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The Rift was as wild and untamed as the last time she had visited with dangers both seen and unseen waiting around every corner or crevices.

So far the mission had gone both as expected and unexpected as humanly, or half-youmaly (if that was even a word), as possible. Officers had lost their lives, while others had been separated from their group; many had been injured in some capacity while few were fortunate like her to remain relatively unscathed.

This wasn’t some sort of team-building exercise or boot camp of sorts to foster cooperation or friendships among the ranks. In truth, there was nothing really fun about this, not that she expected there to be. A request from a General King to venture into the Rift was not something that should be taken lightly. Nonetheless, Lavendulan had hoped that she would have been able to stay beside either Lopezite or Wolframite for the duration of the campaign instead of being forced to trust and rely on officers she had never met.

Surely she wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with how the teams were split. Then again it was perhaps a good thing they weren’t around to be disappointed in her near altercation with General Aqua. He very clearly had his mind made up about her and it would be hard going forward to try to change. The blonde General did not like her and from the vibe, she got from Faustite, Laven felt confident that his opinion would not change easily.

Fortunately, when the teams converged at the Base Camp, she did catch sight of Lopezite, albeit briefly, as he went to talk to one of the corrupts. She would have waived but the fiery half-youma that led this mission had been speaking to her at the time.

Hard to say how she felt that conversation had gone; sure Laven had been both wary and nervous but he seemed to be indifferent to her mishaps. She didn’t feel like he disrespected or looked down on her because of her appearance or rank either. Just simply noted some of her strengths and acknowledged that she had been the one to find the tracks and that he would like to speak with her once the mission was over and they were back in the Dark Kingdom. For as much of an a** that General Aquamarine had been, she didn’t peg him for someone to take credit from someone else; however, it was nice to have confirmation that he gave credit where credit was due.

Once Faustite had left to speak with General Jet and Aquamarine, Lavendulan continued to work at the canteen warming a few different soups and putting together a mild chili with the canned beans and seasonings the flame-eyed General had thought to bring.

Meridiana had come over to help serve food to the officers while the meal was still hot and once the pots were mostly empty, Lavendulan prepared one bowl for herself and another for her General. “I’ll come back and make more later,” she said before leaving the corrupt to finish filling the remaining bowls and turning off the Sterno burners.

It took a little bit of looking but she managed to find Lopezite near the tents.

“Hey,” Laven kept her voice low, partially because she was unsure if anyone had been trying to take a nap and partially because she herself was both mentally and physically drained. “I didn’t see you come by the canteen.” She held a bowl of chili out for him to take.

“I can make you something better when we get home.” She managed a half-smile while refusing to acknowledge that it was more of an ‘if’ we get home not ‘when’ with how things were currently looking.

"By comparison, I think my small group fared better than most." She took a seat beside him and kind of just stared at her bowl, no longer really feeling all that hungry now that she felt like she had to choose her words wisely.

"There were some few bumps at the start. Two officers fell from the cliff and are, I assume, dead." It felt strange to not have any compassion for the deceased but she didn't know either and didn't see it happen. Odd way to justify her lack of emotions. However, it could also be that she was still in shock from Radon's warning to fully process the events that have led up to now.

Don't trust the humans, he had warned and Lavendulan had to wonder if the youma only meant General Aquamarine or if it extended to the rest of the group that had gathered at the makeshift campsite.

"I'm glad to see you made it here unscathed." Laven tried to smile but the joy didn't come close to reaching her eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't realize how tired I was until you mentioned a nap." It was, at least, a partial turth. Although sleep would not come easily, it at least gave her a believable excuse so she wouldn't feel tempted to vent about the how aggrivating the blonde General had been.

Laven fell silent for several minutes, idly pushing the chilli around her bowl with a spoon.

When he had asked if she had set up a tent, she shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't know how. our was more that there were plenty of officers already fussing around with building their own that she found a place that needed mir attention at the time. When they were done they'd likely want food so it would be nice if there was some already made.

Again she shook her head when asked if she'd like to use his tent.

No matter how tired she was, sleep would not come easy; not unless Wolframite was there and she had yet to talk to him since this mission began. The Rift was just too busy, too noisy, and too unpredictable to rest well enough to be able to fully function when it came time to leave Base Camp.

But then he asked if she's was ok and it felt like something inside her broke.

Ever the perceptive one, she mused while absently worrying her lip. Then again, despite her scales and odd shaped pupils, Laven could only mask her troubles from people who didn't know her as well as he did.

"You spoil me," she spoke quietly then drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before setting her bowl down beside her. "It's not a bad thing, not really. I just don't think I was really prepared to take orders from someone not you..."

"You were the one to find me and so the burden of responsibility fell on your shoulders. As a friend you've done so much for me." More than she's could repay in this lifetime. However, there we're times where the lines blurred and she saw him more as an over protective brother instead; and she worried how he'd recast if she admitted that rid bit to him.

"But as an officer, I feel like you will be left disappointed when we get back." It all depended on what General Aquamarine decided to share in his report. "And I don't want General King Axanite to have reason to question your judgement." A Captain who couldn't, or wouldn't, follow orders because she felt the need to pass something off to another officer before leaving. Was that really enough to be grounds for a demotion.

Laven brought her hand up and pressed the heel of her palm against her chest. The last thing she wanted upon returning was to have anyone touch her seed for any reason. It hurt ther last two times and she did not want that sort of pain. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make you proud, and to pay forward the kindness you showed me when we first met."

His reassuring words were like a soothing balm on her weary soul.

Ever so slowly, the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease until finally she just slumped against him and leaned her head against his shoulder; mindful enough not to bump him in the face with her horns by mistake.

"Thank you," her voice was quiet as she spoke.

Laven was quiet for a time, considering his words and opinion on the matter until finally, she admitted, "I kind of feel like a child being dropped off at school. Respect your teachers." In this case the Generals. "Play nice," as in don't talk back or cop an attitude with anyone. "And at least try to make friends." To that last one she kind of laughed, more of a humphed snort since progress on that front was grueling slow but at least she attempted to branch out.

Well... kind of anyway.

Lopezite would likely deeply frown if he learned that her new acquaintances were in fact Knights and not other Negaverse Agents.

"Find me a Lieutenant?" Her tone sounded skeptical which was mimicked in her expression and the light laugh that followed.

"I think we'd both be hard-pressed to find someone who either: a, isn't terrified of my appearance, or b. won't make insulting jabs. Not everyone is as accepting as you were when you found me." On the lakeside dock surrounded by snow, broken and in a panicked. Cut marks ran down both arms, blood on both hands, and smeared across the scales on one of her cheeks.

He saw her.

Beyond the horns and scales, he saw the terrified girl who knew not what she had become. Lopezite tended to her injuries, fed her, and in time was the one to give Lavendulan her new name. Adjusting to this new way of life was not easy to accept, but he was nothing if not patient and understanding. So different than Wolframite's methods but without the two of them, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have withered away into nothingness in a small dark room somewhere in the barracks.

"Correction, there is nobody quite like you." Lopezite was unique in his own right; a General deserving of his rank for all his merits as an officer. While she'd feel a swell of pride to see more choose to follow him and his orders as a leader; Laven knew herself well enough to at least admit that the pride would also be accompanied by a jealousy she might not be skilled enough to hide.

"Maybe once I finish this research project for Queen Laurelite we can re-visit this idea of finding me a Lieutenant." She lifted her head from his shoulder and with one hand opened her subspace pocket and pulled out the stone she received as a reward from The Merchant.

A small palm-sized stone, black and rough around the edges. Unassuming save for the aura it emitted. "I'm close..." She glanced up at Lopezite, "I just... I need to see if I can find more of this." Laven offered him the small relic to hold. Trusting that he wouldn't make a scene of it or give it to one of the Generals.

"I don't know. That's what I'm hoping to find out." She stowed the black crystal back in her subspace pocket.

"It was given to me by The Merchant. The one that had appeared during the Star Festival that was offering a reward for those wispy creatures." Laven tried to explain. In hindsight it was probably a bad idea to have handed them over but how was she to know they would turn into some massive beast.

This was Destiny City... that's how.

Doesn't matter, what's done was done and she had something in hand that could help her achieve the only goal she's had for the last year and a half. "He claimed to have got it in a trade some years ago and the person who had it originally told him stories of a dark queen and a fallen kingdom." She paused for a moment and let that sink in.

"I've been living in the ruins and work in the castle. I think I'd know if there were any more of this type of crystal in the Dark Kingdom." Meaning either if there were any more left to find they were either already found and kept someplace safe where the signature can't be felt through walls or it was here, in the Rift.

"One, maybe. I don't know for sure." She'd want to try making one for not only herself but Wolframite as well so they could go out on a proper date sometime.

"Unfortunately there are too many unknowns and because of that I'm hesitant to use the only sample I was given." A proper researcher always had a control group for comparison, if she were to do anything to the small piece she'd receive, then Laven wouldn't have anything to look back on to determine what may or may not have worked.

"I'm concerned that if I break it into many smaller pieces that the energy will disperse and all I'll have is just a rock. Or worse, what if it reacted like one of the alkali metals that explodes in water." With that in mind, she probably should put together some travel-sized kit to bring into the Rift rather than risk causing damage to the Castle, or worse, herself. "It might be something that can be melted down and forged." To which she looked at Lopezite with a raised brow and small grin since that was his area of expertise. "Or it might need to be cut and ground then polished smooth."

"I just don't know," she admitted with a defeated sigh.

"I'm planning on scheduling a time to speak with Queen Laurelite after we are done with this mission and ask for her opinion." This project had gone on so long that it felt like she was well overdue with a progress report that might give hopes to a finished project soon. "Until then, I'm just keeping an eye out here while we're tracking the youma."

Two birds, one stone. Unfortunately, she wasn't making much headway with either.

His insurance comment pulled from her a startled laugh, an ugly snort of a sound that had her quickly hiding her face behind both hands. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh."

"A better forge would be nice," she agreed. "But I'd hate to ruin the one you already have." It'd be a shame to have to rebuild the things he was already familiar with using.

"I'll let you know what Queen Laurelite says," if it's believed more could be found in the Rift then Lavendulan would surely ask him to come with her if Wolframite was unavailable. "One way or another, I know I'll need your help sooner rather than later. I just don't know what the next step is yet."

Right now their main objective was to help find these scales and get back to the Dark Kingdom with minimal casualties; they were already at two officers believed to bed dead, perhaps more since the group of officers currently gathered here was a far cry from what was at the original briefing.