This was a terrible night! The one night that Buddingtonite didn’t want any ill to happen, and yet, it seemed that fate itself had descended from on high and decided that it was time to give him a good couple of kicks to the crotch, thrash him about like a ragdoll, and then German suplexed him a few times before taking a whiz and departing. He couldn’t believe his rotten luck, though one could imagine how much he tried to fathom it. First he was brutally attacked by a Mirror Wraith, a creature that he suspected belonged to the Dark Mirror Court though admittedly he wasn’t quite sure about that (for all he knew, it could have easily have been a White Moon Court ruse to drive a wedge between their two factions and if so, then a job well done in THAT department!). Then, he was saved by a White Moon Senshi, a strong one too, and left to die alone in the streets (though, she could have easily have decided to kill him, and for that, Buddingtonite was grateful for the chance to have survived that encounter, given his past few run ins with Eternal ranked senshi). Only to wake up who knows how much longer later and find that his companion, his beloved Baldwin, was missing! Missing! He could have been anywhere in the city! Add to the second attack from a Mirror Wraith and the long, lonely trek home, Buddingtonite was ready to call it a night.

He had a simple game plan this evening. He would power down, drink a glass of hard, cold Bourbon or something a little stronger, than hit the sack. After a good Odin-sleep, he’d call the proper authorities and get to work on finding Baldwin. He wanted to search the entire city for him tonight, but he simply had no strength left. He barely had enough strength to keep his attire intact, and if it wasn’t for that other civilian he met, he would have likely been dead... which made him wonder just how much energy one of those things COULD take before the body died? It was worth a thought, but the poor lieutenant simply didn’t have the strength to keep the thought on a single topic that wasn’t his dog at the moment. For now, all he wanted to do was walk through the door, power down where no one would see him, and get to the liquor cabinet before hitting the bed.

But, just as he stepped foot inside of his Baldwin-less home, he found something very peculiar. There, in his usual spot, was Baldwin! He rubbed his eyes and looked again- perhaps it was the delirium of his energy drained state that caused him to see the Irish wolfhound that was sitting at his spot by the window, yet, he knew him to be there. He wasn’t crazy. He was there. The dog looked to him, not an ounce of recognition on its chocolate brown eyes, but it was definitely Baldwin. His jaw dropped and he immediately moved to approach his friend, but something bright and stiff hit his chest and caused the lieutenant to stop dead in his tracks, long before the cold voice from the shadows curled into his ear.

That voice could only belong to one person, though Buddingtonite wouldn’t have recognized it, having never met Captain Mica. She spoke cooly, and with a nudge from her Rainbow-crystal imbued cane, she forced the taller man’s attention to her. “Cool your jets. You’ll get to reunite with him in due time. Eyes on me.”

It was hard NOT to notice her, now that she made herself known to him. Buddingtonite wasn’t quite sure what had caught his attention the most with this one- the fact that he had been so exhausted and hadn’t noticed her aura, even when she startled him, was more than enough to cause alarm. But what definitely caught his eye was the jewel that was attached to the cane, and while he never fancied himself the type to like jewelry, he suspected that there was something great about that amber-colored jewel, and he kept his eyes on that until she brought it to her chest. From there, he took in her attire, and immediately felt relief. “Oh, good... you’re one of us! I was worried that a Page might have made it in! That would have been a travesty...”

“Travesty? To be caught unaware by your enemy? That’s one way to put it,” Mica said, bringing her cane and Rainbow crystal to her chest but only for a moment, and a tap of the cane to the floor brought the lieutenant’s attention back to her face. She could see just how exhausted he was, and perhaps it was her former EMT training that made her pity the poor fellow, but his actions were inexcusable, and she let it be known when that crystal he was admiring came to rest under his chin, allowing him to realize just how sharp it was, even after all of these months of absence. “So this is what I have to work with? Tell me, lieutenant...?”

“Buddingtonite...” He said, already a tall fellow but stepping on his tiptoes to avoid that surprisingly sharp edge. Just like that, his heart was racing, pumping more adrenaline into his system and fighting off the effects of wanting to slip into unconsciousness again. He thought that since she was one of his own that he’d be safe, but now? Not so much. “Lieutenant Buddingtonite of the Infiltration branch!”

She mulled over the name for a moment, not once letting up on her hold and if anything, pressing the crystal up ever so slightly, just to watch him sweat. She missed this, having such an effect on someone. How sad was it that she was wasting it on one of her own lieutenants and not her enemy? Had she truly been gone so long that her mere presence would not cause this among the White Moon and their knights? She moved closer but kept her cane still, and she asked the lieutenant another question. “Buddingtonite, tell me... do you have any idea who I am?”

He felt as if he was being quizzed. He hated quizzes! He always learned enough to get himself throughout the process and purged the knowledge if he deemed it unworthy shortly after. This question, though, he could answer with brutal honesty, and he hoped that it’d be enough to spare his life. “Not a clue. I do know that you are quite strong, very menacing, yet oddly compassionate to bring my dog back to my house unharmed... is... that enough?”

For what he lacked in strength, wit, and nerve, he at least seemed to be alert enough to know when to speak the truth and rely on flattery got get him through. Mica couldn’t blame the lieutenant for not knowing who she was, and perhaps it was that, instead of his flattery words, that caused her to ease up on the deadly hold that she had on him and relieving the tension more by stepping away. “Close. You don’t have my name, but I will correct that. I am Captain Mica, and don’t worry. I’m an ally, so long as you know your place.”

With that, she moved towards his chair and took a seat, crossing her legs and holding her cane to where she could rest a hand over the amber Rainbow Crystal, to shield it from his prying eyes if she thought him to not be giving her the attention she rightfully deserved. Now that introductions were taken care of, she could move on to more important matters, and she kept her eyes pinned on him, taking in his reactions and looking for any hint of dishonesty or uncertainty in his form. “And your place, for now, will be on the couch, right there.”

What choice did Buddingtonite have? He knew that she was trying to lord over him, but he wasn’t going to question it or push it. She was much stronger than him, even before his energy was drained, and she likely was going to threaten Baldwin’s life if he didn’t comply. That didn’t mean he couldn’t fire back with a little bit of flare, and he gave her a rather mocking bow before obeying her command, taking his position on the couch, exactly where she was pointing. “Yes, oh Captain my Captain! I assume you wish to discuss the terms of getting my dog back?”

She didn’t mind his sarcasm. If anything, it was certainly more fitting for a Negaverse lieutenant than that meek, near petrified expression he wore earlier, and that made her completely forget about the Irish wolfhound that was sitting there, staring at the two complete strangers and waiting patiently for his owner to return. No, she had more important matters to discuss, and she held nothing back from the lieutenant, hating herself for having to be so open with him but given the situation she found herself in, what else could she do? “In due time. I am going to expect a hefty sum of money and perhaps living arrangements until I can get my apartment back, but for now, I would like to get an update on the Negaverse. I’ve been gone a long, long time, and I wish to know what I’ve missed. You do not seem the type that knows much, given all of the rookie mistakes you made with your encounter against the Mirror Wraith, but at this point, any information I can get will be appreciated, Lieutenant.”

Buddingtonite figured she’d want money as compensation for returning his dog, and he didn’t really care to know what she meant by ‘living arrangements’, but that was a matter that was to be bothered with later. He had no frame of reference when it came to how long she was gone, but if all she wanted was information, than he’d be glad to give it. “Well, we’ve been placed into three branches, that being Spec-Ops, Intelligence, and Infiltration- as you know, I am part of Infiltration, led by General-Queen Laurelite, Intelligence is led by General-King Zinkenite, and Spec-Ops is run by General-Qu... I mean, General-King Howlite...”

And thus came the information dump, but it was to be expected. After all, was that not what she wanted? He seemed to know more than she initially thought, and a lot of what he had to say genuinely surprised the Captain, letting her know just how out of the loop she had become. Since when did Howlite become General-Queen or King? Linarite? How could she have returned? It was a lot to take in, but Mica sat there and listened with great patience. He didn’t have too much to go on, all things considered, but he was offering her a lot more than what she initially had, and for Mica, that would simply have to be enough. She could see just how drained from the ordeal he was and she commended the man for making it this far without falling asleep, and when those shoulders began to droop, she figured that he had had enough. “That’s good, lieutenant. The rest I will figure out on my own. I plan on returning, regardless if they need me or not.”


Buddingtonite was so tired, but he was fighting off the effects of sleep for a little while longer, not wanting to risk angering Mica. He knew nothing of her beforehand, but he suspected she would have knocked him senseless and dropped his body in the river if he disappointed her. Something about those cold eyes told him that she was someone he did NOT want to anger, but then again, when dealing with a higher up in the Negaverse, it was always an understandable reaction. He planted his elbows on his knees and kept his head up when he placed his chin on interlaced hands, half covering his mouth but a perfect strategy in making sure he stayed awake long enough to give her the answers she needed. If he slipped, he would have gone face first into the coffee table and thus would render him completely useless to her. He muttered aloud, tired but meaning every word, “No. They need you. They need all the help they can get... keep pussyfootin’ around the subject, never want to get their hands dirty. Need ALL the help we can get...”

This intrigued Mica and gave her some hope, even if it came out of a physically and mentally drained lieutenant. He seemed discontent with recent changes, even though he had admitted to be awakened after the changes, and it made her wonder just how many in her organization felt the same as he did. But, it was a matter that she would have to discuss later, likely when he wasn’t going to fall asleep and go face first into his own coffee table and force her to rekindle some old EMT habits to keep him from dying and becoming utterly useless. With the information she had, she figured it was time to address other matters, and the whimper from the Irish wolfhound was enough to convince Mica to be kind to the exhausted lieutenant and discuss the terms to getting his dog back to him. “Your dog is surprisingly obedient- if he were a human, he would have made a great lieutenant, or in the very least, a personal youma. You may have him back if you provide me with money-”

“How much?”

The truth of the matter was that Mica hadn’t really considered a price yet. She needed a lot, but she didn’t wish to give him a solid number. Not yet. That amount she owed could change at the drop of a hat and she needed to be flexible with her offer, and considering how tired and desperate he was, she figured she could make this matter work. She replied, “Enough to pay off the debt I owe.”

Surprisingly, the only reason why Buddingtonite seemed hesitant to answer wasn’t because of how open her request was, but because he was trying, and failing, to stifle a yawn. When the yawn passed, he nodded, then asked, “Living arrangements?”

“I’ve been evicted. That’s all you need to know.” Mica said flatly, making it clear that she did not wish to discuss the details. She could see that he was drifting to sleep pretty fast, but she demanded his attention by pointing her cane towards the further end of the condo. “I took the liberty of inspecting your condo before you arrived and noticed you have a spare room. If you move some belongings from there, we could easily fit a bed in there.”

Buddingtonite grimaced, but otherwise conceded. “Consider it done. I’ll move it to the office at work. How long?”

“Long enough to get back on my feet. Your lifestyle and mine won’t mesh well, and do not think I’m doing this because I want to rob you blind, Buddingtonite. I am going to hate this, just as much as you likely will, but believe me when I say that I will do my best to get what I need and get out of your hair as quickly as possible.” Mica was very honest- what she had seen when she was poking around was enough to make a grown woman heave. She saw a lot about this Richard Moreau that reminded her a little of herself, had she lacked all morales and become painfully naive to the mindset of the women, and men, he dragged back here. This guy was a murder waiting to happen, and he had no one but himself to blame. She didn’t care. She simply needed a place to stay, and this would have to do until then. Seeing as he was about to simply flop over, she figured how would have been the best time to wrap things up, figuring that the poor man had endured quite enough for today. “Any further details we can discuss after you’ve gotten your strength back. Don’t worry about your maid or your place of business- I’ll take care of them in the morning. You may have your dog back- simply transform back to your civilian form before you give the thing a heart attack worrying for you.”

How tired was Buddingtonite that he didn’t even stop to think of that? It had all made sense why Baldwin did not immediately recognize him, and without further warning, he transformed back into his civilian clothes, and flopped onto the couch. Almost instantaneously, the Irish wolfhound’s ears had perked and he gave an excited bark before he shot from his spot near the window and landed on top of his master’s chest. Richard gave an oof and tried to calm the worried dog down, but he was simply too tired, too drained. All he could manage to do was lightly pat the dog on the nose before drifting to sleep in mid sentence. “Baldwiiiiiiin... Baldwin... can’t breathe... silly dog!”

It was a rather heartwarming sight to see the two reunited again, and she was ready to reveal her civilian identity to the lieutenant, but it appeared that sleep got the better of him and he could no longer fight the siren’s call. The dog gave him a few more licks before he calmed down and laid on top of him, acting as a blanket, and that told Mica that she would get to sleep on the queen sized bed this evening. She powered down, her garments fading back into her regular attire and her weapon and precious Rainbow crystal to go with it, and only when the lieutenant was knocked completely out did she gave a rather artful grin. “Well, that worked out better than I expected. I should let Mirror Wraiths drain the collectors... it’ll make getting my apartment back much easier that way.”

Baldwin had no opinion, for he was nothing but a dog, and he allowed Nyasa to do whatever she pleased, so long as she didn’t try to hurt his master. She had no intention of hurting him, but she also had no intention of coddling him. She was very truthful to her notion and she was planning on sticking to it. The sooner she got the money she needed from him, then quicker she’d be off on her own, and before then, she would have to find a way to get back into the Negaverse’s good graces. That’s where Buddingtonite would be extremely useful, and while she wasn’t going to like riding the gravy train, Nyasa was going to milk this one for all of his worth and make it last. “Now... let’s see what I can get out of this guy. That armoire should fetch me a pretty penny, in the very least.”

(Word Count: 1410/1741)