It was a dusty and scuffed up half youma that teleported into the meeting chamber. Under one hand was Lieutenant Labradorite, who could not teleport the distance. The rest of those she knew, she expected to pull their own weight this time, but that didn't mean she wasn't looking for them when her boots touched down on the cold stone.
Jet, Aquamarine, Erythrite... The red-headed General and his pretty Lieutenant. Chrysocolla and Noctua, her little shadow, who had gone into the Labyrinth... Schörl and her group, though Cinnabar had no worries for how they had fared under the blonde's direction, much like the feisty Xenotime. Red eyes scanned the room for the familiar faces as Metallia's intoxicating energy filled the room, clouding her senses.
There... A girl with ebony skin and hair, her blue eyes a stark contrast.
"Excuse me." Cinnabar murmured to her companion before she released her and began to thread her way through the crowd, concern drawing a line between her brows as she saw blood on the corrupt's lips.
He'd been on the verge, surprisingly enough, of simply picking Serpierite up after she'd knocked into him; but Labyrinthite had done the deed for him, and so Wolfeite had followed along silently beside the group, the kerchief pulled back up once more over the lower half of his face.
His chest was throbbing, but he was not about to show weakness, least of all to those around him. Wolfeite's gold eyes flickered from one face to the next, resting momentarily on the red-rimmed gaze of a corrupted senshi near the back, scrutinizing curiously, before they moved to Serpierite once more. She'd slipped away, attempting to dwindle back into the shadows, but she was not lost to his wolf's sight, narrow and clear through the darkness.
She had possible use. He saw potential in her, a possible ally.
Wolfeite returned his attention to Metallia, on the people moving forward, though he said nothing, merely stood beside his general with his hands tucked behind his back, ears flat against his dark hair, tail flicking behind him like a snake.
The very picture of submission, even if it was just a show.
In spite of the condition in which they returned, Aurostibite could not have been prouder of his lieutenants for how they had handled things. Even Kainite had not argued - much. It could have been worse, and yet all four of them had shown themselves to be extremely capable.
Bloodstone had proven to be particularly useful in the medical aspect of things, as well as maintaining a calm, rational mind, which Aurostibite approved of. Reinerite had remained dedicated and thorough throughout the entirety of their trip into the Rift. He would speak to the both of them later, express his gratitude to them, his pride.
To Hydra, however, Aurostibite gave a nod, and a smile broke out across his face, rare and uninhabited.
"I am very pleased with you," he said succinctly, without preamble, as she came back to his side after offering up the crystal to Metallia. Aurostibite stood with his hands at his sides, the winged blades dissipated and sent back to their pocket of Negaspace. "You have done extremely well, and should be very proud of yourself."
frayedflower
nuxaz
guine
litian
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:21 pm
Ascendant General Alkaid
They had accomplished their mission.
That one truth rang pleasantly throughout her mind. Despite the trial, despite her own ultimate slack, despite the danger they had all endured - they had accomplished what Metallia asked of them.
Alkaid had done her best to inspect those that had been in her group. None seemed too worse for wear, though she herself seemed a touch less.. serene. Her dreads were dingy with water and paint and a couple of plates in her arms and legs seemed slightly indented, though there was no typical stream of thin, black smoke from the breaks. She was well on her way to healing, but she looked admittedly tired - which, for Alkaid, meant she had given up on her charade of the human condition.
The mission was done. She wanted to see, more than anything, what Metallia had in store - and then she really, really wanted to retreat to her planet. Her energy stores were lower than she liked and she couldn't afford to exhaust herself further.
When she felt Labyrinthite's eyes, she simply dipped her head back, but did not move from her position within the crowd. He could wait, too.
Lieutenant Domeykite
If Domeykite had thought the charged energy of the room was unsettling before they had left, it felt like rolling waves crashing into him now. The feeling was exasperated by the blow he had suffered to the head - not enough to break anything important, certainly, but he had one hell of a headache and a haziness to his vision.
Mild to moderate concussion, if he was being generous.
The hand he had hooked around Aluminite's torso curled tighter to keep him secure, ensuring that his slightly sluggish feet kept moving forward (if excruciatingly slow). His free hand reached up and rubbed at the tacky blood drying down the side of his face from his hairline, where it had matted the dark, green tresses.
"Hey, Alum, we didn't die.." The joke was dry and his lips barely moved, but he swung distant green eyes up to the man that had, once again, gotten him out of a serious situation (kind of) safely. He was going to have to buy him a drink or something.
He was sure there were eyes on him, but he couldn't bring himself to look. He didn't want to see concern - and he sure as hell didn't want to see judgment.
Nuxaz
Ghouliboo
Sorry, can I take a message and have him get back to you?
Felyn
Eloquent Lunatic
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Sweenys_Revenge
Dangerous Lover
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 8:27 pm
Her name. Like sound through water. She heard Cinnabar. She felt her. She was drawn to her. That same nameless thing inside of her chest that gave name to her power tugged her like a compass needle pointing north. The second she caught sight of the beautiful scaled woman, Noctua broke into a run, forgetting the damage done to her body, forgetting the she was a walking, talking bruise. Later she would settle in to a long, hot bath and try to figure out what she would tell her parents, but for now Cinnabar was all that mattered. And when she finally came to a stop in front of her, Noctua's mouth ran dry. The nameless thing behind her teeth shrunk back into her chest and tried to find it's name again.
She tried to speak, but found her mouth full of mucous and blood again. As she expelled it this time, she tried to hide it as best as possible. When she spoke again, her voice was ragged, her throat torn to shred by cries of pain from her trials. Speaking of which... Noctua pulled self consciously at the torn edges of her dirty and stained fuku. It looked like Cinnabar hadn't even been touched but... that was to be expected -- she was far stronger than Noctua would ever be but... still...
"I... I did it. Well, I didn't do it. I didn't get the box but... I did it."
Bloodstone watched as the others gathered. There were a few who were in need of medical attention, and part of him felt the draw to help them, but he remained by General Aurostibite and the other lieutenants who had accompanied him into the cave. Hydra made her way to the altar and placed the crystal on the stone before making her way back. He moved to stand beside her, scanning her back for any swelling that would indicate more serious internal injuries.
At first he just stood back and looked her over, but there was a darker spot that drew his concern.
“May I check your injuries?” he asked, keeping his voice low so as not to gain the attention of too many others around them, especially if it was benign. Just a quick check would give him enough information on whether to suggest she be taken to the hospital immediately, or if she just needed to rest.
There were more people there than Jet realized. He suspected their numbers grew once the stragglers started filtering in. Luckily for him, he managed to get out of the cave with minor cuts and scrapes and bruises. There were others who looked like they had a much worse time, even without having a cold on top of it.
He remained as close to the strange altar as he felt comfortable, staying back just enough to not draw attention to himself when he sneezed and sniffled into his jacket sleeve.
“You don’t have any tissues, do you?” he miserably asked Aquamarine, taking a step back to stand by him. He looked around to see if he could spot where Cinnabar went, or if he recognized anyone else. Hopefully not too many people would recognize him. Talk about embarrassing while he was sick and gross as he was currently.
Sunshine Alouette
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:39 pm
Half Youma General Cinnabar
The falling rock of the cave-in had found little purchase on Cinnabar's thick leather coat and there was little but scuffs and dust to indicate anything had happened. Comparing it to the bruised and battered corrupt before her, the General felt a pang of anger, both at herself and at whatever trial the other groups had gone through to retrieve their items. The cave had been laughably simple in comparison, it seemed... She should have trusted her gut and gone with her two subordinates to the labyrinth. She could have prevented this.
Reaching out, Cin caught Noctua's chin in a tight grip, her red-black eyes blazing as a muscle jumped in her jaw.
"You're hurt... I should have gone with you. I didn't realize the other errands would be so dangerous..." Anger melted into concern and her grip gentled, lifting her face so she could get a better look. "You did well though, making it through whatever it was by yourself. I'm glad that even without you, you could hold your own."
The guilt of it would not be easy to overcome, but at least the corrupt had made it out. Rummaging around in her pocket, Cinnabar produced a pale pink starseed and as she released Noctua's chin, she reached for her wrist instead. She pressed the starseed into her hand, mercilessly squashing the sudden pangs of hunger the sight of it gave her.
"Eat this. Its a starseed. Agents are supposed to keep one or two of them on their persons for moments like this, because they give a boost of energy and healing. Its not good to eat too many of them too quickly, but this will help with bruises and sprains and cuts. Speed up healing anything else you have as well." She said as she pushed the corrupt's hand gently upwards, insistent.
From her pocket appeared another crystal, but purple in color and shaped differently the starseed. This she held close to her mouth and spoke into.
"Chrysocolla. Are you okay? Do you need help?" She said, scanning the crowd for a head of bright teal hair.
There had been only the smallest of pauses in consuming the starseed, and only so the petite thing could look down at it curiously, admiring the soft glow and the color. Lovely little things, and so important. It was a life she held in her small hand, but it was hard the wrap her mind around in the abstract. She wondered if her's looked the same; same color, same soft glow, same shape. Or, if her general had been speaking literally when she'd told her she had a star in her breast.
It crunched how she imagined glass would between her teeth, but there any similarity to experiences thus far ended. The was a rush, tingling out to every extremity, and she could feel the cuts and scrapes on cheek and shoulders melting away. Gone, with no hint of scarring, in a matter of moments.
Attentive, she listened intently the the orders given to the captain in their party, interested as well in anything he might be able to find.
There was only so long to linger in wonder, for one thing or the other. Their general lay hands on their hips, and the labyrinth was gone. Once more they were at the castle, and once more the corrupt felt the near crushing weight of chaos around them. Her small hand landed lightly on Schröl's hip in turn, mirroring that light touch. An anchor in the sea if faces and gathering energies.
Ivynian
Shazari
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:58 am
Whimsical Blue
Corrupt Sailor Noctua
If there was anything left in Noctua, she could have cried. The attempts were good enough. She had been enough for Cinnabar. So, in the absence of tears, Noctua laughed. Softly, and easily mistaken for sobs was the smile on her face not apparent. She shook her head and took Cinnabar's hand, looking up and seeing the war of emotions on the other woman's face.
"If I had wanted the safety of your companionship, I would have followed you. By not following me where I went, you have given me something that you could never have given me otherwise." And there it was again. That nameless thing that begged for a voice. It curled around Noctua's tongue and guided her words, saying, " If I survived whatever the hell that was... then I can survive whatever else this place throws at me. I know that I'm strong enough for this now." And then the thing shrank back, embarrassed by her next sentiment, but pushing forward all the same.
"I know that I'm strong enough for you." Noctua now spoke more the the starseed in her hand than Cinnabar herself. She turned the crystal in her hands, voice shaking with nerves. "I want to work under you, Cinnabar. I want to learn from you." I want to spend time with you, listen to you. I want to be around you. The think spoke only into Noctua's mind, deciding that, perhaps, it was best to keep that sentiment to herself for now.
Perhaps because now that there was nothing to say, that nameless thing having spoken it's piece and gone back to rest in her chest, Noctua did as she was told. The starseed crushed like sugar cube between her teeth, coating her tongue with stinging sweet. Surprise must have shown on her face as the sweetness spider webbed into warmth that cocooned her body. Slowly, but noticeably, her ankle and shoulder stopped aching, and breathing became easier.
Sweenys_Revenge
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baby_gwing
Fanatical Raider
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:09 am
Captain Amethyst
It felt like the hunger games marathon that led to Amethyst’s corruption all over again. There were so many other Lieutenants, Captains, Generals, Corrupted Senshis and even a guardian cat who were there when he attempted Apatite’s Gauntlet. So many of his fellow officers who could have made it to the box back at the Labyrinth before he did that even Amethyst himself couldn’t believe it when he found himself in the lead along with Serandite in the end.
But they weren't entirely done here just yet. Metallia was waiting for them to return with what she had sent them to retrieve and keeping her waiting any longer than necessary was far from ideal.
It was decided between Serandite and himself that it would be better for him to hold onto the box while she teleported the both of them back to the room whence they came from. Thanking the General for taking care of their return, cerulean blue orbs met chocolate brown ones briefly before he nodded and started towards the altar with the box in his still gloved hands, making sure that he kept pace along Serandite's side the entire time.
Getting up close to Metallia herself wasn't easy. The amount of power their mistress wielded seemed to make the air in the entire room coalesce and stifle its inhabitants. And with fatigue gradually setting in, it took every ounce of strength he had left in him to bring one foot before another to take him to the altar atop which he set the box that was retrieved from the Labyrinth.
”The good General spoke true.” He knew not the name of the pink haired kimono clad General, who looked at least five years younger than him yet beyond any doubtat all, had worked even harder to get to her current position as one of the Negaverse's prized assets. ”The box and its contents are here at your behest.” Glancing briefly at the corrupted senshi (Hydra) and Captain (Moonstone) who had already stepped forth to present their retrieved items, he gave a respectful bow then retreated with Serandite to rejoin the en masse and wait.
revenant aria
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:47 am
Lieutenant Natrolite
The trek back to the castle seemed longer than the first walk into finding the bone, but wasn't that how it always was? Or maybe it was seeming longer due to the sting in his palm. Damn bone fragment had better not be inside there, though that thought did warrant him to make a note to pick up a first aid kit. He could take care of it as soon as he was home.
Even with the injury to palm the lieutenant didn't have much trouble getting back himself, staying behind Xe and Marcesite during the walk. Watching them since both seemed much more tore up than himself, this taken in a prideful sense for the man since he had been in the fight but wasn't broken. A smirk was set firmly on lips as they arrived at the castle with the others. It would seem that they had all be successful in their missions, good, maybe Metallia would let them go soon.
Cheekiebirdiee
Mysterious Kitten
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Sirene Naiads
Romantic Senshi
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:05 am
Lt. Stibnite
The walk back had been...a pain in the butt. Stibnite's hand had been on her shoulder most of the walk back. When she had worked to keep a youma off Raspite, she had ended up finding out just how painful those jaws were.
Well, human teeth marks on one jaw, youma's on another. The irony though was lost on her because honestly, she was more annoyed that she had allowed a stupid beast to get the better of her.
So as they returned to the castle, Stibnite slipped into the room and found a place where she could just...watch. It appeared all three groups were returning with their prizes. A bone...and a box for sure.
So wordlessly, she watched.
Torvil
Serpentsong
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:34 am
Lt. Prasiolite
She felt she'd done well enough in the mission to retrieve the box though she of course hadn't been the one to actually retrieve it, but at least she had made it to the end. It was a feat for sure.
She stood now back where they started with the other, simply stay with the group she'd ventured into the Labyrinth with. She needed to step things up a bit, find the motivation she had when she'd walked willingly into the negaverse. There were many officers around her and she knew not even a handful. Maybe a good thing in that they didn't know her either, but not really a good thing overall.
He back stung, the fabric of the back of her dress torn from one of the obstacles, angry red marks stretched across her back. She was also soaked and still had a fair amount of brightly colored paint on much of her. She looked a mess, but at least it was over for the minute.
Lt. Witherite
He looked to Beni and then to Huntite as they stood in the room with the other's. Beni had said he was some idea of what the bone might be used for and Wither was curious to see just exactly what that was and if it would really be dangerous for the white moon. There were a handle full of magic slingers he love to toss a bit more danger at.
"Did the other's make it back alright? You guys were with a much bigger group before we left."
I am very pleased with you, her general said, going as far as to smile at her and Hydra couldn't help but beam at him in return.
Frankly, the girl felt like she was on the top of the world right now. More eyes than she ever thought possible were looking to her; mixes of envy, awe, pride, etc. It was comforting to have what she assumed to be the members of Aurostibite's team flanking them, there was a sense of companionship that the corrupt felt, even if the others might not.
It even extended to that rude boy (Kainite) and was further strengthened when Bloodstone requested a better look at her injuries. Teal brows shot up with surprise and she hesistated, fingers twisting into the blood soaked sash he'd given her earlier.
It was a good idea but - people were watching.
Getting injured meant she'd fought for her prize, there was nothing to be ashamed off so, slowly she lowered her arms and nodded. "Of course," she mumbled, stepping towards the older man and forcing her arms to rest at her sides so he could properly inspect her.
