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Perhaps for Serandite, things had been quiet. Linarite, on the other hand, had immediately thrown herself to the wolves and tried to patch things with her tempestuous queen, to much failure. Now things were more embroiled than ever and with Tanzanite showing up bleeding and confused on her doorstep...well. It certainly wasn't a quiet walk in the city park at night for the General, and she was decidedly missing those easy days of being a Lieutenant and striding through Barren Pines like she was somebody powerful.

Now she was somebody powerful, but it didn't come with all the assurance she thought it would have. No, Linarite decidedly felt more vulnerable than ever before despite the massive power and protection she could summon up for herself in the blink of an eye. She was a capable fighter, considered herself fairly skilled at directing the flow of her lieutenants and captains, yet deep down lurked the feeling that soon she'd join Nealite in oblivion. For no other reason than it pleased the queen to do so.

God, but she missed Charonite!

There was one perk that the bluenette would not trade for anything, however, and that was the ability to teleport almost at whim now. It was still tiring after perhaps six or seven trips, but not bone-exhausting after one like it used to be. Audrey was never late to class, these days. The darkness wavered in Destiny City Park and the general stepped out easily into the hazy light of streetlamps, brandy-colored eyes sweeping out and catching something rather pink: Serandite. There'd been little time to converse after the last meeting with the queen, demonstrating exactly what she'd done to their previous figureheads, but Lina distinctly remembered that the rabbit captain had fallen to the malady that had taken her parents.

Striding down the path in her direction, a genuine smile formed. "Serandite, long time no see!"

Eyebrows shot up at the mention of Elzo Xanis, a snort escaping before Lina could really prevent it. Gloved fingers went up to clap over her mouth almost comically as it escaped, laughter erupting. She couldn't help it, even the mention of her goofy boyfriend made her a happier person in general, though things had been off lately with them. It wasn't hard to figure out why, and most of that was sitting on her doorstep. Things hadn't been easy for Audrey Collins lately, and it was taking a toll on all of her relationships, with exception of perhaps her cousins. They knew what was wrong, especially Victoria, and didn't hold such things against her. It would have broken their solidarity if such petty things could get into their tightly-woven defenses, and the trio were unbreakable.

"Not so much lately, though I dunno if you got that newsflash. College, house guests, meeting my parents. I think having Tanzanite staying over so much is what did it though." There'd been a bit of hesitation with that last statement, Lina wasn't entirely sure that it was wise to advertise where the ever-confusing protege of their General King was spending her nights. But there were very few now that could take on the youma-possessed young woman. A casual shrug tossed it off into the depths of 'Things Not My Problem' and kept on with the pleasantries. "More or less been busy trying to figure out who woke up from that damn coma, and who died in the process of trying to keep the city from the damn senshi. We killed a good percentage of 'em while we could, but it was impossible to get into the hospital and start sticking hands in chests. Had to bring over some friends to help out, now I've a pile of untrained lieutenants on my lap. Hoping to bring up a few captains to deal with it, did you hear that Uranophane is hopping up on that?" Linarite's pert nose crumpled at this mention, flopping down onto a nearby bench almost inelegantly.

"Guess we have to relax standards somewhere, huh?" Not talking about Elzo was a good thing, but somehow, the general didn't think she was off the hook so easily there.

That got another raised look. "Hillworth boys? Don't you meet any...oh. Right. Crystal." They were all vaguely aware of each other's civilian identities, and Serah Eos went to Crystal Academy where boys were in very short supply. "Well, they do like to hang around there, especially the rich ones like Elzo and his brother." Though the Audrey part of the general had high hopes that her affection for her very own Hillworth boy might have put a stop to that for him. He had absolutely no need to be up there, she went to DCU, by way of Meadowview. And Barren Pines for a few brief months of ecstasy that nobody ever spoke of except with reverent horror.

"I guess if Elzo introduced you though, they're safe. I think he was going on one of the most popular kids there before graduating. And yes, it's nice to have a love life, but it's also sorta...unsettling. You never know when an uppity lieutenant is going to go after your boyfriend, though I've drummed it pretty hard into most of the youma that he's to be avoided if seen." There was an irony to this statement that absolutely no one in the Negaverse would have understood, not even Linarite. Hopefully, it would stay that way! Flipping her hair back with a smile, Lina moved on to answer the other questions that had shot out of the equally petite Captain.

"Tanzanite's alive, though I think that's all can really be said. Nealite was her best friend and Charonite was personally training her. She's understandably not taking that news well, but she's coping." Barely. It was a great source of concern, but there was absolutely nothing that anyone could do. None of them understood Tanz even a little bit! "She said she'd been in Europe, though I'm not sure why the queen would have sent her there. Must have been important, to send her." Tanz never failed. The one time she'd failed, she'd died and had to be brought back.

"Uranophane, Scheelite, Zinkenite. So many moving up, maybe you'll be on my level soon?" That was a bit of a smartassed comment, it wasn't really a secret that most of the others wondered what it was about Serandite that got things done. After all, she sorta dressed like a senshi, and ran around with a giant-a** rabbit. Linarite had some respect for her, having fought with the girl previously and finding her rather capable. But still.

A rabbit?

"Whatcha think? Aiming to be General too, Serandite?"

It would be more than a little interesting if Serandite were able to handle the incredibly painful transition from Captain to General. Linarite was still convinced, deep in her heart, that she was no longer human; that now she was some form of undead creature much like Beryl, animated solely by the power of their great Negaverse. When the Queen had reached into her body and poured through the power of a general, Audrey Collins had died on the floor and her body had been revived by a dark power greater than anything she had ever known. These things were the things that they couldn't, wouldn't speak of to anyone else. Maybe, just maybe, if she could survive it, Pinky would surprise them all in the end.

It was a cool look that was flavored with more than a little amusement before it faded and became deeply sad. "No, I don't think anyone that knew them is coping well. I haven't seen Obsidian or Hematite since." Lina was not at all about to mention the fact that she'd gone down there to talk to her mortal enemy, to swear at her, and perhaps even had cried a little...but not where anyone could see her, not even the crystal monolith. "Have you seen much of your own team? It seems like a long time ago that we were given them to mess with, and now they're going to do their own messing. I'm supposed to mess with you now." The smile was back, trying to make the lightest out of a dark and dire situation.

They may have owned the shadows, but that didn't mean they had to be overly morbid about it!

Parlor tricks and one devastatingly charming individual who had wreacked havoc on more than one Negaverse girl, though most recently just Linarite. There was a smile that was a bit smug, and a bit proud -- of both of them. Serandite didn't seem quite so very young these days, and that was only for the better. Not that she could take the general (oh no, Lina was sure she would win!), but that she could take on just about any senshi they were all confident.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be here now.

"Most of mine have gone up too, all except Paragonite, but she was newer anyway. It's really weird to think that we were Lieutenants, and then Captains....well. Like I said, you'll be up here soon enough. I was always concerned with making sure that they were all doing okay, but I guess I have more to worry about now. I've been given a new mission, and I'm not entirely sure it's possible." Golden eyes looked up at the stars with silence, hair falling back to reveal the daisy earrings she'd so recently obtained, speaking no more about it.

Let Serandite assume she meant Princess Chronos or similar. It wouldn't be the first time they were given an impossible goal. Determined to have fun, Lina pulled out her staff and poked lightly at the other girl. "If you put pie on my face, it's on."