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Wasgo and Moonstone were out hunting; she distracted with something and he lured away from the mistress' side by not only the scent of a super senshi but also his absolute favorite thing: pepperoni. Pepperoni - and pizza - generally meant Proustite to the overgrown youma, but in this case it meant...a small senshi in a tree. Puzzling.

The youma twisted it's head at an impossible angle to regard Oberon in his perch, as though wondering how it might drag him down and feast on his bones...only then it seemed to perk at the word 'pizza' as though it recognized it. When the slice was pulled, Wasgo did in fact go for it like a retriever with a frisbee, powerful legs launching it into the air with surprising ease, massive jaws snapping shut around the offered treat.

Wasgo's bite-force was not unlike that of an alligator's, so the senshi would probably feel some of the wind from it; he would definitely feel the ground shake as the youma landed and tossed back the part of the slice that hadn't quite made it all the way into it's maw in an enthusiastic manner before looking back up at Oberon, body language now much less 'I want to eat you' and slightly more 'playful dog' than previous.

The senshi made another sound, words with the questioning tone at the end of them and Wasgo knew that mean he was being asked. Simple questions were understood fairly well, and although Oberon's question was not in the format that Moonstone herself used with the youma, it was fairly close to how Proustite addressed the oversized beast so he got it.

More was in the offering, if he was good. It was a Trade, that much was clear - as it had been with Proustite. In exchange for not eating senshi, Pizza. And Play. Which was a pretty good trade in Wasgo's mind, especially as his mistress hadn't given orders to the otherwise. Without orders, Wasgo could make up his own mind - food and fun was definitely worth not eating a starseed. This time.

Wasgo made a rumbling sound, clawed feet digging into the ground as it prepared to launch itself into the air again. As any good dog, he did not wait for the food to return to the Earth, no, he Went for It; powerful limbs sending the beast into the air like he wasn't built of heavy, arcane things. Once more, the beast caught his treat and landed, proud as he devoured his prize. He didn't notice that the tiny human-senshi-snack had fallen until the treat had already disappeared - looking back up, there was no more Oberon, no more pizza.

Wasgo whined, then caught scent and sight of the senshi in the bushes under the tree. Strange! The beast moved closer, crouching and creeping towards Oberon-in-the-bush as his great head left a trail of drool on the ground.

A sharp but distant whistle caused the youma to jerk it's head up and howl, a many-toned ululation that seemed some sort of call, drawing the captain's aura closer. Location given, he was content to go back to sniffing at the boy, the box, and the bush, tail beating the air like an over-zealous police officer.

Wasgo, very much wanting more of the delicious pizza, belly crawled like an oversize Labrador until Oberon tossed him another piece, which he promptly snapped up in powerful jaws and seemed to savor like a human might a particularly good bit of dark chocolate or other small, rare treat. As the beast ate, it's glowing eyes watched the senshi's struggles, one big paw reaching out a bit to poke delicately - as if it understood that people were extremely fragile creatures to a beast as massive as it were.

Which, of course, Wasgo did understand.

So when Wasgo got up very close and put it's massive jaws around Oberon's body, it was with a very tender sort of care to not pierce the senshi's body. The Youma merely extricated the pizza bearing senshi from the bush that he'd been tangled in and set him down, unharmed - if now drenched in drool - and released him, taking a few steps back and wagging its massive tail again.

This exchange had been watched by a sharp-eyed captain in soft leathers. She'd felt the senshi aura and imagined her beloved Wasgo had treed a senshi for her to come collect....instead she found the beast rescuing it like a dog might a drowning kitten.

And the senshi hadn't seemed that frightened, even when Wasgo had picked him up.

She could smell pizza, see the box. Ah. That is why. Damn you, Proustite. You have addicted him to your garbage. Still, Moonstone could not fault the senshi for being curious, nor for feeding her youma. Actually, the fact that he'd not immediately tried to dust Wasgo was, in itself, quite interesting, especially when paired with the rest of what she'd observed. What game are you playing, senshi...

Moonstone teleported near her youma, hands up to touch the massive head as Wasgo shoved it into her with obvious joy. For a moment, she ignored Oberon, "You are playing a dangerous game, senshi. Youma are not known for their friendliness towards your kind."

If not a game, then what? Or are you simply so young and brash you cannot see the dangers? Moonstone regarded the teen thoughtfully; she had no issue with attacking him, killing him even because of his youth...but he had been kind to Wasgo. That was strange enough on it's own to make her pause, to pique her curiousity. Add to that he was not threatening nor attacking, but rather behaving as though they were...almost comrades of some sort, rather than enemies.

A strange child. Not nearly as wary as he should have been. Moonstone's fingers itched to summon her weapon and crush his bones; instead she soothed the sensation down against Wasgo's rough hide with a small sigh.

"Wasgo. He is mine as I am his, we are a team." Wasgo's drool pooled at the captain's feet, the beast pushing her towards Oberon as it showered affection. Low words in a strange language calmed the creature and made it drop to the earth like a dog given the command to lay.

"I am Captain Moonstone." Perhaps it was his eyes, the admiration was obvious but there was more to it than that. She could see, Oberon - for all that he was a senshi - held such fascination and regard for Wasgo, it was akin to the first bloom of love.

A decision, impulsive as it may have been, was made. "You may come closer and touch him. If you like."

For a senshi facing one of the Negaverse's established killing teams, Oberon was quiet calm. Perhaps he had already accepted his fate. Perhaps he was simply stupid...or had more balls than brains. Moonstone had known more than a few officers that fell under that particular label - invariably, they met with quick and messy ends. But she was curious to see how far he would go in his admiration of her Wasgo.

"No." Wasgo was laying, a great beast in a dog's pose as Oberon came close to touch as Moonstone observed with watchful eye; "Not all believe a personal youma is worth the effort when summoning can be done." But Moonstone obviously felt that whatever had to be exchanged - if anything - or whatever price there might need to be paid was worth it. "It is not an easy task, by any means, to traverse the Rift to find them."

Wasgo whuffed and made a strange creaking sound, but didn't seem to object to the patting, the sound likely just being the youma settling more.

"Youma feed on energy and starseeds. Wasgo eats other things as well, but they do not sustain him." There were massive crystals in the Rift, pulsing with energy, that had kept the beasts alive for those many years when beings were not being harvested as they were once more, but that was not something that should be shared with an enemy combatant. "Starseeds are...I suppose, more like a protein bar. Condensed energy that tastes extremely delicious to them. They do not require them unless wounded, as we do not."

"But energy, yes. They require that. In some form or another. It is how they hold form." Moonstone ran her hand lovingly over Wasgo's gnarled side, expression guarded by soft. I should not be speaking with him. I should take his energy and leave him. The Queen would not be pleased...

Wasgo's tongue dropped from it's mouth to curl around Oberon's bared leg, the beast shoving it's head against the senshi's hand for more pats.

Moonstone had to give it to Oberon, although he seemed wary of her Wasgo's strength and the danger inherent in allowing a senshi-eating beast to put it's powerful maw anywhere near extremely crunchable bones. Bravery should be rewarded, it was not often in her experience that the senshi were so brave outside battle. Inside, some could be, but most lost themselves.

"Your bright aura would draw every beast within like the sun in a dark room. It would be like blood in the water." She shook her head, slowly; there was no way to bring Oberon to the Rift without assuring he did not come back alive - not without corrupting him. Even that was iffy, the Rift was no place for a senshi - the corrupts could not traverse it's spans without escort of a stronger officer, preferably several.

Oberon did not need to know that.

"Your people did, years past. Flogging the white/black, good/evil dichotomy." For a moment Moonstone seemed a bit surprised to find that word in her personal lexicon, but then she shrugged. "Willing corruption mitigates much of the memory loss, young senshi, or so it is told."

Wasgo was huffing and lifted Oberon from the ground with it's tongue, placing the senshi on it's back with long tongue, much to Moonstone's annoyance as it put Oberon nearer to her.

"You...wish to feed Wasgo?" Odd, so odd. A senshi offering to be drained as youma food. It was too tempting to simply reach in and take his starseed as she knew she must, as she had been taught. Sharp words spoken to the youma had it rising to it's feet, putting the senshi out of harm's way for the most part, only one drool covered leg and foot were available to the Captain's easy reach.

"Very well, but you...will leave. After. I am an Officer of Metallia. It is my duty to either take your starseed or bring you to Her throne as an offering. My patience with Wasgo's favor can only extend so far." Understand that, I am a traitor even now. Do not ask for more right now. "Do you agree?"

Copper on her tongue, the sharp-salt tang of blood from biting the inside of her cheek. More salt and damp in her nose, from Oberon's skin, from Wasgo's form - it wasn't enough to negate the bite of the senshi's aura blaring along her senses, grating unpleasantly, but it helped.

For Wasgo's part, the youma was delighted to have attention showered on it by the small food-but-not-right-now-food, even if Mistress was aggrieved there had been no call to attack and thus Oberon was treated as a strange companion.

Moonstone waited for the senshi to accept her terms, nodding tersely when he did. "Wasgo is my partner." Simply stated, for in her mind there was no other way to go about things - some officers wouldn't have felt the same or understood, but Oberon wasn't talking to them. Wasgo huffed and shifted, body creaking and groaning under Oberon.

"I will touch your leg to drain you."

The captain was as good as her word, for it was one of the few things she had left - she took enough to make Oberon ready for a nap, but stopped before putting him to a state of exhaustion. Rest would see him right as rain for his birthday and test; the orb of his energy spun glowing and golden in her cupped hand as she pulled it away from him. Wasgo turned it's head and snaked tongue out when offered the energy orb, drawing it into it's maw with a satisfied shudder.

Another series of syllabic words, and Wasgo drew Oberon from it's back to set him back to the ground; Moonstone swung up onto her youma with a skill and grace that belied having done so many thousands of times before. "Be well, Senshi Oberon."

She hesitated before turning the beast away, voice dropping softer, "Happy birthday." Before more could be said, Moonstone and Wasgo disappeared; she might have instructed him to leave, but really - it was far easier for her to leave. Teleportation, and all that jazz.