Title: The Man Behind the Mask
Author: Sailor Celeste
Rating: G
E-mail:LL1940@aol.com
Chapter 2: Visions of Reality
Serena walked down the street, hands jammed into her pockets and shoulders hunched against the wind. "Raye said this was worth it," she looked up angrily, "but I can't think of anything that's worth this!" She kept on going, murmuring to herself about mean friends. When Serena reached the Art Gallery she stopped to peer inside the front window and see what Raye had made sound so urgent. "Lonny Lanai!" She gasped and pressed her face against the glass." Lonny Lanai is wicked cool!" She silently thanked her raven-haired friend for making her come. This was worth it!
"Excuse me," a girl about Serena's height tapped on her shoulder. She had two braids of dull, mouse brown hair, and glasses that covered her bright auburn eyes. "Would you do a favor for me?" She looked imploringly at Serena while managing to get a good hold on the blonde's shirt.
"Meatball Head!" A familiar deep voice made Serena turn her head. There was Darien, as annoying as usual. "Are you bothering this poor girl?" He stepped forward and waved a finger at her as if rebuking her for something.
"Oh!" The girl reached up and grabbed a hold of Darien's sleeve. She hung tightly to both Serena and Darien, looking at both excitedly. "You two are perfect!"
"Perfect for what?!"
"Let go!" Serena tried to pull away but found that the other girl had a very strong grip.
"Please! You two are just what I was looking for. You must help me!" She tugged on their sleeves simultaneously to emphasize her point.
"Like I asked before, perfect for what?" Darien glared down at her, also trying to get free. He struggled a little more before giving it up as futile. Serena shrugged as he turned to her, questions written across his face.
"Would you two model for me? My name is Peggy and I have been looking for some time for two models that looked like the people I paint. And you two are it!" She pointed to the painting in the window." That's my work." Serena swung around, staring at Peggy in awe.
"You're Lonny Lanai?" Her jaw nearly hit the floor. Peggy nodded shyly and began to release her hold on their shirts. She scuffed her sneaker against the concrete and twisted one braid in her hands.
"You're work is so beautiful! I'll be glad to help!" Serena smiled at Peggy. She smiled back.
"What the hell!" Darien threw up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "So will I."
"Really?!" Peggy grabbed their hands this time and started pulling them away from the gallery.
"Where are we going?" Darien yelled as he was being dragged away by two over-enthusiastic girls.
Serena looked up at him, sighing agitatedly. "To her house, baka."
~At Peggy's house~
"You two make yourselves at home." Peggy showed them into her studio and then ran out, leaving the two 'models' to look at her works in progress. Serena walked around, making her way through the maze of easels and canvases while totally ignoring Darien. She only paid attention to him when she heard a small gasp. She looked up to see him bending down to look at a painting that was on a rather low easel. She could tell by the way that he stood there without moving a muscle that he was totally engrossed in the painting.
"Time to play a little trick!" Serena chirped to herself as she strolled over to him. Her shoes made a clacking noise on the wooden floor, but Darien didn't seem to notice. She smiled evilly to herself and was about to play some devilish trick on him when she heard him exclaim…
"That's the locket!" Serena nearly fell over with shock. He couldn't mean? No, that was impossible, how would he know about Tuxedo Mask's locket? But as she looked down at the painting doubts started to raise themselves in her mind. The locket in the painting was exactly like the one Tuxedo Mask had given her. But she still couldn't believe that Darien knew about the locket.
She shook her head violently, causing her pigtails to surge around her. One of them hit Darien square in the nose. He stood up quickly; not noticing that Serena was right behind him. As he straightened up, his shoulder hit her and she toppled over, landing right on top of him.
"Get off me!"
"I can't!"
"Try!"
"I am trying!"
"Try harder!"
'Am I interrupting something?" Peggy stepped towards the heap on the floor and looked at them curiously, barely containing her laughter. "Maybe I should leave you two alone……"
"NO!" Both Darien and Serena yelled. When Serena finally succeeded in getting off of Darien, the two stood up and brushed themselves off, scarlet beginning to show on their cheeks.
"Now," Peggy said, ignoring the embarrassment of her models, "I want you to put these on." She held out something to Darien, and pointed him towards one of the bathrooms. Then she gave the still blushing blonde another bundle and pointed her towards another bathroom.
"Oh, this is beautiful!" Serena twirled about, or as much about as she could in the small bathroom. The white silk dress that Peggy had given her fit exactly, from the tiny waist to the flowing skirt it was truly a dress made for a princess. She even liked the little poofy sleeves.
"Meatball Head!" Darien's impatient voice filled the small room. "Aren't you done yet?"
"No." Serena took one last gaze at her reflection and prepared to exit. She sincerely hoped that Darien wouldn't laugh at her. With a small giggle she opened the bathroom door and danced out into the studio. What she saw stopped her immediately. Darien stood there, looking down at her in the usual way. But there was something different.
He had on a black outfit with gold trim, and long metal shoulder plates. (AN: I can't call metal shoulder pads now can I!) Attached to these shoulder plates was a long, flowing, black cape, lined with blood red velvet. To top off the outfit were knee high black leather boots, and an unsheathed sword that almost touched the ground.
Very different.
Darien and Serena stood, staring at one another in awe. Darien couldn't believe the vision that was now before his eyes. Serena looked so beautiful in the white silk dress that he found himself smiling at her, and to his surprise she smiled back. That was the first smile she had ever given him, and he immediately decided that he liked it better than what he usually got (namely, a frown or a scowl).
"Even though I do like that pose," Peggy laughed, "it wasn't exactly what I had in mind." She turned away from the pair and made her way towards a door on the far wall. "If you'll follow me we can start."
They followed Peggy through the door into a much larger and much more open room. There were at least four windows on every side, letting plenty of light in. There was a large carpet covered platform in the middle of the room. "You two stand here." The brunette steered them towards the platform, then backing away to the easel that was set up a few feet away, she assessed the situation. When she was done with that she moved back to the models and started adjusted. "Ok, Darien you hold your arm out like this, and Serena move your shoulder a little back, yes, just like that! Ok, now both of you move your chins up a little. Good, perfect! Keep it just like that."
And finally she stepped back to the easel. Darien and Serena were left in their position, ready to be painted. They were chest to chest, so close that it was almost like they were hugging. Darien's right hand and Serena's left were clutched together, held below Darien's waist. Serena had her right arm draped around his shoulder, and he had is left arm around her waist, his hand resting lightly on the delicate material at her back. Her head was turned away from Darien so that it looked like she was resting it on his chest. His lips were so close to her hair that every time he exhaled his breath caused strands of her hair to stir, tickling her scalp. To all appearances it was the embrace of two lovers, but to the duo in the embrace, it was torture.
"Peggy do I really have to stand next to her like this?" Darien protested.
Serena turned to glare at him; "It's not like I'm enjoying this!"
"Hey!" Peggy looked up from her easel, paintbrush poised, "would you two stay in your positions please?" She frowned at them and then went back to dabbing at the canvas. Darien and Serena resumed their previous stance and continued thinking in silence.
After a while Serena started thinking about Tuxedo Mask. She couldn't stop herself from worrying about his shoulder, and that reminded her that the man now holding her in his arms was also injured.
"Darien," Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she was not even sure that he had heard her until he answered, just as softly:
"What Meatball Head?"
"Well, I was wondering about your shoulder. How did you hurt it?"
She could feel him tense. "Who told you that I hurt my shoulder?"
"It's not like I couldn't tell. You know, I'm not completely stupid!"
"I never said that you were!"
"Well you certainly implied it!" By now they were staring angrily at each other, sparks flying between the cerulean and the sapphire glares.
"Ahem."
"Oh. Sorry." They blushed and settled back into their pose.
"I broke a window in my apartment and the glass cut my shoulder."
"What?"
"You asked how I hurt my shoulder!"
"Oh yeah. I did, didn't I?"
Darien smiled, not able to control his amusement at her (very) short memory. "Happy now?"
"No actually. How is that you broke a window in such a way that you managed to have your shoulder in the way of the glass? What did you do, tackle the balcony doors?"
"No, I uh," He spoke slowly, as if searching for the right thing to say, "I was carrying a large pot of flowers out onto my balcony and I slipped, falling backwards, my shoulder hitting the glass and breaking it." He nodded his head a little, as if to confirm that that was the way it happened.
But Serena somehow didn't believe him. The facts just didn't fit together! But she would keep these doubts to herself, for now. There was another thing to be taken care of.
"Darien?"
"What is it now?"
Serena's hand tightened around his. "What did you mean when you said 'That's the locket!'?"
"I didn't say that."
Yes you did! Back in the studio, you were stooping over a painting and you said that. What did you mean?"
He sighed and shook his head a little. "Why?"
"Because I'm curious, that's why!"
"Ok, gosh, don't hurt me!" He chuckled. "I saw in that painting a locket that was almost exactly like one that I had owned previously. It was so much like it that I thought maybe that's what Peggy was actually painting! But now I know that can't be true."
"What happened to the locket?"
"I gave it to a friend. She's keeping it for me."
Serena gasped. She?
"What is it?"
"Oh, uh, "Serena faltered, searching for something to say that wouldn't give away her uneasiness, "I was just surprised that you would give away something that lovely."
"Oh well, she's a very special friend. Actually, I got something that I wanted in return. We sort of traded."
Something that he wanted in return? She closed her eyes, remembering the way that Tuxedo Mask had stolen the rainbow crystal from Zoicite. He had certainly gained something that day, but he also dropped the locket in that battle. The word traded echoed in her mind.
"What did you get?"
His hold on her waist tightened, and his voice was grave. "Something that is very important to me."
~An hour later~
"All done!" Peggy stood up and turned the easel around so that they could see her new masterpiece. It was like a photograph, it looked so real.
After they had changed and said goodbye to Peggy, they stood outside for a moment, staring at the twinkling stars. "Well, nice working with you Meatball Head." Darien smiled down at her.
"Nice working with you too."
"Want a ride home?"
"No," she tilted her head to look at him and grinned, "I need to think.'
"Think? I didn't know you could do that!"
"Ha ha, very amusing baka."
"Yeah, I thought so. Well, I have to go, see you around!" And with that he spun on his heel and headed down the street. She watched him fade into the darkness, and then started walking in the opposite direction. She needed sleep; tomorrow was going to be a big day. Spying takes a lot of energy
Author: Sailor Celeste
Rating: G
E-mail:LL1940@aol.com
Chapter 2: Visions of Reality
Serena walked down the street, hands jammed into her pockets and shoulders hunched against the wind. "Raye said this was worth it," she looked up angrily, "but I can't think of anything that's worth this!" She kept on going, murmuring to herself about mean friends. When Serena reached the Art Gallery she stopped to peer inside the front window and see what Raye had made sound so urgent. "Lonny Lanai!" She gasped and pressed her face against the glass." Lonny Lanai is wicked cool!" She silently thanked her raven-haired friend for making her come. This was worth it!
"Excuse me," a girl about Serena's height tapped on her shoulder. She had two braids of dull, mouse brown hair, and glasses that covered her bright auburn eyes. "Would you do a favor for me?" She looked imploringly at Serena while managing to get a good hold on the blonde's shirt.
"Meatball Head!" A familiar deep voice made Serena turn her head. There was Darien, as annoying as usual. "Are you bothering this poor girl?" He stepped forward and waved a finger at her as if rebuking her for something.
"Oh!" The girl reached up and grabbed a hold of Darien's sleeve. She hung tightly to both Serena and Darien, looking at both excitedly. "You two are perfect!"
"Perfect for what?!"
"Let go!" Serena tried to pull away but found that the other girl had a very strong grip.
"Please! You two are just what I was looking for. You must help me!" She tugged on their sleeves simultaneously to emphasize her point.
"Like I asked before, perfect for what?" Darien glared down at her, also trying to get free. He struggled a little more before giving it up as futile. Serena shrugged as he turned to her, questions written across his face.
"Would you two model for me? My name is Peggy and I have been looking for some time for two models that looked like the people I paint. And you two are it!" She pointed to the painting in the window." That's my work." Serena swung around, staring at Peggy in awe.
"You're Lonny Lanai?" Her jaw nearly hit the floor. Peggy nodded shyly and began to release her hold on their shirts. She scuffed her sneaker against the concrete and twisted one braid in her hands.
"You're work is so beautiful! I'll be glad to help!" Serena smiled at Peggy. She smiled back.
"What the hell!" Darien threw up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "So will I."
"Really?!" Peggy grabbed their hands this time and started pulling them away from the gallery.
"Where are we going?" Darien yelled as he was being dragged away by two over-enthusiastic girls.
Serena looked up at him, sighing agitatedly. "To her house, baka."
~At Peggy's house~
"You two make yourselves at home." Peggy showed them into her studio and then ran out, leaving the two 'models' to look at her works in progress. Serena walked around, making her way through the maze of easels and canvases while totally ignoring Darien. She only paid attention to him when she heard a small gasp. She looked up to see him bending down to look at a painting that was on a rather low easel. She could tell by the way that he stood there without moving a muscle that he was totally engrossed in the painting.
"Time to play a little trick!" Serena chirped to herself as she strolled over to him. Her shoes made a clacking noise on the wooden floor, but Darien didn't seem to notice. She smiled evilly to herself and was about to play some devilish trick on him when she heard him exclaim…
"That's the locket!" Serena nearly fell over with shock. He couldn't mean? No, that was impossible, how would he know about Tuxedo Mask's locket? But as she looked down at the painting doubts started to raise themselves in her mind. The locket in the painting was exactly like the one Tuxedo Mask had given her. But she still couldn't believe that Darien knew about the locket.
She shook her head violently, causing her pigtails to surge around her. One of them hit Darien square in the nose. He stood up quickly; not noticing that Serena was right behind him. As he straightened up, his shoulder hit her and she toppled over, landing right on top of him.
"Get off me!"
"I can't!"
"Try!"
"I am trying!"
"Try harder!"
'Am I interrupting something?" Peggy stepped towards the heap on the floor and looked at them curiously, barely containing her laughter. "Maybe I should leave you two alone……"
"NO!" Both Darien and Serena yelled. When Serena finally succeeded in getting off of Darien, the two stood up and brushed themselves off, scarlet beginning to show on their cheeks.
"Now," Peggy said, ignoring the embarrassment of her models, "I want you to put these on." She held out something to Darien, and pointed him towards one of the bathrooms. Then she gave the still blushing blonde another bundle and pointed her towards another bathroom.
"Oh, this is beautiful!" Serena twirled about, or as much about as she could in the small bathroom. The white silk dress that Peggy had given her fit exactly, from the tiny waist to the flowing skirt it was truly a dress made for a princess. She even liked the little poofy sleeves.
"Meatball Head!" Darien's impatient voice filled the small room. "Aren't you done yet?"
"No." Serena took one last gaze at her reflection and prepared to exit. She sincerely hoped that Darien wouldn't laugh at her. With a small giggle she opened the bathroom door and danced out into the studio. What she saw stopped her immediately. Darien stood there, looking down at her in the usual way. But there was something different.
He had on a black outfit with gold trim, and long metal shoulder plates. (AN: I can't call metal shoulder pads now can I!) Attached to these shoulder plates was a long, flowing, black cape, lined with blood red velvet. To top off the outfit were knee high black leather boots, and an unsheathed sword that almost touched the ground.
Very different.
Darien and Serena stood, staring at one another in awe. Darien couldn't believe the vision that was now before his eyes. Serena looked so beautiful in the white silk dress that he found himself smiling at her, and to his surprise she smiled back. That was the first smile she had ever given him, and he immediately decided that he liked it better than what he usually got (namely, a frown or a scowl).
"Even though I do like that pose," Peggy laughed, "it wasn't exactly what I had in mind." She turned away from the pair and made her way towards a door on the far wall. "If you'll follow me we can start."
They followed Peggy through the door into a much larger and much more open room. There were at least four windows on every side, letting plenty of light in. There was a large carpet covered platform in the middle of the room. "You two stand here." The brunette steered them towards the platform, then backing away to the easel that was set up a few feet away, she assessed the situation. When she was done with that she moved back to the models and started adjusted. "Ok, Darien you hold your arm out like this, and Serena move your shoulder a little back, yes, just like that! Ok, now both of you move your chins up a little. Good, perfect! Keep it just like that."
And finally she stepped back to the easel. Darien and Serena were left in their position, ready to be painted. They were chest to chest, so close that it was almost like they were hugging. Darien's right hand and Serena's left were clutched together, held below Darien's waist. Serena had her right arm draped around his shoulder, and he had is left arm around her waist, his hand resting lightly on the delicate material at her back. Her head was turned away from Darien so that it looked like she was resting it on his chest. His lips were so close to her hair that every time he exhaled his breath caused strands of her hair to stir, tickling her scalp. To all appearances it was the embrace of two lovers, but to the duo in the embrace, it was torture.
"Peggy do I really have to stand next to her like this?" Darien protested.
Serena turned to glare at him; "It's not like I'm enjoying this!"
"Hey!" Peggy looked up from her easel, paintbrush poised, "would you two stay in your positions please?" She frowned at them and then went back to dabbing at the canvas. Darien and Serena resumed their previous stance and continued thinking in silence.
After a while Serena started thinking about Tuxedo Mask. She couldn't stop herself from worrying about his shoulder, and that reminded her that the man now holding her in his arms was also injured.
"Darien," Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she was not even sure that he had heard her until he answered, just as softly:
"What Meatball Head?"
"Well, I was wondering about your shoulder. How did you hurt it?"
She could feel him tense. "Who told you that I hurt my shoulder?"
"It's not like I couldn't tell. You know, I'm not completely stupid!"
"I never said that you were!"
"Well you certainly implied it!" By now they were staring angrily at each other, sparks flying between the cerulean and the sapphire glares.
"Ahem."
"Oh. Sorry." They blushed and settled back into their pose.
"I broke a window in my apartment and the glass cut my shoulder."
"What?"
"You asked how I hurt my shoulder!"
"Oh yeah. I did, didn't I?"
Darien smiled, not able to control his amusement at her (very) short memory. "Happy now?"
"No actually. How is that you broke a window in such a way that you managed to have your shoulder in the way of the glass? What did you do, tackle the balcony doors?"
"No, I uh," He spoke slowly, as if searching for the right thing to say, "I was carrying a large pot of flowers out onto my balcony and I slipped, falling backwards, my shoulder hitting the glass and breaking it." He nodded his head a little, as if to confirm that that was the way it happened.
But Serena somehow didn't believe him. The facts just didn't fit together! But she would keep these doubts to herself, for now. There was another thing to be taken care of.
"Darien?"
"What is it now?"
Serena's hand tightened around his. "What did you mean when you said 'That's the locket!'?"
"I didn't say that."
Yes you did! Back in the studio, you were stooping over a painting and you said that. What did you mean?"
He sighed and shook his head a little. "Why?"
"Because I'm curious, that's why!"
"Ok, gosh, don't hurt me!" He chuckled. "I saw in that painting a locket that was almost exactly like one that I had owned previously. It was so much like it that I thought maybe that's what Peggy was actually painting! But now I know that can't be true."
"What happened to the locket?"
"I gave it to a friend. She's keeping it for me."
Serena gasped. She?
"What is it?"
"Oh, uh, "Serena faltered, searching for something to say that wouldn't give away her uneasiness, "I was just surprised that you would give away something that lovely."
"Oh well, she's a very special friend. Actually, I got something that I wanted in return. We sort of traded."
Something that he wanted in return? She closed her eyes, remembering the way that Tuxedo Mask had stolen the rainbow crystal from Zoicite. He had certainly gained something that day, but he also dropped the locket in that battle. The word traded echoed in her mind.
"What did you get?"
His hold on her waist tightened, and his voice was grave. "Something that is very important to me."
~An hour later~
"All done!" Peggy stood up and turned the easel around so that they could see her new masterpiece. It was like a photograph, it looked so real.
After they had changed and said goodbye to Peggy, they stood outside for a moment, staring at the twinkling stars. "Well, nice working with you Meatball Head." Darien smiled down at her.
"Nice working with you too."
"Want a ride home?"
"No," she tilted her head to look at him and grinned, "I need to think.'
"Think? I didn't know you could do that!"
"Ha ha, very amusing baka."
"Yeah, I thought so. Well, I have to go, see you around!" And with that he spun on his heel and headed down the street. She watched him fade into the darkness, and then started walking in the opposite direction. She needed sleep; tomorrow was going to be a big day. Spying takes a lot of energy