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 Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:10 pm
Buddy. The wind blew back her ribbons. Standing before Sugar Shanty, she studied her cast. Would he know? Had the agent spoken about her? Warned the others to look out for a Senshi with a broken arm? How would he feel about this? She didn't want him to go... "Ah Ruthie." She felt like the street: Dark, quiet. "That's a stupid thing to think. After everything..." After everything she lo--LOO--CARED ABOUT HIM A LOT. YES. YEP. NOTHING MUCH MORE THAN THAT. FRIENDS CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. YEP.
She shuddered.
When did it grow so cold?
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:30 pm
It was a long day, and Richard wanted nothing more than to crawl under the sheets of his bed and rest. He didn't want to drink, he didn't want to prowl the streets for a date, energy, starseed, intel or whatever else he could get. Today was a day he just wanted to go home, and he wasn't necessarily sure why. Lately things have been growing increasingly complicating, and that every time he powered up, something was bound to happen. Eventually, he'd learn to just not power up at all, but he had a feeling he'd never learn.
He just wished he knew what was afflicting him. Was he coming down with something? Lucca said that he seemed distant lately, not himself, and after he went out of his way to prove to her that he was alright, he had spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what she meant.
Closing time couldn't have come quick enough, and he was practically trying to rush Lucca out of the store. Closing with his cousin was always a pain, and he had finished locking away the till when he noticed her just standing there near the window. "What are you doing? I'm about to set the alarm and I need you out of the store to do that! How many times do we have to go through this?"
"But... there's a girl out there... one of them."
Them? Richard looked and saw exactly what Lucca was talking about. He recognized that appearance from anywhere, and his heart leapt into his throat. 'Medea?! What are you doing here?!'
"Should I call the cops?" Lucca was already on her way to the phone.
Richard immediately slammed his hand down on the phone, using a bit more force than he wanted but preventing the action. Before Lucca could ask, he grabbed the hapless girl by the hand and dragged her towards the coolers. She tugged at first, but eventually she gave in, and before she could object, he slammed the door shut and locked her in. "This time I'll remember to pull you out."
With no one else, Richard made his way into his office and powered up, riding himself of Richard Moreau's troubles and putting on the heavier coat of Captain Buddingtonite. He'd sneak out through the window and call her onto the roof... he didn't need the Senshi to put two and two together...elza magica She's cold because Buddy hasn't had the chance to throw a jacket over her!
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:42 pm
Would it ever grow easier? She asked Acubens once, her mentor shook her head, said no way. If you think so, then you're crazy because everyone's complicated and no one likes each other. Nope no way. And yet...she felt the chaos signature. She glanced at the empty shops. She glanced at the roofs, and then: "BUDDY."
She smiled with great joy and then sunk into great exhaustion.
Would they always talk over a distance--a chasm? Who would bend? Who would break? Buddy seemed considerate in his chocolate-giving, friendly-smiling way. How could she resist? Why would she?
But then the girl who broke her arm.
Agents like that worried her terribly for they never thought of her as a friend or ally or companion. They only hurt.
What did he want from her?
She didn't care. She approached, lifting her cast, smiling.
"Take a guess."
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:53 pm
No sooner had he made it to the rooftop was he spotted, but it was alright now. He was in full uniform by now and the glamor that came with it would do the trick in keeping her from knowing the truth, and that was enough for him to allow a cool smile to grace his face once more. "Medea, dear, you shouldn't be wondering around this neck of the woods on your own. There's quite a few of my fellow agents that patrol here that would like to try and ave a field day with you."
The first to come to mind was his friend Serpentine, and he made a mental note to remind himself to warn his taciturn friend to spare his darling Medea. At least until he was absolutely certain that she was a lost cause. At least Serpentine would offer her a quick demise, if it came to that.
He tried to pushed that thought from his mind, but the cast she revealed... certainly didn't help matters. He gave a wince, and it wasn't rehearsed or faked. "Looks like someone else already did though... please tell me it wasn't one of mine. Again."
His ordeal with Mariposite was still fresh in his mind, the anger that flared within him then beginning to churn within him now. But... at least it was a broken arm this time and not her starseed. He motioned her to join him on the rooftop, hoping that the task wouldn't have been too challenging for her condition. "Come here... maybe I can mask your aura?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:06 pm
Medea nodded and leapt onto the roof--the air feeling cool and crisp as it brushed back her hair. She stumbled forward, but caught herself, her eyes darkening with fright. The cast's weight threw her off balance--made her weak, dependent on a strong shoulder or guiding hand. She swept her hair over her shoulder and smiled at the captain. How warm he seemed and good and sweet--she could curl into his arms and nuzzle him softly, but no. It wouldn't be right or good for she knew. KNEW. He didn't--couldn't--do such terrible things. Not with her, at least. Not now. She sighed. She smiled.
"I missed you a lot." Roses darkened into browns. The violets shrunk into themselves. Fall brought goosebumps to her arms. "I can't stop thinking about you." Her eyes flashed open. "What you did for me! I mean." She nodded. "You are very kind. Protective, even, and I don't know how to make up for it, but I want to, if you'll let me." She smiled. "You're extremely good, Buddy, and I want to help you in any way I can."
Would he let her? How would he?
She didn't know, but she felt vulnerble, like a crab without its shell, a spider without its web.ChibiGingi Medea is secretly freezing, but she won't let herself think about it or else she'll feel even colder.
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:35 pm
Now that she was up close, he could see the extent of her cast, as well as her dreariness. Something was bothering her too, though the captain was certain that it had a lot to do with the condition of that arm, and how it came to be. She really didn't need to answer to know that it was one of his officers that did it, but there were slightly more pressing matters at hand.
Such as her confession to missing him and the goosebumps he could see thanks to how close she was. He didn't mean to smile so much, as he didn't want her to think that he was teasing her, but she was simply... too adorable for words sometimes. Because it sounded an awful lot like she was trying to say something along the lines of...
He cut the notion short before it could even be manifested in his head, and e opened his arms to her when she simply looked too cold to resist. "As dazzling as your dress is, the cosmic tailor didn't seem to consider what you'd do in the fall, did she? Come here... let me warm you up."
Buddingtonite was eager to find out who he would have to hunt down this time, but that could wait. For now, he wanted to keep her close, away from preying eyes in the street and safely next to him. None would think to attack her while he was around, right? "I don't think I need help, but I appreciate the sentiment, nonetheless. Come, sit."
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:52 pm
"Thank you." Medea sat and brought herself deep into his arms. "I hate having you see me like this." She laughed. His smile reminded her why she did this--powered up, searched the empty streets. Maybe she'd find him, somewhere..."It's not fair to you, Buddingtonite--to take care of me like this. Always." She fixed his cap--an excuse to meet his gaze. "Remember at first, when it seemed so easy?"
She grasped his hand and leaned against him.
Below, the leaves shuddered--tinged with brown and honey.
"I must grow stronger for you." She closed her eyes. "Or something. This isn't right, is it? I feel so weak. I want to keep you safe. To help you somehow..."
She shrugged.
He felt warm. Nice.
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:15 pm
The moment she was close, he felt at ease, and he pulled her close with a single sweep of his arm, thankful to have such a heavy coat and gloves as it undoubtedly made him a good heating lamp for his Medea. His Medea. It sounded so weird, but right. One day, she would be his, and with her in the Negaverse, no more would dare hurt her like this.
"I find that life's not fair, but maybe I've just grown a little bitter in my old age," Buddingtonite said, allowing her to straighten his cap and not revealing said age. Still, he tried not to let any of that seep into her. While he wanted to bring her over to his side, he didn't want to lose any of what made Medea... well, Medea. He'd find a way, and until then, he had to resist the urge to push it. "You act as though it was so long ago, but... given recent events, I can understand your sentiment. It was simpler back then, wasn't it?"
He had lost track of the time when he had first been awakened, and he wouldn't lie that he enjoyed a lot of it. But now, he was seeing what Medea was seeing, and it was hard not to let it weigh him down. He gave her hands a squeeze and rested his chin on top of her hair, enjoying the feel and the scent as he gave a sigh of his own. Being surrounded by sugar and other fine smelling sweets all day should have deadened the senses, yet he still found much pleasure in hers. Was it her glamour or her perfume? Or, just her? All were fine for him.
"And you will grow strong, but you can't push yourself," Buddingonite said, knowing he sounded like a doting nanny but refusing to silence himself. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again. I am safe. So long as I follow orders, I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about... and I feel as though I should be. First your starseed, now this?"
He motioned to her cast, and he pulled away, if only to let her see the seriousness in his eyes. "Who did this to you?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:40 pm
"I don't know her name," she whispered, studying his gaze. She felt like a little, precious thing wrapped up in his arms, his chin pressed against her. She scooted closer--to wipe away the intensity, to close the gap. She chuckled. "Doesn't matter. I don't want you to go after her. You've done enough already." She nodded, smiling. "She knocked me out afterward, so it's not like I can remember much, though--" She brought her fingers to her lips. "--I wonder why she didn't kill me. She had the opportunity, but she let me go, I guess. With a price, but still..." She laughed.
"Will you sign it for me someday?" She nuzzled against his shoulder, resting her arm against his. "Might as well turn a painful memory into a happy one." She loved the roses on his suit. Soft. Blooming. Beautiful. "Thankfully we don't have to fear each other anymore." She sighed. She felt warm. "Trust is good. Trust is nice.
"I like this."
The girl, the cast, the war, vanished.
It became her and Buddingtonite alone on a roof, watching each other, studying each other, fascinated, quiet, happy, safe. All good things with nothing to worry about--nothing to fear.
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Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:12 pm
Buddingtonite wasn't sure that he liked her avoidance of the issue, but at the same time, he wasn't too willing to push the topic. Not when it'd upset her so, and he wasn't quite in the mood for a guessing game. There were countless Negaverse officers that took to the streets each night, and it was a foolish endeavor to think that he'd be able to narrow it down. He had no clue if it was someone he had met before or if it was someone new, and their rank, and skill, played a big part. If they outranked him, or danced circles around him, then it was a safe bet to avoid a direct confrontation with them. Not that they'd be spared from his wrath. That just meant that he find another way of getting his revenge, but why push the subject when he could easily let the opportunity come to him?
So, for her sake, he'd let that topic go. For now. He simply had to ask around and see who bragged about breaking a young Senshi's arm recently. He had his ways for finding this out. Until then, he'd simply have to continue playing this game of damage control and keep Medea on the same path as him. Where she'd be safe from the organization that he both respected and began to fear. When he asked to sign it, he considered the notion but he had to respectfully decline. "I would not wish for someone to read it and realize your connection to me. That would be too risky, but… once the cast is cut off, maybe you can keep a piece for me? You keep one half, I keep the other?"
He wanted to sign it, but the risk was too great. If either a Senshi or one of his own read his name, what kind of danger would Medea be thrown into? What about him? No, simply too great of a risk! Not until he was absolutely certain that she was his. He pulled her close and allowed her to admire the rose on his chest, and it quelled the bulk of his fear just to have her close. "Medea, dear… perhaps you shouldn't power up for awhile? If you keep getting into trouble and I'm not there to protect you, then things may only continue to get worse? Why not put away your transformation, at least until your arm heals? Is your duty to the White Moon Court really that important that you cannot have the time to heal?"
It was a genuine question, as well as a way to keep her out of harm's way, at least until he was strong enough to take her with her to the Rift. He didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, but what if a general, or general-king found her the next time? Would there be anything left? If he could not stop captains and lower ranked agents from attacking her, what hopes did he have for the superior officers?
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Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 7:28 pm
"Of course." She laughed. How silly of her to forget that they couldn't let anyone know, and dangerous to forget as well. She just wanted a reminder of him. No matter, he would receive the gift soon enough. "Go you, looking after me. It's very compassionate, very kind. Thank you." She looked at him with great understanding, like the look of a guru who'd seen worry over hundreds of years, from plagues to starving families to lost dogs, and said, "Buddy I know you're trying to protect me, and I cherish you for it, but--" She shook her head. "--I can't rest until I find the woman who did this to me, or at least, not until I know she's threatened out of doing this to others." She laughed a tired laugh. "It's just a shame, you know, that I couldn't protect myself. That's the true problem here."
She felt so weak.
"It's okay, Buddy, I'll be safe, alright?" She brushed his bangs to the side. "You're a great person for thinking of me." Her smile fell. "This is my decision, okay? Not the Court's. It may benefit the Court, but I need to know she won't hurt others like me." She leaned against him. "At least allow a week or two to track her down--take some measures against her--and then I promise I'll rest, okay?"
Purple overtook the sky.
"I'm not such a fan of missing you." Stars faded into view. Her collar lifted with the breeze.
She liked him a lot.
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:01 am
"Oh it's quite nothing, really... it's what do you when there's someone you hold dear," Buddingtonite said with little hesitation and before he realized the implications of those words, it was already too late to take them back. Perhaps Medea wouldn't notice, and the way he carried on, he wanted to give the illusion that much hadn't slipped out. Thankfully, she gave him a perfect venue to divert the direction of the conversation to, away from the feelings he harbored deep within him, despite knowing it to be taboo and troublesome. "Which is why I'd like to at least get a description of her to go by. Even if it's to report her behavior to a superior, for threatening you."
Not that it would do much. Whoever did this to Medea was only doing their duty, and if anything, if the superiors found out that he was constantly sticking his neck out for a Senshi, even one he planned on converting, he'd be in deep trouble. But he pushed that thought aside for now. These things took time, and he couldn't force the results. But how much longer would they wait for results? How much longer could he bear to be without a single name to his resume? How much longer would he have to keep Medea a secret like this?
She caught his attention by brushing his bangs from his face, and he made sure to keep his gaze steady, not wanting her to see any hesitation or longing. He had to remain strong, calm and cool as a cucumber, one that he suspected would someday soak in all the bitter vinegar around him and pickle over. A weird comparison, but certainly fitting. He gave a sigh, "Alright then, but at least promise me you'll use that pretty little head of yours? It'd be a pity if she went for your starseed in the next round, and I wasn't there to stop it."
In truth, he should let whoever it was have it, but... he wasn't ready to call it quits. He wasn't willing to abandon Medea, like he had done with Dallol. Again, he forced the thought from his head, just in time to catch her comment, and he flashed her a smarmy grin, to mask the inner turmoil that was brewing within him. "Trust me. It's no walk in the park for me either. Just do what you need to do, whatever it is... I will try to look the other way."
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:19 am
"You hold me dear?" she whispered. Oh no. Oh no. She wanted to sink into his arms and tell him about her cat, her studies, her friends, to fill him in on ordinary life. He knew Medea, so why couldn't he know Ruthie too? She smiled. Too dangerous, of course, she couldn't let him in like that. The more he knew of her, the more the Negaverse could know, and while she didn't believe he would break secrecy, the risk seemed too great. "Thank you, Buddy, that' very sweet." She laughed. "I hold you dear as well, and thank you for understanding."
Unaware of the general-kings and general-queens working against them, the darkening of his heart and the harm he'd caused, she nodded.
"Buddy, I'll be careful, okay? You won't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere." How long could a strategist last in a war? "You take so many risks for me, so thank you for that. I just want to make you happy. Controlling this agent is...important."
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:47 pm
Now would have been the perfect opportunity to lure her in, he thought, and he imagined it wouldn't have been so hard. After all, she was naught but a single, basic Senshi, already weakened and it wouldn't have cost him too much energy to throw her over his shoulders and teleport her to a place of his choosing until he could get ahold of Zinkenite or perhaps even Howlite. Yet, as easy as it would have been, Buddingtonite knew that he couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, he knew her to have spunk, and the last time he had tried to call upon a General-King's service, the reception he received was… rather damaging to his pride.
If he were to corrupt her, it would have to be by his own hands. And he knew he lacked that strength and power, but only for now. He simply needed more time.
"Just don't make me regret not pushing this matter further," Buddingtonite said to her in a light hearted warning, keeping her close, always within arm's reach and not daring to let go. Who knew when a general or another Senshi would swoop in and try to take her from him? Then where would he be, besides on the rooftop of Sugar Shanty all alone? Medea said she wanted to make him happy, and yet, he knew it might have been impossible. To do that would ruin her, wouldn't it? He brushed the thought aside, addressing only that last bit for now. "If you think you can control her, then be my guest. Just be careful… there's a lot of ornery agents and some of them are colder than a slab of-"
He was going to say ice, and his mind immediately shot to the poor girl in the cooler! His eyes went wide suddenly, his mouth snapped shut, and a look of profuse surprise plastered his face, as he muttered. "And… I think I forgot something… very important!"
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:17 pm
"Umm~" She nuzzled. "Hm! Diiid youuu--" She closed her eyes and breathed in the roses. "--forget to tell me how much you like me or--" She laughed, pulling back and running a hand through his hair. "--or did you forget how devastatingly destructively deadly I am?" She whispered: "Sparkles."
Any thoughts of being spirited to a General-King or Queen for conversion totally escaped her, she only wanted, adored, thought of Buddy. Nestled in his arms, gladdened by his concern she laughed.
"I know you wouldn't let them hurt me, these circumstances were just beyond your control." She reached up and patted his cheek. Ah, how soft. "You're very good Buddy. You make me feel safe."
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