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Hanako walked alone, an umbrella over his head, wearing a winter coat. He stopped by a familiar street except for the fact that it was empty. He usually would've avoided these streets if he didn't come here for a reason.

He took a deep breath, feeling stupid but held his umbrella tighter before saying in a softly dramatic voice,

"Oh no, I'm allooooonnnee and I'mm ssssccaaareedd."

A Dark Mirror Senshi who happened to be patrolling nearby stopped to listen. Recognizing the voice and the the voice's owner as said owner came into view when he went to go investigate, Sinope asked, "What have you done now?"

Holy moly, that actually worked? Hanako hoped the umbrella shielded how fast Hanako's head tilted up to wherever he thought Sinope's voice was heard.

"Dying right now like of loneliness or something? I need a remedy~" he said in his faux dramatic tone. Keeping his eyes on the ground still. "Weren't you the one that said company can save lives or something?"

Sinope snoted and jumped down from a nearby rooftop to land near Hanako.

He blinked before giving a grin. "Second time you've come to my rescue when I needed you. If it happens the third time, I'm gonna think you're stalking me, you know~"

He smiled. "And what are you going to do if I am? Call the cops? File a restraining order?"

"And miss the chance to see you again? Nahhhh. What am I going to tell them anyway? Oh no...some magical sailor boy is watching me all the time. Identification? Oh they have a fox ears as a hood. Face? I don't remember. Height? Around mine. I imagine interrogations would be useless with...what was that thing you call it...'glamor'?"

Sinope chuckled softly. "Well, interrogations are generally verbal, so I don't think glamor would help with that much. But yeah, they would probably have a hard time finding out who I am."

He grinned. "So you don't mind me stalking you, then? I worry about how prone to getting into trouble you seem to be. You're a little too brave and bold for your own good."

"Hm? If you stalk people with those sort of reasons, then I wonder if your schedule is packed watching other people that are a little too brave and bold for their own good."

Hanako laughed. "I thought you'd be trying to convince me you were just patrolling around the area. You know. Like last time."

The Dark Mirror Senshi laughed, too. "Most of them don't go out and about looking for trouble, though. Not like you. And I was patrolling around the area. I guess we just happen to frequent the same areas a lot."

"Aww, small city." He grinned. "What makes you thjnk I'm out looking for trouble now?"

"Are you not?" Sinope inquired.

"I'm not. Unless, of course, you consider yourself 'trouble.'" He smiled. "Do you?"

That caused the senshi to laugh again. "I'm the Senshi of Slyness. What do you think? Besides, you've got the look in your eye of someone who goes looking for trouble. What you were calling out before points to that, too."

"So you're trouble that goes out to stop people like me from getting in trouble, is that so?" He shook his head and smiled.

"If that's how my eyes look, then wouldn't that mean you're seeking trouble too since you responded to my cry for attention?"

"Well. Maybe just you," Sinope admitted. "Or if someone really needs me, but most people don't tend to get themselves in dangerous situations like you did."

He grinned. "Good observation. I can bet you're just as much a trouble-maker as you are a trouble-seeker."

Hanako seemed a bit taken aback, but laughed. "That...was a one-time situation. And look, I'm learning, aren't I? I'm on a familiar street, it's not nightfall, I could be taking a normal walk. Will it take more than that for you to believe that?"

"Ah, well...congrats, you get the best of both worlds then, Sinope. Congrats. That seems like the sort of thing a senshi of slyness would like, no?" he teased.

"It will now that you used the word 'could', because that suggests you aren't," Sinope pointed out with a suspicious smirk. "So what are you doing out here, anyway? Bored? Lonely? Both?"

The senshi chuckled again. "Yeah...true. Guess I hit the jackpot."

His grin faltered for a moment before he showed a shrug and a lightly-defeated smile. "Hmnn...if you must know...my plan was to cry out dramatically for help once, hope you'd come, and if you didn't, I would've just turned back to walk home." He shrugged. "And look, what do you know..." He laughed lightly, this tone softer. "You're here."

"That's me, I'm the jackpot," he arrogantly repeated with a smug look as he brushed the side of his hair back smoothly.

Sinope blinked rapidly in surprise. "Wait - you were really trying to contact me? Like me specifically? But...why?"

"Well...I mean I'd improvise if another sailor hunk happened to answer my call." He shook his head with a laugh. "But as to why...well...is that really such a mystery? You saved me last time we saw each other."

The hooded senshi sneered. "Oh, I see. It was the saving part. Reminds me why I don't usually go around playing hero."

He tapped the tip of Hanako's nose. "So basically, you're lonely. I can understand that."

"Ohhh noooo..." He playfully pouted. "Is it less fun to stalk people when you find out they're a fan of yours?" he teased.

Hanako stopped his grinning and scoffed, rubbing his nose. "Okay, I don't like to use the L word."

"It's not about having fun. It's about making sure they don't get their energy drained or their starseed stolen or turned into a youma."

Sinope smirked and planted his hands on his hips. "And the 'L' word? That's funny. Because I thought I just heard you saying a few minutes ago that you were 'dying right now of loneliness or something' and that you needed a remedy. Was that wrong?"

His expression scrunched up a little as if thinking. "You don't like the worrying that comes after playing hero? I thought that thing is like...optional. Unless it's not with you and you're the type to care for all your fans."

Ah, shoot - he got him. Which made Hanako laugh after his brief pause. "I said that half-heartedly and jokingly, like most of the words that come out of my mouth. Hearing someone else say it out loud is different~" He shrugged.

"I don't really have fans. Just people who hate me and people who can tolerate me. And no, I don't like worrying or playing hero. Or caring."

Sinope regarded Hanako with a tilt of his head and a frown. "'Most'? Then how is anyone supposed to be able to know when you really mean something?"

"Aw, which category does that put me in?" He chuckled a little. "Someone that cried out about being lonely to see if I could see you again or not." He paused with a brief smile. "Aw, hey, look at that. Me too. But hey, let me know when you find a way to cut it out entirely," he joked.

Hanako paused, before giving a tense grin and shrugged.

The redhead smiled back. "You also said you would have been fine if someone else responded." Chuckling, he added, "Yeah...that'd be...useful. to be able to cut out caring entirely. But you would also probably cease to be human." Thoughts went to a partially-youmifed young man with smoke streaming from pipes in his back.

"Right. So you use the fact that it's hard to tell when you really mean something to your advantage. Clever," Sinope said, waving a finger at him with a grin. Then it turned sad. "But you'll only end up getting hurt that way."

"Yes, because I'm super flexible when things don't go as planned~" He shrugged. "Ah, it's what makes us human, huh?" He sighed, his voice a little small next. "I hope you don't regret saving me too much, though. I promise I won't wail for your help all the time," he tried to jest. "Should we do something about your worry for me getting my energy drained or starseed, or being turned into a youma or something?"

"I don't regret saving you," Sinope replied truthfully. "As for doing something...I...don't know if there's anything that could be done. Unless you magically got powers of your own to defend yourself with. But not just anyone can become a senshi."

"Haaaa - me, a senshi," he laughed. "That's.. interesting. Wouldn't the glam-mer thing not make you recognize me even if I was, though? And would it really just be magical powers that work against youmas? You didn't look like you were using powers during that youma fight thing..."

"If you were a senshi of my court, we could tell each other our identities without there being much of a problem. It's when you're in opposing factions that finding out about each other's identities could be dangerous."

He smirked. "Oh, yeah - that wasn't my power. My magic powers as a senshi are probably pretty useless on mindless youma like the one you saw me face, so I don't bother using it on them. I could show you, though, if you wanted. It's pretty harmless for the most part."

"Oh! So you senshis have clubs! Not my thing...but I'll roll with it. How do I get in yours?" Hanako asked.

"Ahh, a magic show." He grinned with a laugh. "Okay, lay it on me."

"...Hold on, did you say for the 'most' part?"

"Clubs?" Sinope replied cluelessly. "No, a court. Like a royal court. Only in this context, it means a group of senshi. We Dark Mirror Senshi are part of the Dark Mirror Court. Understand?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I'd...have to contact a royal to try to see if your starseed was the sort that could awaken as a Sailor Crystal. But that...might not be pleasant. Especially if it turned out your starseed wasn't."

He began to grin again when he heard Hana say to 'lay it on him'. But he had just stated his last question when Sinope said, "Sly Secret Steal," and locked eyes with Hana, still grinning.

"So a little dark mirror senshi club court...club...got it." He nodded. "Hm...okay, you lost me at sailor crystal. But okay, got it. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very very painful - how 'not pleasant' is it?"

Hanako blinked at Sinope's grin, frozen for a moment. He had half a mind to make fun of the string of words Sinope just said, but then he felt an overwhelming unfamiliar - uncomfortable - sensation wash over him. Making his shoulders tense, his eyes widen, and a shameful pink flush dust his cheeks. "...What...what was that?" he demanded, slightly panicked. "What did you do?"

He smiled. "You know what? Don't worry about it. Just do what I said about keeping off the streets late at night on your own and you should be fine."

But then his magic took hold of Hana and seemed to cause him to panic. "That's my magic power you're feeling," he said. "Not very fun, is it? Don't worry. It'll wear off in less than a minute."

The red on Hanako's face didn't seem to lessen despite the assurance. "Not very fun is an understatement! Did you just - oh god -" He turned away from the other, embarrassed beyond belief.

Sinope watched him, his grin empty. "I'm surprised. Most people are about ready to shove me up against a wall or hit me by now. Or both."

"Punch you?! I don't know, Sinope; really, the worst I feel right now is debating about moving countries, now. Gawd, this is crazy, I hate this." Hanako grimaced, feeling his heart race before he turned sideways to partially glance back at Sinope. "A-...are you gonna...you know..."

"...Am I going to what?" the senshi asked, gazing at him steadily.

Hanako frowned. "Telling...what you know, now? 'Sly secret steal'? Oh, come on...you know what you can do now. I need to know if you'll do it." He turned around with a narrowed gaze, his cheeks still flushed. "'Cause- 'cause if you do, I'll unsubscribe being your fan. I really will move away, you know! Won't see me again in 10 or 20 years."

Sinope smirked. "Relax. I don't really know what you think I know. That's just my magic."

"You don't?" Hanako blinked and relaxed with a relived smile, turning back. "You don't~" His face hardened as if remembering something; with a frown, he playfully tried to punch Sinope's arm. "You don't?! You don't and this wasn't mentioned earlier!? Mean! Why'd you do that?"

The super senshi chuckled and rubbed his arm where he'd been playfully punched. "Because...you acted very...interestingly. I wanted to see more of how you were reacting and to understand why. Sorry," he added a little guiltily.

"Wanted to see wh- oh." He paused. "You thought I'd hit you. Or shove you against the wall. Is that it?"

Sinope smiled helplessly and shrugged. "That's the typical reaction, yeah."

"...You're around a lot of violent people, aren't you?" He shook his head, frowning for a second as if thinking. His gaze meets Sinope's unfamiliar one again, smirking. "Well...if that's what you wanted..." He shrugged before attempting to shove Sinope against a nearby wall; not enough force for a powered person to not be able to thrown Hanako off balance if Sinope wanted to.



Sinope fell back against the wall as he was shoved, taken by surprise. He blinked at Hanako before laughing. "This wasn't exactly the 'shoving up against a wall' I meant, but...that was clever," he admitted.

He tilted his head and smirked. "Is it? Now for the punch..." Hanako leaned in slightly closer, one of his hands moving from the wall behind Sinope to trail the curve of his jaw. "Say...I never got to give you a thank you kiss for last time, did I?"

The senshi reddened and heated up, watching Hanako's hand warily as it traced along the line of his jaw. "No...and...that's okay...I mean...you shouldn't kiss strangers and other people you don't know..."

"Oh, I wouldn't say the trouble looking out for another trouble such as myself would be considered a 'stranger'. Would you?" Hanako bopped Sinope's nose. "Say, would you say a kiss would be worse than a punch?"

The hooded redhead laughed a little nervously. "So you're basically saying since it takes one to know one and we're both trouble, then we know each other and aren't strangers?" He wrinkled his nose as it was booped. "Still...you shouldn't kiss acquaintances, either. Only people you really, really care about."

He did a double-take at the last question. "Yeah. I would. But I guess that depends on your definition of 'worse' and your frame of reference."

"Hm..." Hanako's attention drifted away a bit as if remembering something. "I didn't know you were so old-fashioned."

His smirk returned at the next question. "Honestly, at times I feel like I can't tell the difference between the two. I'm just thinking how to get back at you for putting me in an extremely uncomfortable situation just now. With your little trick."

He leaned closer. "Turns out - I seem to be very predictable. Don't you think? If I can't punch you, perhaps I should kiss you."

"Yeah, well, when it comes to sort of thing, maybe I am." Sinope said, referring to being old-fashioned.

He raised a brow. "You know I know how to defend myself if you try anything funny, right? Especially against a civilian. Or I could just use my magic again. Only a worse version."

The senshi forced himself to grin. "Try it. Just don't blame me if you regret it."

Hanako laughed. "Okayyyy...fair point. I'm a bit sad you didn't see this as a fair payback, but sure." He leaned away. "You best wish I never end up being a sailor-thinggy~" He grinned. "Then it could possibly be a fair fight, don't you think?"

"It's not fair payback because at least my magic didn't lead you on," Sinope countered with a smirk. "But yeah...maybe if you ever turn out to be a senshi too, you can get back at me."

"Ah.. leading on...that's what you're worried about," he repeated softly. "I...suppose that makes sense. It's a little flaw I have that I forget sometimes. Forget that things like kissing means so much for some people. Meanwhile, to me, it's just...it's just that." He shook his head.

He grinned. "I'll get back at you the old-fashioned way, then." He would attempt to poke a common ticklish side on Sinope's sides. "So...how long are you going to stalk me?"

In spite of himself, Sinope giggled as Hanako poked at his side. "Stalk you? Weren't you the one who called out for me?"

"So a stalker that happened to answer someone's desperate call for them, then - " He waved it off. "Fine, I'll rephrase my question. How long are the chances of you patrolling in the same areas I do gonna last? If I call you out the second time again sometime this week, will you come again?"

"Do you not want me to come?" Sinope asked. "We might just happen to live around the same part of the city. But if you don't want me to come, I won't. There are plenty of other senshi who can answer your call, I'm sure. And Negaverse Agents. Just be careful running into those. They'll steal your energy."

"....................I want you to come," Hanako said simply as if he didn't take a while to answer.

"Alright, then. I'll come," Sinope answered with a smile.

It took more long seconds for Hanako to think of another thing to say. "I'll make sure to be extra loud and sound more desperate next time, then. You know- so you know it's me calling you and not some...agent trying to steal my energy."

"Are you going to call me by name this time? Or just for anyone who's around and willing to save you?" the hooded senshi asked with a smirk.

"Oh, well, you see..." He combed through his own hair. "I would rather pretend I didn't just straight up say I wanted you to come when I want you to, so it would help my pride a great deal if I could just call for anyone to save me as if I wasn't expecting one person in particular." He shrugged. "You know. Just what I did earlier. Much more fun that way, no?"

Sinope grinned and shook his head. "Fine, but don't blame me if someone else shows up instead. Us Dark Mirror Senshi aren't exactly known to be the rescuing types."

"Wow...such a dreamy hero I have," Hanako teased.



The senshi made a face. "Don't make me drain your energy. I may not be able to control youma, but I've got a couple mirrorwraiths I can sic on you."

"That's an interesting tactic to get me to fall in your arms~. Eager to catch me when I fall again?"

Sinope sighed but reddened. "Don't count on it," he said, looking away, but was unable to keep from sneering.