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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 28, 2023 20:42:39 GMT -6
Zenjesi was beginning to believe they had imagined the flash in their eye when, at last... there it was again. It was subtle. They held the beam steady, advancing on the wall. Seeing this, Spectral stood up on his hind paws, front ones bracing against the stone as he tried to spot the object of interest. He had no line of sight on anything that would appeal to a houluh, so he whined once, looking to Zenjesi for aid. "Wait a moment, Spectral," the satyr whispered to him. They leaned in, wishing again that they had finer tools. What is this? At least this shiny spot was located along the back wall of an already carved groove in the wall. They rested the flashlight upon the ledge, took the shovel, and tried to gently use it to scrape out the surrounding sediment. It was not working well. They paused, then looked down at the eager-to-help fellow by their hooves.
Zenjesi: 0.35 Spectral: 5.4, 10.8
Mining: 27
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 8:36:56 GMT -6
They chuckled to themselves, resting the shovel against the wall. "It is your turn," Zenjesi murmured to Spectral. He yapped as they scooped him up, already scrambling to try and scale the wall. They tightened their grip just a touch, lest he squirm free before reaching the ledge. But thankfully, his small size once again proved to be an aid, as he clambered up easily into the groove. He could not stand, but he did not seem bothered by the tighter fit. "Here, Spectral. Can you help me?" Zenjesi reached past him, scraping their fingernail around the edge of the reflective portion of the wall. With no hesitation, he followed the directive, shoving his face and paws deeper into the gap to claw at the wall. Zenjesi stood closely by, holding their hands out so he did not stumble back off of the edge, and watched his progress.
Zenjesi: 0.4 Spectral: 5.6, 11.2
Mining: 28
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 14:31:00 GMT -6
Who would have thought? Zenjesi mused to themselves, watching with a small smile on their lips as Spectral worked away. He was tireless. Whether that was because he just liked to dig and found this to be a fun game or he really understood that he was helping Zenjesi, they were not sure. It did not matter in the end, as it had a good outcome for them both. A spray of dirt hit Zenjesi in the face, and they coughed. Spectral yapped in response, but did not stray from his task. Zenjesi supposed that was an apology. "It is alright, you are helping me," they assured him with a raspy laugh. They took one hand to wipe a bit of dust from their eyes before leaning to try and get a glimpse of the progress. It appeared the houluh had dug past the object and continued to burrow into the wall.
Zenjesi: 0.45 Spectral: 5.8, 11.6
Mining: 29
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Post by Zenjesi on Sept 29, 2023 14:38:57 GMT -6
"You are too quick!" Zenjesi quickly scooped the pup out of the wall, tucking him under one arm while they fished the prize loose. Once again, with Spectral's assistance, it was fairly simple to extract. Zenjesi held it up to the houluh, allowing him to sniff at it while they praised him. "You see? This is our aim," they explained, setting him down on the ground and stooping with him to clean the object off. He was, once again, too attentive, his nose covering the satyr's view. They chuckled, urging him back. "You cannot do this part." They paused. "Not yet anyway." They had only been here a short time, who could say? Carefully breaking off chunks of rubble, Zenjesi discovered the object underneath was... raw metal? Copper, they guessed, giving it a sniff. It was probably for the best no one else was down here to witness this. Leaving it for Spectral to sniff, they stood to shine the light deeper into the groove. Had he unearthed anything else?
Zenjesi: 0.5 Spectral: 6.0, 12.0
Mining: 30
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Post by Nadia on Sept 30, 2023 0:18:40 GMT -6
Indeed you have. The light shimmers off of something that looks like gems... but is a little more alive than that. The gem wyrm's tail quivers, but other than that, it appears stationary. Is it... sleeping? To tame the creature: Make at least 2-5 RP posts interacting with the creature and trying to tame it. At the end of your taming attempt, make your last post with [done] and wait for staff approval.
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 1, 2023 19:39:07 GMT -6
The satyr was developing an eye for gem-hunting. It seemed Spectral was developing a nose for the same skill. The flashlight beam glinted off something green-ish within the wall, reflecting in such a way that suggested a crystalline structure. They chuckled. So perhaps he was seeking something after all, and had not been just possessed by the spirit of digging. But… how did he know? What could he smell of a gemstone? Zenjesi had set the flashlight down once again and was raising the shovel, taking aim, and mulling these thoughts over when the gemstone moved. They froze, narrowing their eyes. Had they seen correctly? They lowered the shovel, switching the light back to their hand instead as they leaned into the gap in the wall for a better view. Yes! There it was again. A flickering movement… a tail? The satyr’s eyes widened. Spectral had not smelled… but heard.
Zenjesi: 0.55
Taming: 1/5
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 1, 2023 19:39:29 GMT -6
The light tracked over what they could see. It appeared to be a serpentine-like form, but entirely made of gemstone. Once again, they could not identify the type, though knowing likely would not aid them any in this matter anyway. Was this one of the beasts they had heard tell of? Was it vicious or could it be befriended? Certainly Zenjesi would prefer the latter, if possible. But it had not reacted to their presence yet. Would it be better to leave it be, to move on without disturbing it with only a shovel and a puppy to defend themselves with? They took one step back, then shook their head and returned to the wall. No. They came to explore and to discover. Reaching into their bag, they extracted a small handful of Spectral’s kibble and a piece of jerky. Were either of these viable as an offering to the creature? At least they would get its attention.
Zenjesi: 0.6
Taming: 2/5
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 1, 2023 19:39:47 GMT -6
The kibble bounced almost musically on the stone as Zenjesi scattered it near the gemstone creature. No response. They hesitated, then extended the jerky, whispering, “Excuse me.” The smell was pungent. Surely that would be enough. What did something that lived in a mine shaft eat anyway? The thought had barely formed when the figure moved. The flashlight glimmered off every facet as the beast suddenly roused. What if that was not a tail, but only a fingertip? Zenjesi suddenly thought, and felt their heartbeat skip as the scale suddenly changed in their imagination. This had been a terrible idea – but then they saw the creature’s face. Empty eye sockets, carved horns, and a jaw that was now parting to reveal fangs… Well that was alright, they were small fangs after all. Zenjesi smiled broadly. “You are a beautiful creation,” they murmured to it. And then the teeth snapped shut on their fingers.
Zenjesi: 0.65
Taming: 3/5
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 1, 2023 19:40:04 GMT -6
Hissing and cursing, Zenjesi recoiled. Their finger was already dripping blood on the stone and staining their ruffled sleeve. Florian should have taught you better, they thought of their Bulldozer. But they admitted they were distracted by the twisting, coiling stones in the light. “That is your trick, is it not?” Zenjesi mumbled then, recovering enough to speak. The jerky had been snatched from their grasp and had vanished somewhere inside of the creature. What was this creature’s internal anatomy…? No, focus, Zenjesi. The wyrm must have been hungry, biding its time until prey stumbled into range. Or perhaps Zenjesi had just been a fool conveniently holding a snack. Now, it was coiled, watching. Watching what? The satyr traced the direction of its head. It was no longer minding them, but the chunk of copper they had left on the ground. A curious idea struck them.
Zenjesi: 0.7
Taming: 4/5
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 1, 2023 19:41:16 GMT -6
Carefully, cautiously, Zenjesi retrieved their flashlight from the ledge. Thankfully the wyrm did not seem offended by this action, still steadily watching the copper and ignoring the kibble. Next, the satyr reached into their bag once more and pulled forth the yet unidentified pink stone. “What do you think?” they asked softly, turning the light onto the stone in their hand and tapping their fingers against it. Unfortunately it was opaque, so it did not quite have the kaleidoscopic effect the wyrm did in the light, but it certainly gleamed in the spotlight. The wyrm’s head swiveled on its strange gem joints, now facing Zenjesi. Slowly, it began to slither forward, creating a strange light scraping sound of stone on stone as it approached the edge. It brought to mind the sound of sharpening a knife, and set the satyr’s nerves on edge once again. But they had to know… they had to know. They held steady. Can you be tamed?
Zenjesi: 0.75
Taming: 5/5 - attempt done!
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Post by Silver on Oct 4, 2023 2:00:47 GMT -6
It looks as if the wyrm is curious about what you have to offer. It will stay. For now.
[You've successfully tamed the creature!]
Unfortunately...
The cavern rumbles and shakes, throwing dirt and small rocks upon you and your pet. The rumbling becomes louder, and the shaking more intense. Bigger rocks start to fall, tumbling down and surrounding you with debris! Before you know it, you’re completely trapped in. Looks like you’re going to have to dig your way out.
[The next 5 posts yield no results.]
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 9, 2023 20:39:09 GMT -6
The wyrm approached the ledge and the satyr beyond it, head still swiveled towards the pink stone, watching… Zenjesi waited, none too patiently. They were tense, ready to recoil, with any luck faster than the wyrm this time. There was something eerie and a little unsettling about a creature that showed no outward signs of life. If it ceased to move, it would appear like well-crafted decor. They were enthralled by it. But it extended its neck slowly, cautiously, twisting its head to peer at the stone. Then it drew back, looking to Zenjesi almost expectantly, somehow. “I am not giving this to you,” they told it. “But if we find more, perhaps we can admire them together.” Naturally, the familiar did not react. “Will you come assist?” Zenjesi was reaching up, extending their arms to the wyrm, offering it an avenue off of the ledge. All this time, Spectral had been running circles around the satyr’s legs, standing up against the wall, backing up farther into the cavern, all in an attempt to get a glimpse at this creature that had so captured his companion’s attention. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped, cocked his head, and his disproportionately long ears perked.
Zenjesi: 0.8 Spectral: 6.2, 12.4 Wyrm: 0.2, 0.2
Mining: 31
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 9, 2023 20:39:31 GMT -6
Zenjesi was so intent on watching the wyrm for signs of aggression (a challenging feat in an inorganic creature) that they failed to notice Spectral’s silence. However, it was impossible to miss what followed. The houluh exploded into racket, barking incessantly, rushing up to Zenjesi and ducking between their legs. The satyr started, pulling back from the wyrm immediately and looking down to their pup. “Spectral, what is wrong?” they hissed. They attempted to follow his attention, to look to the cause of the alarm, but… he was not looking at any one thing. He just cowered, tail between his legs. They felt a sudden bolt of anxiety, tuning their own senses. What was coming? Nothing, his ears were too sharp. But the wyrm had suddenly slithered towards Zenjesi as well. They reached their arms out, and the creature climbed into them without hesitation, immediately wriggling towards the ground. Zenjesi let it down and – there it was. A rumbling, deep in the earth, all around. There was no time to run, and no indication of where to go anyway. So Zenjesi dropped to the ground, covering Spectral with their body and their head with their arms. At the last moment, even the wyrm decided to use Zenjesi’s body as shelter.
Zenjesi: 0.85 Spectral: 6.4, 12.8 Wyrm: 0.4, 0.4
Mining: 32
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 9, 2023 20:39:59 GMT -6
The rumbling grew ever louder. Zenjesi was beginning to wonder how much louder it could even become; was it not on top of them yet? They had a sudden vision of a massive beast of some kind burrowing up and out of the earth, swallowing them whole, and – The ground beneath them began to tremble next. Spectral whined. Zenjesi whispered something they intended to be comforting, but they were not sure what to say, and could not hear themselves anyway. Pebbles began to bounce off their back like raindrops. They closed their eyes. A face flashed into their mind, one they had not allowed in some time. They held her there just an extra moment before pushing the thought away. Focus. But the shaking only intensified. A larger rock bounced off of Zenjesi’s back in the sort of way they knew would leave a bruise. Spectral tried to burrow deeper under the satyr’s cover, but encountered the wyrm who did not want to share. It let out a sort of hiss, Spectral whined again, the two began writhing - fighting? - Zenjesi could not say, they simply lay down flatter, attempting to break it up. Still the ceiling crackled and tumbled down.
Zenjesi: 0.9 Spectral: 6.6, 13.2 Wyrm: 0.6, 0.6
Mining: 33
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Post by Zenjesi on Oct 9, 2023 20:40:21 GMT -6
Then all at once, the worst of the noise subsided, trickling off into a tinkling of trailing pebbles. Zenjesi drew a deep breath, received a lungful of dust, and fell into a coughing fit. They straightened up, and rocks slipped down and off of their back as they did so. They felt as if they were a statue becoming animate, their joints protesting the movement - or perhaps that was only because they had been battered. Spectral sneezed and immediately leaped onto Zenjesi’s lap. They could feel he was trembling, and they wrapped their arms around him almost subconsciously. The wyrm seemed relatively unbothered; Zenjesi supposed this sort of thing must happen from time to time. They fished for the flashlight, the beam catching swirls of dust and shone it around the space. Every tunnel was gone. The groove they had just pulled the wyrm from had filled in. They let out a pent up breath. “We are alive,” they commented. It felt important to note. But… perhaps they would not stay that way if they could not find the exit. Zenjesi coughed again, cradling Spectral in their arms and climbing to their hooves. The walls had all merged into one similar expanse of rubble.
Zenjesi: 0.95 Spectral: 6.8, 13.6 Wyrm: 0.8, 0.8
Mining: 34
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