Welcome to Gaia! ::

Corrupt Sailor Taenite
HP: 40/50

Taenite shook his head in response to Cymophane. “No idea,” he frowned, because the information provided to them clearly stated not to bring starseeds. “Maybe he really thought he was being helpful. Like, instead of me giving up mine? General needs to learn some manipulation tactics. Hopefully he made it out, I didn’t see him jump down, but there are others missing too.”

It was possible that the others went deeper into the caves instead of jumping down to the tracking team, but there was really no telling. He was really only bothered about their losses because he knew Axinite would take it as a personal failure, despite him having nothing to do with what happened.

“Good, looks like Faustite is getting some cooldown,” he let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to see the fire filled General literally explode. The other half-youma General was there and helping out with her ice magic. “Hmm… have you ever thought about what it would be like to be half-youma?” he asked offhandedly to Cymophane.

But he might not have time to answer and would just need to mull it over. They were fast approaching some of the tracking group.

------------------

Lieutenant Reidite
HP: 25/50

“Why are you all scratched up what happened?” Reidite frowned at the sight of Cymophane as they made their way over to the group hanging out with General Aquamarine and the bat youma. He figured this was no place to fuss, but Cymophane was precious to him and he wanted to make sure everything was okay. And really, it was Cymophane who decided he should be part of the Negaverse instead of just letting him die, so he should definitely accept being fussed over.

He didn’t even bother looking at the half naked man Cymophane was walking with. Except to level him with a dark glare, and then went back to checking his shoulder and scraped areas of his too revealing uniform.

“I give you my jacket,” Reidite decided, reaching up to start unbuttoning the fancy jacket of his uniform. Nevermind that he would have to pull the fabric over the quills that were still stuck into his shoulder from that damn youma that ran into him earlier.

Lieutenant [Ransomite]

HP: 40/50

"Lieutenant Ransomite," he replied, probably a bit distractedly. He trailed after her, then hurried his step briefly so that he was walking alongside her. Felt less awkward that way.

Not that the whole ordeal wasn't, in some way or another, awkward. Ransomite knew that avoiding powering up would mean he didn't sync as well with the other agents or the corrupted senshi. He hadn't really realized--or considered--how much of a 'stranger in a strange land' that would also foster. Sure, he had some idea of what was happening, but...

Not much more than that, really.

If he thought critically about it, he knew that not everything had gone quite the way it'd been planned. The mess with the starseed in the cave, for one. The cave that had a lot of youma in it. The cave that had turned out to be consisted primarily of youma. The youma cave.

That cave.

A residual shiver rolled over Ransomite, and he was glad once again for the foresight of the others to have the safety bubbles in place earlier. He didn't need much imagination to think of what the outcome would have been if the bubbles hadn't been there, or if he hadn't been able to make it to one.

What imagination he did have was occupied with things like the giant bat.

At least it didn't seem hostile. He wasn't sure if he was ready for more hostility just yet. His ankles and knees needed more time to recuperate after the tumble they'd taken. For now, he would stay close to Nembus. No need to make a target out of himself. He could still keep an eye out for any threats he might have the ability to deal with.

Caverns of crystalline monsters? A little above his paygrade.

But maybe something a little smaller, something a little less numerous. A little, well, less.

'Ellie, you good?'

Debatable.

Ransomite shook his head, shook himself out of it. He needed to pay attention. He couldn't really be daydreaming while... something was happening around him. At the very least, it was going to make it even more dangerous. At worst, he could get himself or someone else seriously hurt. He glanced to Nembus and to the other senshi around.

Especially one of them...

General Aquamarine
HP: 100/100 - western path

Aquamarine winced but made no other move when the bat shrieked at the corrupt translator (Lilith).

“Let’s not antagonize the youma,” he warned his team, irritated and impatient, and more than ready for this mission to be over.

No such luck yet. There was still work to be done.

Faustite joined them soon enough, at least, with several others from the Interrogation team. Aquamarine recognized faces more than names, including Jet’s little blond corrupt (Cymophane), whose presence earned a roll of the eyes and a sour expression from Aquamarine. The bothersome Senshi opened his mouth and spewed out words, something about a General and a starseed that almost made Aquamarine vomit from rage, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself not to ask for clarification, because if what he thought happened actually happened he was going to have to murder someone.

Ignoring that mess for the time being, Aquamarine eyed the second half-youma General (Amazonite), greeting her with his usual frown, a shallow nod, and little else.

It was with Jet’s arrival that Aquamarine’s nerves began to settle a fraction. No one would notice, because his b***h face didn’t change and his posture was nearly as tense as before, but Aquamarine felt something in his chest unclench, the knots in his stomach unraveling.

“Meet Bat,” he said, gesturing unnecessarily toward Radon. “Seems pretty suspicious if you ask me, but other than this most recent shriek, it’s been pretty docile. Might have more info, but it speaks in Morse Code. Lilith can translate if need be, unless Jet’s dog can understand what it says.”

Corrupt Sailor Taenite
HP: 40/50

Taenite was going to laugh at Cymophane’s question about being a cute cat boy, but the guy that Taenite recognized from the briefing had already come over to hover and fuss about Cymophane’s injuries. And why was he glaring at him?

“Okay then,” he let out a breath as he placed his hands on his hips to watch the exchange. They obviously knew each other, but how he didn’t know. But he didn’t usually see Cymophane with anything but a cheerful smile, so him mumbling what Taenite could only assume was curses in Russian was surprising.

“Looks like Faustite and the others are finishing up with whatever they needed. We should head down since it might take a while with those injuries,” he pointed out, but it didn’t look like Reidite cared what he had to say.

[Exit]

Lieutenant Eveite
HP: 50/50

Apparently, if she could tell through the communicator, something had been found along the Western path and they were to now go to where the Combat team was in the rift. Good. She did not want to deal with these holes anymore and possibly falling off cliffs.

She caught up with the rest of them and used the rapelling equipment to safely get her down. She almost kissed the ground when she felt her feet on it, but decided against it because she wasn't sure what it was made of.

Still, at least she didn't have to worry about her footing that much anymore.

((Eveite Exit))

Corrupt Cymophane
HP: 40/50 - western path

Cymophane wanted to check out this bat youma. It was very large, and kind of gross, and if it made Aquamarine uneasy, then that was a major plus. He was still a bit bummed about Mr. Stick (or was it Ms. Stick??? Neither??? He felt a bit guilty for assuming but couldn’t bring himself to refer to Sticky as an it.). Cymophane kind of wanted to see if he’d have any luck talking to the bat, too, but the Generals were all congregating and Jet’s youma was doing his thing.

He probably shouldn’t intrude, or refuse a dismissal. If Cymophane was needed, one of the Generals would call for him. Until then, he should make sure Reidite got that shoulder checked out. Plus, the sooner they reunited with the combat team, the sooner he could make sure Kamacite wasn’t panic attacking himself to death.

“Come on,” he said, cutting off Reidite’s continued attempts to fuss over him. “Help me climb down.”

EXIT