by leaving you alone in here. I implore you accept my apology.”
Lisa Lisa tried not to show the surprise, let alone the compassion, that his heartfelt words stirred up. “I appreciate the sentiment, Wamuu, but there is no need to apologize. The two of you have already been about as gracious as you can be, at least considering the circumstances.”
Wamuu nodded, looking almost embarrassed as he averted his gaze. “I have left you a pitcher of water, should you need any.”
Lisa Lisa allowed herself a slight smile. “Thanks, that’s nice of you.”
“Just water, Wamuu?” Kars’s low, velvety voice reached her ears only a second after she sensed his presence. “Not even a glass of wine? What kind of host are you?”
The teasing tone was clear, but Wamuu bowed his head anyway. “Forgive me, Lord Kars. I did not want to assume anything about the woman’s lifestyle.”
Lisa Lisa saw Kars smirk. “No need, Wamuu. I speak in jest.” She guessed he was in a good mood due to his knowledge of the Stone’s imminent proximity to him. “Perhaps it is best you continue meditating, to clear your mind before tonight.”
“I agree, Lord Kars. Please excuse me.” With that, he vanished.
The room was silent. Lisa Lisa couldn’t name the emotions that coursed through her as she appraised her situation, being alone in a dark room with an incredibly powerful, tenacious, and intelligent inhuman creature. Her logical faith in her own abilities kept any pure fear from squeezing through, but a good bit of apprehension remained, nonetheless.
She could also, however, identify a keen curiosity nagging at her. She didn’t imagine that many other followers of Hamon—or any other human, for that matter—had been in the situation she was currently in. She was, for all intents and purposes, safe. She knew he wouldn’t bring any harm to her, both because of his and Wamuu’s honor and because she held current dominion over the stone. She was in No Man’s Land, a gray area, a demilitarized treaty zone between warring nations. She was untouchable.
There was so much… opportunity.
After a lengthy silence that was only slightly uncomfortable, she heard Kars’ footsteps echo behind her, then the clink of a glass.
“I’m afraid I’m not as polite as Wamuu. I merely assumed you might like a drink, regardless of tonight’s outcome.”
Without moving her head or changing her expression, Lisa Lisa took the cup of wine, hoping to unsettle him. “Quite the contrary. You’ve been a fine host.” She even trusted him not to have poisoned it. If he had poisoned it, it must have been quite an undetectable sort, for the wine was rich and sweet, well aged.
She felt, then saw, his eyes on her as she sipped. She chose not to react, staring out at the weak slivers of sunlight.
“You seem quite composed after the death of your companion.”
Lisa Lisa wasn’t able to keep her heart from clenching, but she kept her expression smooth. “Do not mistake calmness for coldness, Kars. I knew Caesar for many years. He must have been one of the bravest young men I’ve had the privilege to meet.” She reached for another cigarette. “I could say that you seem a bit too composed as well.”
Kars nodded slowly. She noticed an odd look in his eye. Not sadness, but close. “I had always known that the final pursuit of the Stone might come to something like this. I hoped it would not happen. But it seems some things cannot be stopped.”
Lisa Lisa was taken aback by his frankness. “I understand. I would not be so heartless as to gloat about the death of Esidisi, nor to deny you the right to grief or anger.”
Kars lowered himself onto a cushioned bench, his legs crossed. “I must say, for a woman, you’re remarkably well-spoken.”
She didn’t take the backhanded compliment personally, but bristled internally anyway. “For a creature of the night who subsists on the blood of the living, you are quite civil.”
He chuckled at that, exposing his pointed teeth. Though her face remained placid, Lisa Lisa couldn’t deny the thrill of fear that shot through her at the sight of them. “Only further proving my point, Ms. Lisa Lisa.” He took a sip from his own glass. She could only hope it was wine.
The two of them sat and drank in silence. Lisa Lisa extinguished the second cigarette, then drained her glass. “Will you prepare for tonight as well as Wamuu?”
Kars shook his head. “They say that victory is decided before the battle has begun. There is no relevant change I can make to my style or physique in the hours before our fight that would create any perceptible difference in the outcome.”
Before their fight, yes. She was expected to fight him.
He continued. “And what about you? I would allow you to train and prepare yourself, if you so desire.”
She gave a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m alright.”
The silence stretched again. Lisa Lisa found her gaze wandering over to his already-perfect physique. While she felt the chill of the air through her layers, Kars appeared unaffected by the cold, although his outfit was spare even for summer weather.
She managed to avert her eyes just in time when she noticed that his gaze was about to meet her own. It was rude to stare, and though she still trusted him, she didn’t want to test his leniency.
It didn’t matter, of course, because it didn’t look like he’d noticed her staring. Yet she could feel his bright red eyes on her as well, perhaps attempting to gauge the kind of challenge he would be up against. Hypocritically, she decided to call him out on it.
“Is there something on my face, Kars?” To her immense satisfaction, he blinked quickly and shook his head, clearly flustered. “It’s alright. I understand that some men are uncomfortable at the prospect of battling a woman.”
“Yes, I must admit I dislike the idea. Wamuu does as well. But I will take care not to underestimate you, Madam.”
His tone was conversational, which struck her as odd. Of course, the entire concept of sitting and chatting with an ancient vampiric monster was rather odd as well. “When was the last time you faced off against a female opponent?”
Kars rested his cheek on his fist. “It has been thousands of years. The women of the Hamon tribe were few and far between. I have never met a female warrior of your caliber, Ms. Lisa Lisa.”
She smiled again. “You flatter me, Kars.”
He smiled back, and the thrill of fear at seeing his teeth wasn’t quite as jarring.
The silence was even shorter this time, and it was broken by the sound of movement rather than a voice. Kars stood up, looking down at her with his eerie, unnatural crimson eyes. She anticipated a penetrating question, but after a beat, he turned away and went to refill their glasses.
“And when is the last time you’ve spoken this frankly to a human, Kars?” She asked after he returned. “Have you ever sat with a human this long without killing them?”
His eyebrows lowered. “I have listened to humans speak for longer, in prayers, praise, and pleas. But I have never spoken to one this…” He hesitated. “Intimately.”
A thrill of something else shot through Lisa Lisa, drawing her to appreciate his masterfully sculpted features even more. It didn’t seem like he was being very thoughtful with his word choice. Perhaps, like her, he was more flustered than he was letting on.
Still, Lisa Lisa kept her expression blank. The sunglasses helped. “Have you never been intimate with a human, Kars?”
The silence hung with a different feeling this time. It was Kars’s responsibility to break it, and they both knew it. But they also both knew he had to choose his words carefully.
Finally, he let out a sigh, then a chuckle. “Perhaps I have.”
She allowed herself a smirk and another sip of wine. The strangeness of the entire situation was beginning to bubble over. She felt almost like a soldier on his last night before shipping out—recklessly impulsive and dismissive of consequences.
Kars’s eyebrows lowered. “Have you ever been intimate with humans, Ms. Lisa Lisa?”
“I have.” She answered his stare with an equally piercing one and felt her heartbeat quicken.
He didn’t respond immediately, and Lisa Lisa could tell he was taken aback by the speed with which she’d answered. Then he closed his eyes and smiled wider. “I would guess, however, that you have never been intimate with anything non-human, correct?”
“Well, you should never assume things like that, Kars. Anything is possible.” He happened to be right, of course, but she guessed that he might just believe her. He had before, anyway.
She watched him as he stood up again. The silence was thick now, and the air seemed to have grown warm and stagnant. When he walked over to the couch where she was sitting, it was as though he was moving in slowed time.
He sat next to her, and his features only grew more perfect and delicate up close. His fiery gaze held a fierce sort of beauty, and his tanned, chiseled face reminded her of a marble statue.
“Ms. Lisa Lisa,” he stated.
She pushed her sunglasses down slightly.
He leaned in closer to her. His body heat was very faint, but still detectable. She could smell some kind of exotic perfume—it made her think of purple flowers in a desert oasis. “One of us will die in a few hours.”
“Yes.”
He waited, expecting more. He was to be disappointed. She would make him break it once again. She wanted to draw this out as long as she could.
“Would you be the kind to turn down a… rather unique encounter, if you had the perfectly clear opportunity, knowing that it would never present itself again?”
She hadn’t noticed just how close he was. She could hear his breath, smell the good cloth of his headwrap.
“I wouldn’t call myself that kind of person, no.” She realized she would have to verbally acquiesce to his veiled propositions eventually, although she knew they were both having a grand time playing the little game between life and death. She guessed he wasn’t the type to force himself on someone, at least not in that way.
He drew even closer. His lips, full and parted slightly, were only inches away from hers. “Then, given the opportunity, would you like to lie with a creature that is nothing close to human?”
She made him wait for a few seconds. “I suppose I couldn’t turn down such an opportunity.”
He smiled and let out an almost imperceptible laugh. Then he closed the distance between them.
His lips were surprisingly soft and warm, the polar opposites of his physique and personality. She felt him part them just as she parted her own, and his hand came around to the back of her head, pressing her closer to him. Her cheeks began to flush.
They stayed like that for many minutes. Lisa Lisa managed to embrace the surrealism of the situation and instead decided to focus on the growing heat in her chest and between her legs. Every once in a while, her tongue would brush against one of his fangs, reminding her that this thing—this creature that was kissing her, holding her against him, making her heart beat like it hadn’t in years—it wasn’t human.
Eventually, they pulled away, again in sync with each other. His large, calloused hand slid around from the back of her head to cradle her cheek. Without thinking, she raised her hand and clasped her fingers around his.
He stood up, and she followed suit. She had almost forgotten how tall and broad he was. His muscles bulged like balls of twine, and his clothing left little to the imagination.
Kars looked down at her with some kind of emotion she couldn’t place. His hands pressed against her hips, and he leaned down to kiss her again. This time, she encircled his face with her hands, the skin as cool and smooth as a snake. His kisses, though, were still warm.
They broke apart again, breathing heavier. Kars took one of her hands and led her further into the darkness, to a bed that looked old, but not precarious.
The ancient being pushed her down onto her back, his hands pressing gently against her wrists, then climbed on top of her. He kissed her once more, then moved his mouth down along her face and neck, sucking and nibbling at the delicate skin. She let out a breath, moaning as he left small, delicate kisses on whatever was exposed by her coat.
Eventually, though, he ran out of bare skin. He reached for the buttons on her jacket, then hesitated. “Something tells me, Lisa Lisa, that you are the type who prefers to undress herself.”
“I would trust that instinct, Kars. But I wouldn’t want you to get bored waiting for me to get all this off.” She smiled wryly. “After all, you don’t have much to remove.”
He smiled wider, and the sight of his teeth now excited rather than frightened her. “On the contrary, this might take a while. And I trust that watching you won’t be too much of a bore, anyway.”
She raised her eyebrows, not at his sly compliment, but at the insinuation that he would need any longer than ten seconds to remove his shoulder wrap and loincloth. Nevertheless, she began to unbutton her coat.
She soon saw the reasoning behind his statement. He first tossed away the cloth covering his shoulders, then removed an ornate pin from his headscarf and began to unwind it. His actions were hypnotic and luxurious as layers of rich black cloth piled up on the bedcovers.
Finally, once she had removed everything but her underwear and stockings, Kars dramatically pulled off the last layer. This time, Lisa Lisa couldn’t stop her eyes from widening. Gorgeous, flowing locks of thick violet hair cascaded down his shoulders, falling all the way to his waist, covering him like a massive purple blanket.. In seconds, he had gone from the serious, buttoned-up leader of the Pillar Men to a wildly beautiful and mysterious creature of the night. What other mysteries was Kars hiding?
She was about to figure out one, as he still needed to remove his loincloth. Instead of reaching for it, though, he leaned over her once again, his hands slipping behind her back. She felt him deftly unclasp the hook of her bra, and she tossed it aside as well.
Kars began moving down her body once again, kissing all the way down to her breasts. Lisa Lisa gasped and moaned as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, kneading the other one with a practiced hand. She entwined her fingers in his wild, gorgeous mass of hair, encouraging him, pushing him closer to her. After a while, he pulled away, breathing heavily, and moved on to the other one.
Lisa Lisa pressed her hands against the flat hard muscles of his chest, hearing his breathing quicken and the suckling grow more ardent as she moved them lower and lower. She smiled and leaned up to meet his lips as her fingers brushed against the fabric of his loincloth. He shifted, and she could feel his hardness against her thigh. She moaned into his mouth, and he ground himself against her, panting.
He drew himself up, then leaned down and pressed his lips against her lower stomach. Her breath caught for a minute, but it grew steady as he moved even lower.
She felt his penetrating gaze as his lips reached the top of her panties. Wanting to surprise him again, and to remind him that she still had agency, she hooked her fingers around the fabric and pulled them off herself.
She was rewarded; his breath stuttered, but he composed himself quickly. He pushed her legs apart, then stroked his finger between her lips, exposing the wetness that had been gathering since he first kissed her. He pushed one finger into her, slowly, paying careful attention to her expression. Seeing nothing that indicated discomfort, he began pushing in and out, curling his finger upwards and eliciting a series of soft moans. He added a finger, then pressed his tongue just above her opening, searching for the spot that would give her the most pleasure.
Lisa Lisa decided to assist him, guiding his mouth to where it needed to go. “Haa!” She let out a gasp as he sucked at her clit, still pumping his fingers in and out of her. She grabbed two handfuls of his thick purple hair, holding him tightly against her as her climax began to build. She was thankful that he probably didn’t need to breathe, because she wasn’t letting him up for air anytime soon.
Kars sucked harder, using his thumb to add more stimulation. Lisa Lisa let out short gasps as she felt herself getting closer and closer. When she came, she tugged roughly on his hair and cried out.
Panting, she disentangled her hands from his gorgeous violet locks. He withdrew his fingers and pulled away, looking vaguely pleased with himself. His erection was plainly visible through his loincloth, and Lisa Lisa smiled, seeing that he was not a small man. She enjoyed a challenge, and she now knew that he knew what he was doing.
She ran her fingertips down his length over the cloth, making him shudder. He grabbed her hands and positioned them at his hips, looking at her expectantly. He didn’t have to wait long. Lisa Lisa tore off the fabric with one clean motion, freeing his impressive member.
She allowed herself a satisfied smile. She pushed lightly against his abdomen, still reveling in the absolute perfection of his muscles. Understanding, he let himself fall back onto the covers.
Lisa Lisa crawled forwards, grasping his erection in one hand and stroking it gently. She had expected him to be rather well-endowed, and he had certainly delivered. She ran her tongue up and down the sides, hearing the powerful warrior let out several moans, then took the head in her mouth and began to suck.
She was pleased with her ability to bring this cool, jaded creature so much wanton pleasure relatively easily. She twisted her hand around his length, prompting a deep moan, and felt him stroke her hair, more guiding her than controlling.
She continued to suck him until she felt his breathing quicken, then pulled off him and laid against the bedcovers, arranging a pillow behind her back.
Kars climbed over her once again, his hair falling down around her face and shoulders, enshrining her in a magnificent purple curtain. He kissed her more hungrily than before, sucking at her bottom lip and letting out huffs of breath into her mouth. Then he raised himself up, guiding himself to her opening. Lisa Lisa pushed against him, welcoming his length.
He groaned as he entered her, and she gasped at the sensation of being filled. He went slowly at first, using one hand to support himself, the other behind her back, holding her steady. Lisa Lisa wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him to push further into her, and he obliged.
Lisa Lisa threw her head back, panting in quick gasps as he thrust into her quicker and deeper. She wrapped coils of his hair around her fingers, pulling his head down to plant soft kisses on his neck. Kars responded by ducking his head down to suck at her breasts. She kept playing with the thick curls of his hair, distantly wondering how it was so flowing and voluminous after being wrapped up in his scarf for so long.
After a while, Kars lifted her legs so that they rested on his broad shoulders and began thrusting into her even harder. By his deep huffs and ragged breathing, Lisa Lisa could tell he was close, and reached down to rub herself, hoping they would finish together.
Kars seemed to have the same idea, as he slowed his pace a bit and pressed his lips to her neck again. She found herself noting that she wasn’t even the slightest bit scared that he would bite her, or even harm her in any way.
Lisa Lisa felt herself getting close, and she made sure to gasp appropriately as a message to Kars. Just as she reached her second climax, Kars moaned deeply and she felt something hot begin to fill her. The warmth seemed to spread through her whole body, the wintry scene outside completely forgotten.
They stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily, until Kars raised himself on his knees and withdrew. Lisa Lisa looked up at him, his beautiful hair, his inhuman eyes.
She looked away as Kars stood up, trying to organize her thoughts. As she was gathering herself, she felt something settle against her leg—an extra bedsheet to help clean herself.
“I will have my men draw a bath, should you desire it.” Kars said in a low voice, reminding Lisa Lisa that they had barely spoken to each other the entire time. “I will probably bathe as well before tonight, so don’t think it’ll be any trouble.”
“I would prefer to wait a minute to catch my breath, if you don’t mind.” Lisa Lisa replied, as though the whole situation was something common and casual, and she hadn’t just made love to a ten-thousand-year-old vampiric super-being hours before they were supposed to fight to the death. Although perhaps it wasn’t quite so different as all the young athletes from warring and rival countries hopping into each other’s beds during the Olympics.
“Yes, understandable.” The cool, calm voice (though he was still panting a bit) was a jarring juxtaposition to his eerie eyes and magnificent hair. He laid down on his side next to her, and she turned her head to look at him.
She still wasn’t completely sure she could trust him to fight fair. After all, he was frighteningly focused on his one true goal of attaining the Stone. And yet, lying there inches away from him, completely defenseless and naked, she had absolutely no fear. Nor did she feel any compulsion to attack him.
“I’m glad you gave me that opportunity, Kars.” She kept her voice as even as she could. She almost had her breath back.
“I must thank you as well. I haven’t felt such…” He grasped for the word. “Equality… in a long time. Even if you are a human.” There was no judgement in his gaze, but Lisa Lisa thought she detected something like respect.
She smiled. “And perhaps I’ll prove to be your equal in battle as well. Even if I am a woman.”
Kars laughed without a hint of malice. “Perhaps, yes.”
Lisa Lisa watched as he reached for his discarded headscarf. “Your hair is quite beautiful, by the way. For a man.”
He laughed again, even louder. “Thank you. I do pride myself on it.” He began winding the layers of fabric around his head again. “I promise that before our battle, I will reveal it again. It is a sign of great honor for us.”
Lisa Lisa gave a small smile, then leaned back on the pillows. Besides Esidisi, these Pillar Men had proven themselves to be quite the honorable bunch, perhaps even more so than humans she had faced in the past. If only there could be more moments like this, more stretches of No Man’s Land, for talking, and listening, and understanding. And maybe just a touch of wild, passionate lovemaking.