Her Prince had told them all to be careful especially when they went out alone. It was unclear about the stances others had on their court but Laverna was not one to live on the edge of caution. She did that enough on her daily life.
So when she felt something pulling her in another direction, she just had to follow it towards. Slipping in and out of the shadows, the dark mirror senshi grinned as she eyed something very strange…
A little drummer boy.
---
Corinth was aware he was being followed, but the signature was strange. He’d not encountered it’s like before as best as he could recall. The page lead his new tail to a place he knew somewhat well, an alley that he was quite sure he could leap out of if the pursuit turned out to be hostile.
“I can feel you out there…” Corinth said to the shadows, his eyes looking around to see if he could home in on the aura - but not nearly that good at things yet, and doubting he ever would be.
“If you want to talk we can talk - but I’ll defend myself if you’re looking for a fight!”
---
The shadows only smiled in response. “Now now! Let’s not get hasty here.” Laverna offered walking out into the open. Her hands were raised to show submission but quickly she dropped them and leapt into a front flip, height and distance increased by this form, landing just behind the drummer. “It’s no far if you can feel me and I…”
Her hands came around his shoulders, body pushing up against his back. “Can’t feel you first.” The words were full of something teasing as her fingers threaded through the tassels of his shoulder pads. “I mean you no harm drummer boy.”
---
Darren was torn between two courses of action. The first, immediate knee-jerk reaction - that of a loyal and loving boyfriend - was to jerk away from the sudden invasion of space. The second, more calm and timed reaction, was to assert himself as a gentleman and slowly make some distance between himself and the suddenly very touchy-feely senshi he did not know.
He ended up doing both. After the initial jerking away from the sudden, uninvited touch, he calmed, and slowly attempted to give himself some space.
“Forgive me, but I don’t think we’ve made proper introductions.” Corinth said. “I’m Corinth, Page of Neptune.”
Also Happily Dating a Uranus Squire so please back off.
---
A bit frown happened under that mask when he pulled away. Still, it quickly changed to peak her interest. He ran from her but then the next thing, he was trying to act like the proper gentlemen her step mother kept introducing to her step and half sisters. Interesting.
Cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms in front of her chest, the dark mirror tapped a finger on her elbow. “Strange one indeed. You have breeding don’t you. Very well.”
Uncrossing her arms, Laveran grabbed hold of the edge of her skirts and gave a clearly mock curtsey. “I am Sailor Laverna. Dark Mirror Senshi of Thieves.” Lifting her head back up, she added. “A pleasure to steal you away, Corinth.”
Rising again, she stepped forward, closing the distance. “But you did lead me into the alley. What is a girl supposed to think? All alone here with a man. Why, you could just take advantage of me and who would be the wiser!”
---
“I would, and I assure you that I would not,” Corinth said, his voice sounding - strained, even.. aghast at such a thought. “I have only heard of the Dark Mirror Senshi in passing, I have yet to meet one. Your signature felt different that I have usually felt, so I thought it prudent to find a place that I knew to… deal with the situation. For good or ill.”
He nodded his head a bit. “But you needn’t worry, as far as taking advantage of you. I’m a happily taken man already. So unfortunately you cannot ‘steal’ me away.”
He gave her a slight bow. “As far as breeding - well - no, not really, my family does not have money, they just expect me to treat people properly.”
---
“So I’m a situation now. Well, that’s a new one on me. I’ve heard our court has been called many things but now it sounds as if we are a pest be rid of. How rude.” Her arms released her skirt and she crossed them under her chest again. “Well, what pray tell then is a Page of Neptune? By your attire I would say some sort of performer but…”
She didn’t finish it. Truth was looks and an outfit were her savior. In this form she was free. Who was she to judge…
“Oh, so you are married? Does she know you are out and about this evening then? Or are you leaving a little misses home alone to worry?”
---
“Not married, dating... “ Corinth coughed a bit. “And she’s studying, so she’s not worrying about me.” Truth was he had wanted her to focus on her studies and so he’d been not forcing her to come out on patrols. Not with finals around the corner and with her trying to get all her college testing done. He was hopeful she’d be joining him at DCU next fall so it didn’t make sense for him to push her to do knight stuff as well.
“I’m a Knight, you see.” He said with a small chuckle. “But yes, I do have a bit of a performance feel don’t I?”
---
“Ah! Then there is still a chance.” Laverna chuckled, more as a tease than anything. She couldn’t do this in real life. Not if she didn’t want to lose her sanity. Here though, she could do what she wanted as long as it didn’t put her court, her family in danger. Or piss off her Prince. “Shame though. She should be at least somewhat worried. What if you came back hurt? Or worse!”
Quickly throwing up her hands, she shook her head. “I’m not looking for a fight. Just saying is all. If I was your girl, I would be. Maybe I could do my own things but at least check in every now and then. Instead of finding out the next day.”
“Now, a Knight you say? I don’t see any armor or a horse? Those shoulder things hardly count. Are you sure you aren’t a stage performer?”
---
Corinth couldn’t help it, he actually had to laugh. “You just don’t give up do you? I’ll give you points for tenacity I suppose.” Rolling his shoulders he thought about her statements. “Oh I see that you aren’t looking for a fight, and I’m not either, so to that I suppose we can agree to a truce on our parts.” He said with a small nod.
“She’s aware, she’s a knight as well. She’s patched me up before. If I get hurt she’s where I go to get mended.” He said with a small nod. “She takes care of me and I take care of her, we’re partners. I’m just giving her some time off so she can focus on other things.”
At her last bit of words he laughed again shaking his head. “Honestly I couldn’t tell you where all that is - I’ve only really ever seen one knight wearing armor. Very few others actually do. So I honestly can’t tell you.”
---
Shrugging as he spoke, Laverna just shook her head. “Hey, what’s a girl go to lose? Even in these forms she can have some fun.” Otherwise, it wasn’t really worth it. Life is short. Live it up!”
But his statement about the taking care, okay, she had to roll her eyes. “Now you are pushing the sweet stuff on me. Gag. Love birds.” That was laughter behind it. Love was special she knew. If he could say something like that with a straight face, that wasn’t a fling. He seriously was ‘taken’. Oh well.
“Now you have destroyed my dreams though. Are you going to tell me all you knights…” She paused and looked up…”I assume there is more than you and your girlfriend. There are nine planets after all...and yes I’m counting Pluto…” She pointed at him with stern eyes daring him to challenge her. “Don’t have armor and horses? What do you all have then? I mean I know you are supposed to fight the evil forces of the Negaverus?”
---
“Good! You’re right, you should. Love is a battlefield just like this war. But yes, you’re right, total love birds. Guilty.” Corinth said, finding it much easier to talk to the Dark Mirror Senshi. She was amusing he’d give her that.
An actual “Awww,” escaped his lips when she said he’d destroyed her dreams though. “Oh, don’t worry, there are plenty more fish in the sea and I’m sure you’ll find someone to settle into a love nest with.” If they were going to stick to the bird analogy.
“Well as far as me… I have this drum… My girlfriend has a… coffee pot? It’s not really sensical. The first knight I met had a shield, but I haven’t really met any other knights that have… well… USEFUL weapons…”
As far as the rest, well, he wasn’t really sure himself.
---
“That better be a nice nest thing if they think they can keep me.” Laverna shrugged, waving it all off. She wasn’t looking to settle down. She just started having fun!
“A...coffee pot?” That got a true light laugh out of the senshi. A coffee pot. And she thought the drum was bad. At least that could make someone deaf. “Regular or Decaf? And yes that makes a difference.” The senshi chuckled, trying to point at him but failing miserably. She was too busying shaking her head at the illogical idea of weapons. “It’s like bringing a sucker to a knife fight…”
“So what makes you form Neptune then? Born there?”
---
“No, born on earth, I’m actually not really sure… To be honest I’m not… 100% versed on this whole… Knight thing.” Corinth shrugged. “It’s just what comes along with the name in my head. So I’m sure it has to do with something.”
As far as everything else, well. Honestly he was at a loss. She had a point though, pound for pound knights really had the short end of the stick when it came to self defense.
---
“Well that’s no fun. So you don’t even get to go world hoping with magic cell phones?” Thankfully that meeting in mirrorspace had paid of for something. “Sounds like your senshi get all the fun perks.”
“So what do you know then? Besides beat up the bad guys whoever they are. Also I’m sure there is some code of honor and such…”
---
“I haven’t heard of any code of honor so, that’s right out.” Corinth was quick to admit. “Other than that first bit that’s really it. I’ve found that I’m absolutely useless for pumping for information.” This had its perks.
Downsides too.
“Apparently we get signet rings but I haven’t found mine yet. I don’t even know where to look.”
---
“So do you trade rings with your girlfriend to signal going steady?” Did people still do that? Oh she had to chuckle at the idea. It might have been cute. Once. So many old fashion ways out of the window.
“Well then, I’m sure you can answer this cutie, what is Corinth stand for?”
---
“No, I don’t think we do that - but it is an interesting thought.” Corinth had to admit the girl had a somewhat quirky sense of humor. But that was… disarming in a way. It was nice to not have to have his guard up around an agent of chaos.
Still, he should probably be a bit wary.
“To be honest? I’m not entirely sure.. I haven’t really looked into it. It’s just my name.”
---
The laughter that came from Laverna’s mouth was loud and musically. “Oh baby.” She purred through the remaining chuckles. “You really don’t know anything about this do you? About who you are or what you are…”
Shrugging, she moved to lean against the alley wall, crossing her arms under her chest. “So do you even understand what I am?”
---
“Not a clue.” Corinth said. “I know you don’t feel like a regular senshi but you don’t feel like the Negaverse either.” He said with a shrug. “So you’re an entirely different animal all together.”
It was true, Corinth knew nothing about what he was or what this war actually entailed. He just knew he was stuck in the middle and it was his job to keep the city safe. Something he could abide by.
“Care to share?”
---
“Honey, I’m new at this but I can tell you that I am not with the Negaverse. As I said cutie, I’m a Dark Mirror. A senshi who knows the future for us is not here but elsewhere. Your senshi are blinded. This planet is not ours.” She shrugged.
“But I also know I’m not out for death and destruction. You don’t shoot me, I don’t kill you.” It was clear there was a smile on her face as she said that. “But hey, at least I know my name comes from a goddess.”
---
Corinth chuckled and bowed his head. “Well then, you have me at a disadvantage.” Though truthfully he didn’t care one way or the other if she thought the White Moon was wrong. The planet was the planet and he was pretty sure everyone could coexist peacefully if they were to you know… JUST TRY AND GET ALONG.
But he doubted that was possible even on a good day. Even normal people had trouble with that.
“Well I’m glad to know you’re friendly, that’s definitely welcome.”
---
“I think we all are if you get to know us cutie.” Laverna smiled and gave a stretch before standing up. “Anyway, I grow sleepy now. So if you will excuse me…”
Pushing off the wall, she walked back over towards him, went up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“Hope to meet that lucky lady of yours one day handsome. Go make sure she knows you love her. All that studying has to be killing her.”
And with that, she jumped up towards the top of the building, making a show of flips off window seals and fire escapes.
Torvil
