To a any other patron she didn’t look a bit out of place in the low lit fine dining restaurant wearing her senshi uniform, minus the tiara and a shawl to cover the mark on her chest. The black blemish, as she considered it, took a bit more effort to cover up, styling her bangs in such a way that it served more as a curtain to the blemish.
Through their meal he continued on an on and every time he asked her a personal question she deflected it, asking him follow-up queries to topics they had previously been discussing. All of which the young man seemed eager to share or further explain. However, as their delicious meals began to disappear from their plates the Senshi of the Succubus folded her hands in her lap as they waited for desert.
When the waiter came by again to refill their drinks he yawned, setting off a chain reaction to his co-worker who was setting plates down on the table beside them onto Justin, who in turn covered his mouth with his napkin to be polite. Both men muttered their apologies but the young woman seemed unconcerned, then again she knew the reason for their sudden exhaustion especially since it was her doing.
Just a little bit of energy here and there when the wait staff passed by with trays full of dishes and even a bit from her date when she needed a topic change before she nodded off herself. Nobody in the Negaverse ever said that work couldn’t be coupled with a bit of fun and good food.
It had been one of the rare chances that Lena and Xanathas would be able to get out for a date. At least that's what had been the plan before before Lena had been called to keep several annoying hours and in that time, Xan had managed to get himself involved in some sort of fight. She loved the big lug but there were times she just wanted to smack him over the head herself.
So the date had been off but that did not stop Lena from going anyway. She had been wanting to try one of their world famous cocktails all week! Even if that meant she was sitting at the bar alone. Nothing odd about that going on….nothing at all odd about the sudden wave of yawns that seemed to be spreading around the dinner table. Odd. Odder still that they all seemed to be taking part around one woman.
Still, as Lena emptied her glass, she ignored it thinking that the woman must have been that boring. With a nod to the bartender, Lena rose to leave. She only got as far as the street corner when she turned into an alley to power up. Her plan had been to go after Kairatos and give him a piece of her mind. What she got was the sense of a chaos aura back from the direction she had come.
For the first time, her dress would not come into question when she walked back into the restaurant. It would not be completely odd when she slipped passed the hostess towards the main room. It would only be odd when her eyes landed back on the same boring woman that gave off the aura she had picked up. Meteora knew in that moment the yawning had not been as innocent as they believed. She also knew that the woman could peg her as well.
Moving through the tables, Meteora came up to theirs and stood to the side. “May I interrupt?”
“Hmm?” Meridiana side glanced at the woman, allowing her gaze to travel appraisingly up the sheer star on her pristine white dress. “To think some people thought my outfit was revealing.” The senshi smirked then turned her attention back to her date who looked utterly confused.
“I’d ask if this could wait until after desert but I have a feeling you’d say no.” Blue gem-like eyes looked up at the page knowingly.
“Should we-” Justin began but Meridiana was quick to cut off his question with a reply of her own.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine, really. She’s just a woman that likes to fool around with my friends is all. It’s a talk that’s been long since coming I just wish it didn’t have to be today.” The senshi of the succubus spoke as if she knew the lady when in truth she hadn’t a clue who she was.
In a graceful motion the Senshi rose from her chair and placed her napkin beside her plate before skirting around the table and placing a brief kiss on her dates cheek. “I’ll be right back. Wait for me?” She asked despite knowing he would wait either way.
There was no hiding the fact that her eyes were rolling from the conversation taking place before her. Whoever this woman was had a good deal of ‘self confidence’. Well that was the polite way to put it as she rose. Were all chaos agents this dramatic or was she just lucky?
Ignoring the clearly overly adoring fans she seemed to be developing the longer she was in the restaurant, Meteora stepped back to allow the woman to rise. “Shall we excuse ourselves and cut down on the…” She gazed around the room at the eyes. “Adoring fans. Though I have a sneaking idea this is what you feed off?”
“Feed off of?” The woman with the ruby-rose color hair glanced over almost innocently “I have no idea what you mean.”
For a brief moment Meridiana seemed to be waiting expectantly for something that was apparently lost upon the page. “Care to lead the way?” She asked with an almost purr to her voice.
Only a fool would let the enemy see their back and get a surprise attack off once they stepped outside. Although, if memory served her right, since the raven haired beauty seemed to have a similar aura strength comparable to her own, didn’t that mean she lacked actual magic to use against her? At least that’s what one of the generals told her a long[/i while ago; not that she had ever really tested the theory. No time like the present to find out right?
“Frankly, I’d rather you lead.” Meteora smiled back at the red headed woman, a curt grin that showed just how little she trusted the woman. Not that they needed trust between them. “Buy, seeing as I have a feeling then we would end up standing in the middle of the dining room while others try to have a meal.”
Reaching out, Meteora moved to link arms with the woman and grinned. “Why don’t we go together. Save everyone some trouble in the end. And then maybe, once we chat a bit, you will want to return to this date and not one of the others.”
To onlookers the women acted more like long time friends who have just reconnected after several years apart than enemies but appearances are always deceiving. Even the way they walked beside one another appeared reminiscent of a couple looking to catch up on old times and nostalgic moments. Either way the corrupt senshi played her part near flawlessly, at least until she leaned over to whisper something in the Page’s ear.
“Please, don’t confuse me as a lady of the knight. I’m more of a succubus if anything and I would never ditch one date for another. That’s just tasteless.” Meridiana hid her smile behind her hand as if they had shared a private joke just meant for the two of them.
A smile crossed over Meteora’s face as she nodded to the door man that held the door open so they could both continue walking as one unit. “My dear, I would never dare insult you as such. I just find that either way, once one is done with a meal, it is time to move onto the next. Especially when one meal can’t keep his fingers out of the salad dressing.”
“Tell me, do all succubus have such interesting taste or are you special?” Meteora gave the woman’s arm a squeeze, playing her part and using tones that anyone could take as teasing. In truth, her eyes were locked onto the face of the other woman. “Though before I have to ask you to leave, I must know...do men really have different taste in energy or is that all lore?”
Meridiana let the woman’s comment about being special slide. It was true, some agents were less selective with their targets and to many she had expensive tastes but she wasn’t about to argue with anyone about how if she’s going to have to work on her days off for this cause she had limited knowledge about then she was going to make it worth it in one shape or form. Tonight just happened to be a good meal.
“Unfortunately I can’t really answer that for you. You see, to be quite honest, I’ve never tasted it to find out.” It all got stored in that special bag she had been given before delivering it to one of the generals in charge as per her quote required. What happened with it beyond that was none of her concern.
Humming thoughtfully, after a few seconds she then added, “I’d imagine it all tastes the same. Care to help me find out?”
“Frankly.” Meteora now responded with a roll of her eyes as they were finally a suitable distance away from the hustle and bustle of the over priced meal tickets. “I’d rather leave that up to the real succubus out there. Hate to see them get insulted if your tastes don’t match their own.”
Giving the woman’s arm a hard squeeze, Met turned and moved so that she stood slightly in front of the red haired demon. “Shall we do this the easy way and have you go on your way and leave that poor fool to his uneventful night or will I need to really step in.”
“You’re welcome to try my dear but I have a feeling your hands will be a bit too preoccupied with that dress of your to do much of anything.” An incomberance that she thankfully did not have to deal with. “So feel free to take your idle threats elsewear.”
Meridiana ran her thumb over each of her fingers to quell the itching desire to summon her magic if only to let the Page know where she stood on the matter. She had no intention of leaving with her quota still unmet which is why she decided to offer an undeserved courtesy to the woman and allow her the opportunity to keep her surprisingly revealing dress clean by simply walking away.
“You aren’t the first person I’ve had to deal with in this…” She wanted to say monstrosity but that was being polite. She’d kill whatever tailor decided this was a good idea one day. Sadly, she doubted that was today. “And I doubt you will be the last.” Met just had to pray the woman wasn’t some sort of speed demon. That would not end well.
With a flick of her right wrist, Met brought forth her scarf. “Shall we tango then?”
The corrupt senshi reached out with her right hand and with an almost wicked smile she replied, “Only if you think you can keep up.” Her hand snapped shut and where there was once nothing now hung weapon; a whip to be precise. However, unlike the one she held, this one appeared transparent as if it was made out of light and not a part of the physical realm.
The truth however quickly became revealed when Meridiana swung the rope over her head, which passed through the page due to their proximity, and snapped the end beside her. “Look at me,” she whispered almost seductively. Her hand uncurled from the handle but before the weapon could hit the concrete, it disappeared and without missing a beat the senshi brought her hand up and blew a kiss at the page.
For a split second, Meteora thought she had been wrong in sizing this woman up. Almost the entire time, she had expected this female to be a senshi of some sort. That was until she watched a whip appear out of thin air. A whip that appeared far more like a standard weapon than the scarf in her hand. A whip…
That she could see through?
Since when…
The thought didn’t finish as Met’s mind suddenly felt hazed. She was looking at the woman in an entirely different light as she watched the kiss come towards her. This woman wasn’t the enemy. She was FAR too beautiful to ever be anything more than a goddess.
Out of Met’s own hand, her scarf slipped as her hands returned to her side and she gazed towards the red head. “So lovely.” She muttered as the glass star tinged towards the ground. The sly smile was gone and replaced by a look of admiration. She couldn’t tear her eyes off the senshi.
Meridiana hummed with an amount of satisfaction at the Page’s change of heart, albeit by her own doing, that she stood there appreciatively for a second admiring her own handiwork. This magic she had been gifted definitely had its uses.
“Earlier you asked if all men’s energy tasted the same. My answer remains unchanged however…” She paused just long enough to close the distance between them in a few short strides. “I’m willing to wager that yours tastes divine compared to mere mortal men.” While having powers didn’t make them immortal it did set them apart from those that were not granted such a gift.
Reaching up, warm fingertips brushed against Meteora’s cheek. There was nothing shy about the gesture nor when the senshi tucked a lock of violet hair behind the woman's ear and leaned in close. “Mind if I try?” she whispered, as she boldly placed her other hand on the woman’s hip; a move that got her hit before but it was always worth the reaction it got if her victim broke free of her magic. “Just a little bit, I swear I won’t take much.”
A purr escaped Meteora’s throat at the warm touch of the woman she suddenly had found herself so enamored with. Met had always been a very sensual person but something about this woman’s touch was even warmer than the bull she had back home. The touch drew her in...the words melted her will to fight.
“Of...of course…” Meteora whispered, her voice feeling raspy as she leaned forward. “Whatever you...desire…” Each word became a strain to force out as she felt the warmth of a hand on her hip. The sheer mesh left very little to the imagination and for a passing moment, that touch flickered a sense of reality in Meteora’s eyes.
It was then gone and she returned to adoring the woman before her. “Taste all you like…”
“You’re so kind,” with express permission given Meridiana began to siphon off just a little bit of the Page’s energy. No more or less than what she would take from a waitress carrying a tray full of entres by her table. Too much and it could cause a catastrophy, too little and well… she simply couldn’t be a good judge of taste if she didn’t take enough.
Those sultry eyes held Met’s focus even as she felt herself suddenly want to yawn. How rude it would be to yawn in the face of such a lovely creature. After all she just wanted to…
Taste…
Her…
Energy?
Wait..wasn’t that bad? Why would she want…
Blinking quickly, Met’s eyes began to refocus as she flickered back to reality. There was a haze still around her eyes but she could see clearly into the face of the woman in front of her. “No offence lady but…” Met’s hands came up from hanging at her sides to grab each of the woman’s wrists. “But I really don’t swing that way.”
Rolling under the senshi’s hand that was on her face, Met released the arm that had been on her wrist and worked to twisted the one that had been on her face around the senshi’s back, all while trying not to yawn and close her eyes.
“Though now it makes sense why the staff seemed slow today.”
The senshi let out a hiss that rivaled an angry snake when the tendons in her shoulder pulled taught. “You obviously haven’t been there before.” A pained smile tugged the corner of her lips but didn’t last long before continuing. “That’s their normal pace, I just made sure that they’ll sleep well once they go home.” There was a method to her madness wether enemy accepted it not.
Unwilling to undergo much more strain on her shoulder, Meridiana leaned forward and with what strength she possessed, she straightened her arm and jerked her wrist free of the woman’s hold.
“What do you say we call it a draw?” The senshi rolled her shoulder while rubbing her now sore wrist. “You let me keep the energy you gifted to me and I’ll go on my merry little way. Hmm? How about it? You and I each go our separate ways?” While her date would be sorely missed he would surely understand if she sent him a text explaining that she caught an Uber ride and had to go home early for some stupid reason. They could reconvene at a later date.
Meteora released the woman’s arm as she pulled from the strain. While she had been made uncomfortable, the senshi had given her no real reason to suddenly dislocate her arm. Damn having morals Met.
There was a heart beat between them before Met gave a nod. “Fine. But I don’t want to see you back at the restaurant later picking up where you left off.” Not that she would be there to check. Met was going home for a nap.
She would just text Kai to stop by on his way...no, horrible idea. He’d break something.
“I’m not putting on a show for guest next time.” Turning ever so slightly, Met gave the look as if she was ready to leave. Stopping half way in the turn, she waited to see the woman do the same before they parted ways.
“Scouts honor,” Meridiana held up three fingers the same way those little cookie sellers did as she felt no inclination to reach out and shake the woman’s hand just to seal the deal. “Until next time,” she said while walking backwards a few steps before finally turning around. “Can’t say it was a pleasure meeting you but who knows… maybe next time will be different.” Glancing over her shoulder the Senshi of the Succubus blew a kiss to the Page as a final farewell.
Shanyume
