Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Rift was oddly quiet this trip, the only real sounds the echo of their boots on the crystal floor as it bounced off the odd planes and ridges that surrounded them. Cinnabar glared to the side as she listened to it, unable to deny that it... weirded her out a little bit. She didn't visit the Rift often, mostly because she didn't have the power to get here on her own and because there wasn't honestly much here besides a lot of rock and irate monsters. The irate monsters were why she was here this time, though... so their lack was distinctly frustrating for her.

Reaching up, Cinnabar rubbed her neck lightly, fingers wrapped around the base of the thick column. The bruises that had once marked out a clear handprint in her flesh were all but gone now, only the faintest of discoloration left. That damn knight... She had yet to find him again, but that was a mixed blessing. He had beaten her once, there was no proof he wouldn't do so again, and she... raged against the fear he had made her feel. She couldn't afford to give him another opportunity to do that to her again.

Slowing her angry pacing, Cin dropped back to where Galena trailed quietly behind her and slung an arm around the slim shoulders, tucking the nearly-a-foot-shorter woman up against her side. It felt good, and since their little talk in her apartment, she'd been a good deal more free with her little affections, whether or not the other appreciated them.

"I'm glad you were okay with coming with me. I never go on a run without some sort of back up, so the concept seemed to carry over here." She said as she controlled her stride down to something that matched her partner's shorter ones, putting a bit of a hip-swinging strut into them. Her free hand gripped the belt around her waist, flexing and releasing in frustrated energy, but she kept her eyes forward and outward, searching for signs of anything living between the glittering spires and lumps of rock. "I doubt Schörl would appreciate what I'm going to be attempting... I don't think Ate would either. And Lelouch... well. Of the pair of you, I would put odds on you for having the calmer head at two thousand to one."

The blonde corrupt was fun to have around, but all too often she showed her true age in her actions. This needed someone with a little more experience in the world, more control of herself.

The taller woman lifted and dropped her shoulders in a shrug, unbothered by her companions restrained attitude.

"If it gets to the point of needing you to fight something, then things have really gone south. I don't anticipate that, but a safety net with someone to call for help is something, at least." She was positive what she wanted to do was going to be accomplished under her own steam, even if it took some effort to do. After everything that had happened lately and the lack of promotion after all this time, Cinnabar was loathe to wait any longer for what she felt was her due.

If she'd had a youma as back up, things would have gone MUCH differently. That knight's starseed would have come to rest beside the slob's and the pretty girl knight would not have escaped her. No. It was unforgivable that she was still stuck as the lieutenant she was when she had such... ambitions. Ambitions not being served by the General-Sovereigns. So, she figured... she would reach for what she wanted and take it. She could ask forgiveness later, and prove that she was worthy of the power she craved.

"Well." She hummed as she dropped her arm again, stretching both over her head to arch her back in a lazy motion. "I'm planning to get myself a youma. The plan is to find one, beat it into submission, and then call my captain for a ride home."

Red eyes slid to the side to watch Galena out of the pointed corners, fully expecting some sort of argument about it.

Really, how much was there to plan for something like this? You went into the rift, found a youma, beat it into submission, and there you go. Galena's lack of argument was appreciated, if not directly acknowledged. Cinnabar was positive she knew what she was doing, assured that it would not be as hard as everyone seemed to think. She had confidence in her own abilities and a tenacious spirit to make up for what she lacked in rank.

"I don't care for canids." Cin said as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Especially now that I know that man uses one."

The last time she had met Labyrinthite, things had not gone well. He'd gotten into a huff over the way she chose to do her energy draining and she had less than no respect for him now. No... if he used canids, that was exactly what she didn't want. Beyond that though, she did have a pretty good idea of what sort of a youma she wanted. The tall woman's face eased into a smile again, a bounce in her step.

"I'd think the kind of youma I wanted would be fairly obvious." She teased as she gave Galena a squeeze under her arm and released her again, rolling her shoulders to loosen them up. "I want something feline. Something that can fight beside me and take commands. I'd prefer feral over humanoid, though... I don't need something smart enough to back talk me when I tell it to do something."

If she was going to be bonded to something, by god it was going to listen to her and do what she wanted it to.

Catching movement around one of the crystals, Cinnabar tensed and fell into hunting mode, completely ignoring her companion as she slunk off to circle around the spire. The first movement they'd seen since getting down here... If this didn't pan out, she was going to be annoyed.

Questions about her interactions with a certain captain would have to wait, though Cinnabar did catch the soft caution in Galena's voice and tossed her a cocky, reassuring grin over her shoulder.

Youma were nothing more than animals, though ones with more power than any natural one. They were tools, meant to be used by the officers of Metallia's army. Cinnabar was one of those officers and if they wouldn't give her what she needed to take down her enemies, well... she would take it herself. She would prove that she was not some sheep to be led or herded, no weak damsel needing someone stronger to protect her. For five years she had stood on her own two feet, taken what she had with her own two hands and built a life for herself from the ashes of the old one. She'd over come her addictions, her weaknesses, her inhibitions and found confidence. This would be just another milestone in her journey, another mark of her independence. Some day she would bow to no one ever again.

The noise came again and the lieutenant slunk around a jutting outcropping, her hands pressed flat to the slick surface as she peeked around the edge. The open space around the side was... strangely empty. A frown pulled her brows together as she leaned further, looking for whatever had made that noise. Crystal was a poor environment to hunt in... it didn't take tracks like mud or dirt and sounds bounced strangely off of it. Cin thought she had compensated for it, but she would have sworn whatever it was had been right here... It must have moved and her suspicions were confirmed when a low, rumbling growl drifted out of a side passage, a fissure in the stone only wide enough for a single person.

So you've seen me... good. Lets get a look at you, pet. Cinnabar grinned as she broke away from the wall and quick-stepped to the other side, sliding down to the opened. Something moved inside and she stilled, only moving again once the sounds stopped. Slowly, so slowly, she moved to the edge and looked around again, her hair falling against her cheek. The darkness inside hid nearly everything, though she thought maybe she caught a glint off something slick when whatever was inside moved. It was all the warning she got before something rushed the opening and Cinnabar jerked back, pressing her body to the wall as a huge form burst out of the passage and into the cleared space, skidding on the crystal floor as it turned towards her.

Ivory fangs bared as a low, grating growl broke free from what appeared to be a lion-form youma. Feline only described the shape of it... there was a heavy amount of reptile in the rest of it. Gleaming red scales, their edges tinted with black, covered the beast from nose to tail tip and the pupils of its eyes were snake-like slits, unblinking and furious. Claws, larger than most felines and fully extended like a dog's decorated all four massive paws. Cin had never been so close to a real lion save in the zoo, but she guessed it outweighed any of those lazy beasts by half again. It's thick, gleaming mane would have marked it male if this had been anything but a youma, but with monsters it was hard to truly tell gender. Their forms obeyed no natural laws and neither did their strength or speed.

The lieutenant grinned, the expression feral and more baring of teeth than any expression of joy. This was the sort of beast she wanted as a partner... something to strike fear into those irritating knights and senshi, something worthy of fighting beside her.

"Baal." Cinnabar hissed with a laugh, dubbing the youma with the name of a Prince of Hell. Fitting, for such a demonic looking creature. The youma snarled at her and she jerked, pushing down the instinctual reaction to back away from it. Instead, she pushed away from the wall, boldly coming forward to challenge it. She was here to tame it, after all. Running away would do her no good. The pair shifted, testing each other's desire to fight as they circled. Cin had only a moment to consider rushing the monster before it took the offensive and launched itself at her. She spun out of its way as it passed, barely able to stay on her feet. It was so fast... recovering moments after it passed to come back around again.

Opening her arms wide, Cin caught it as it plowed into her, taking her off her feet and slamming the both of them into the ground. Fangs snapped far too close to her face for comfort and the lieutenant twisted to pull the heavy head away from her with fingers dug into its thick mane. s**t, this thing was strong... stronger than she was, physically. A dark thread of unease wove its way into her chest as she rolled with the youma, a rake of its claws catching her hip and slicing open her leather pants to draw blood and a gasp of pain in its wake.

Giving a great heave, Cinnabar threw the youma off of her, though it ended up being more like rolling it over than throwing it. The ******** was heavy and trying really hard to get his fangs on her. The dark-haired woman rolled quickly out of the youma's reach, struggling to get back onto her feet as it mirrored her, its face twisted in a snarl.

"You're not getting the best of me, b***h..." Cin growled at it, panting. "Might as well roll over right now."

Not that she thought it was going to do any such thing... but then, it would not have been worth taking as a partner if it had been easy to force into submission. She needed something that could equal her, that could be a partner. The snarling beast of scales and fangs was shaping up to be just what she was looking for... now if she could just tame it...

Cinnabar moved suddenly, forcing her body to move despite the pain in her leg, and she darted to the side, taking off running. The youma let out a roar as it lurched forward, hot on her heels as they circled the crystal spires. Red eyes were constantly moving, looking anywhere but behind her and she jumped for a ledge, using it as a step to jump for a higher one. The youma on her tail managed the jumps with as much or more ease, but its increased size made the landings on the small ledges awkward and unstable.

Come on... higher... Cin thought as she jumped again, pushing herself to find the smallest foot holds possible. A snarl behind her, the scrabbling of claws, brought a surge of satisfaction and the lieutenant spared a glance behind her. The youma had slipped, missing its landing on the crystal surfaces. As it began to slide back down the cliff-like surface, she jumped back towards it and tackled it, riding it down until they both hit the ground with the youma on the bottom. Cinnabar grabbed for it's scruff as she wrestled with it, the winding from hitting the ground giving her an advantage as she struggled to pin it down. Baal snarl in warning as it thrashed about, fighting the lighter human with still-surprising strength. It wasn't getting far in it's struggling, but holding onto it was like trying to restrain something without bones, and the slickness of its scales gave her nothing at all to grab anywhere but its neck and head.

Cinnabar increased the pressure as it squirmed like an eel, her grip sliding as it jerked its head back to snap at her. Her own lips pulled back from her teeth and suddenly it gave a particularly hard twist, something she wouldn't have thought it capable of if it actually possessed a spine made of something stronger than jello... searing pain lanced up her side as she felt teeth sink into her hip and the muscle of her side, pulling a shriek from her as she punched it hard right in the face. Thrashing, the woman hit it again, but there was an odd lack of response from the beast, who only snarled as it's eyes went unfocused and it's jaws squeezed harder.

Thick fists hit it again and again, but it gave no noticed and didn't release, a numbness spreading outwards from where fangs like knives pierced her flesh. The scream that came from Cinnabar this time was less angry, a hint of fear creeping into her as something started to happen.

She felt... like she was melting. A strange lassitude spread outwards, muscles going rubbery and weak no matter how hard she tried to gather herself to keep beating on the youma that had a hold of her. It wasn't until black slime began to ooze from her skin that Cinnabar began to feel real panic and the sounds that came from her lost all confidence. Whatever was happening, it wasn't natural... and there was no making this monster release her from its jaws. Grabbing it by his jowls, Cin struggled against the youma, her face drawn in an expression of pure panic as blood splattered the cavern floor.

Laurelite was in the Rift.

She lowered the paper she had been studying when her crystal went off and scanned the area immediately, as if by doing so she would be able to see precisely what was going on. The Rift was too dark, too busy. And she was surrounded by caverns and could see nothing. But she could feel, and now that she was focusing on it, she had a very precise idea of where she needed to be.

The General Queen teleported near to the two agents and while she was a master at keeping her emotions under wraps, even she recoiled briefly at the sight of Cinnabar.

Her instinct was to destroy anything that threatened the woman, but the black slime was far more concerning. She had never seen that before, and it made her falter—and then kick into action.

Cinnabar was a good agent, and while she had not spent much time with the woman, she recognized her from reports and what she had seen of her in passing. She maneuvered over the unpleasant terrain to make herself as close to Cinnabar as possible, though she did not have a method to aid the woman other than to try and strengthen her.

She gripped the woman's shoulder tightly, tensely, and demanded, "Fight it off!"

Whether she was channeling Metallia's energy or her own, only the fact that a surge of powerful Chaos suddenly surged through Cinnabar was clear in that moment.