Welcome to Gaia! ::

One incredibly sharp black heel had dug into the earth of the playground when he had moved from the shadows, and she'd very nearly teleported there and then. But like most helpless cases, Black Lady had felt as if she was on the edge of some sort of breakthrough. If she just kept walking around the walls of Jericho, they would all come tumbling down. It was an inherited trait, and usually an irritating one.

Confused by the sudden announcement of names, the smile returned apprehensively as she went through a mental list of names. Hector would probably be quite amused to know that her hesitation was not borne of hesitation to tell him her name, but simply which name to tell him. Blanche was entirely out of the question, that would allow them to find her whenever they wanted. Serenity was pompous and ridiculous, and he probably already knew that one. So, she went with the most interesting. An almost mischievous smile crossed her face before she sat up almost ramrod straight on the swing, almost regally. "I am Princess Small Lady Serenity Usagi Tsukino the Second." Even from her perch, she could see violet eyes rolling and the exasperated sigh, which she cut off as soon as possible, shyness creeping into her face.

"Chibiusa. They...they called me Chibiusa." This voice was entirely unsure and querulous, almost as if she was sure this was a mistake but couldn't prevent herself. She missed hearing that name dreadfully, Blanche just didn't fit. It was an elegant name when she didn't feel such, and in her thick tongue sounded alien whenever she said it. Most people did not believe it was her given birth name, almost like you knew that the heavily-accented Indian man on the other side of your customer service call was not really a 'Jack'. "Mama was Usagi, so I had to be the chibi. I guess I am Usagi now?" Untold sorrow was in her voice, and it was as if she was talking to herself when the Lady shook her head in a sharp negative. "No, just Chibiusa."

Red eyes rose again to Hector's violet ones and she smiled. "Hello Hector."

Having slid from the swing to perform her curtsy, Chibiusa made her own show of minor faith and stepped up to wrap her hands around the pole of the swing set, holding onto it and leaning back to support her weight. It was a surprisingly unguarded stance for the young woman to take considering the fact that not ten minutes ago they'd been ready to kill each other. But she figured that this sort of parley was not likely to end anytime soon, and not without warning. If he attacked again, this time he would die, it was simple as that for her.

"I do not believe in fate anymore." It was perhaps the most dispassionate statement the second prince had heard her make, surprisingly devoid of anything. In her eyes it was easy to see that her mood had shifted again and she wasn't feeling so very much like Chibiusa anymore, demonstrated by her moving from that playful pulling on the metal to lean against it and explain. "My parents, they are dead. I am not sure where my home is. My friends, dead. I only have Wiseman and Helios." Eyes looked up into the moon above, one of the many light sources on this playground. "Not so good, don't you think? But I am content to exist, for now, with Wiseman." Shoulders rolled in a shrug and fingers tapped in a light, strange rhythm of the metal.

Pausing in whatever world her mind hand wandered to, she smiled again at Hector. "Are you happy to be out of the mirror?" It was not something she had considered, who wouldn't be happy to be on her side of the mirror? It was obviously the better one, but of course, her prejudice against Nehelenia lent to this suspicion. Black Lady was once again walking around Jericho, but it was a much subtler path.

It was at this point in her assault on the psyche of Prince Hector that Black Lady realized something that she would, in the future, forever attribute to males of all ages. They did not like questions. Ray never answered something if he could make a joke about it, and even if he couldn't, he still would change the subject as swiftly as he could onto something about you. Apparently, it was a universal problem, one she hadn't quite given up fighting yet, but this wasn't an easy assault.

At the mention of her parents and what she could only assume was what they might think of this, she only smiled sadly and shook her head. "They didn't like it. I was like this, a long time ago. They changed me back." Ruby eyes looked not at the young man, but through him, into the past. "I was very bad then, nearly died." The rest of his slang also confused her, she hadn't learned yet exactly what 'screwed' was or how you did it. This caused her to puzzle over the word, trying to find a meaning before abandoning this sage piece of advice for a later date, should she remember it, and going on to the last bit.

"I have nothing to lose. Only life, which is not that good." They were as hard now as they had been when Chibiusa was trying to rip his life from his body and shatter his bones with lightning. It was again one of those twisting, mercurial shifts that could leave your head spinning if you didn't keep up and her voice was almost as dead as her eyes. "Mama and papa - dead. Senshi - dead. Diana will not live. I do not know how I live. What is there to live for?" How did you live when your parents had never conceived you? It was deliberate magic, and not any kind she understood.

"Tell me, Hector, please." Another shift, almost desperately seeking a good answer. She needed a reason to live, something other than vengeance and blood. As yet, she hadn't found it, did not think she would. But it would never hurt to try.

It had been very hard for her to stand still as Hector had approached, and her eyes had never left his, waiting for the flicker that would signal an attack. Though she'd jerked lightly when a black-gloved hand tugged at her wrist, Chibiusa'd shown the same faith he had by coming over to her. It was puzzling, how nice this mirror man was when his queen was such a harpy - maybe not everyone could be judged based on their unfortunate affiliations. She certainly wasn't a fatalist, as the other senshi had been, running head-first into their destinies without thinking a second thought.

It was something to think about, something new. Perhaps even something hopeful, though as fingers closed around the metal star, she wasn't entirely sure of that. He had said, after all, that he did nothing but serve his mirror prince no matter what the cost. Slowly her fingers uncurled to look down into her palm, and the lady's lips upturned as she held it up to catch the light.

"To lose? Nothing special. Tomorrow night." And with nothing more than a small zing! and a flicker of pink lights, the Lady of the Doom Phantom had made her retreat not more than a few miles away. The bedroom door was closed, signalling that Ray was asleep for the night, and Blanche, curious and again questioning her motives for agreeing to such a meeting, simply curled in her bed. Up to the light she held the golden object between two fingers, twisting it back and forth before falling asleep, fingers curled almost protectively around the object.

It might have been foolish, but she really did not have anything left to lose.