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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 5, 2022 12:42:57 GMT -6
Had Fiera taken Snowdrop to the mines before? She couldn't really recall, but the Tailypo seemed perfectly at home here. She tip tapped alongside Fiera, occasionally leaping into the air to look at something interesting along the walls, cocking her head at it before floating back down. Fiera knew had learned the hard way that as tailypo aged, they learned to fly. Suddenly, baby proofing their enclosures at her kennel got a lot more difficult. Her bringing Snowdrop out today was an attempt to get out some of that energy, and perhaps bond with her some more such that she would be more trainable later. A lot of her tailypo were now too rambunctious to listen to her, which meant that she would have to have them antigrowthed at some point if she wanted them pliable enough to train. It was a pain, but at least she had a couple that she knew liked her. Fiera 16 Snowdrop 8.1/10.1 1
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 5, 2022 14:45:08 GMT -6
Snowdrop, Hellebore, and Daisy were the only ones of her tailypo that seemed to still like her at least a little bit. The rest would just hiss, bite, scratch, and- with the devleopment of their newfound telepathic powers- throw things at her. Which was vastly unpleasant, to say the least. But Snowdrop was usually quite sweet with her, rubbing against her legs and biting her only sometimes. Fiera could work with that, and the more time they spent together, the better. Other than that, Fiera's other reason for coming to the mines... well, she needed more money. It seemed to Fiera like she ALWAYS needed more money, but well... an expensive lady had expensive tastes. It wasn't her fault that all the nicest things in the world came with the highest price tags, but that meant that she needed to do some dirty work to help fund her shopping sprees.
Fiera 17 Snowdrop 8.2/10.2 2
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 5, 2022 14:47:45 GMT -6
No, not that kind of dirty work. She had sworn off criminal activity a while ago... though really it was because she didn't want to bother learning the local underground politics. Instead, she had decided to root through a DIFFERENT underground, bringing her to the mines. There was always something bright and shiny to be found here, and if she was lucky she would come away with a haul big enough to dump on Kor and get herself a decent chunk of credits... that she could then go and blow on something else. It was a wonderful cycle, the economy. And then Snowdrop was here to, well... keep her company, pretty much. Fiera couldn't imagine the tiny feline (though admittedly not QUITE as tiny now- she was starting to near the size of the domestic cats Fiera was more familiar with) would be of much help in breaking through rock and digging out gemstones.
Fiera 18 Snowdrop 8.3/10.3 3
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 5, 2022 14:52:30 GMT -6
No, instead Snowdrop's role would be to sit there and look pretty- perhaps acting as a model for what Fiera should be looking for, the humanish thought with a smile. Either way, the tailypo didn't seem too upset being down here. It wasn't her favorite place in the world, but the sounds and smells of the mines seemed to upset her a lot less than last time. Instead, the tailypo regarded everything with a sort of cool disinterest, glancing around as if searching for something to do. Fiera checked the lead. The tailypo was tied to her mine cart with a thin leash, linked to a collar that glittered with (plastic) gemstones. It was a very fancy thing for a pet to be wearing down here, but considering the "theme of the day" so to speak, it wasn't exactly out of place either. Still, it did have its purpose other than looking nice.
Fiera 19 Snowdrop 8.4/10.4 4
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 5, 2022 14:54:44 GMT -6
After all, Fiera didn't want Snowdrop suddenly finding a particular tunnel interesting, and running off before Fiera could catch her. If the tailypo managed to wiggle her way into a tunnel that Fiera couldn't fit in, then chances are the fluffy white critter would just be gone forever. That wasn't something that Fiera was too keen to have happen, so the more secure the lead was, the better. Thankfully the knot was nice and tight and the clasp was in perfect condition, so Fiera let her attention drift to her surroundings. The "main room" of the mines wasn't anything officially designated as such. Instead, it ended up so large and yawning simply from years of miners stopping here to do work instead of moving further down, slowly expanding it into a room more massive than any other one in the whole complex. Even now, a few people tapped at the walls on the periphery.
Fiera 20 Snowdrop 9.0/11.0 5
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 8:18:21 GMT -6
That wasn't what Fiera was looking to do, however. More often than not these walls were picked clean, and those who worked at them were simply being lazy more than anything. Maybe they'd manage to dig out some remnant scrap of a much larger gemstone that someone else had pried out months ago and they'd call it a day- but Fiera was looking for much bigger and fancier prizes. "We deserve only the best, don't we Snowdrop?" She said, glancing toward the tailypo. The bobtailed little creature gave her an appreciative purr. "Alright, let's see..." Fiera said, mostly to herself, as she looked over the tunnels surrounding them. They yawned, deep and empty, but one off towards the left seemed small, lopsided. Some would consider that a bad sign- perhaps the tunnel was unstable, requiring it to be dug out in an odd shape before being abandoned entirely out of frustration.
Fiera 1 Snowdrop 9.1/11.1 6
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 8:22:01 GMT -6
But Fiera only saw opportunity. If only a few people had been in there before, that left it wide open for Fiera to swoop in and take the spoils. And besides, they wouldn't have even started in on that section to start with if there wasn't something worthwhile in there, right? "Come on Snowdrop, let's check it out!" She said, picking up the pace a bit. The tailypo frolicked after her, equally enjoying the sense of mischief radiating off of Fiera. As she approached the tunnel however, she realized that it may not be as easy to get into as she thought. "Hmm..." She said to herself, leaning to one side. It was a little... lopsided. Instead of being a round hole going straight forwards, it was more rounded at the bottom with a skinnier slot to the left, like a bubble-shaped letter L. It would be pretty hard to get through.
Fiera 2 Snowdrop 9.2/11.2 7
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 8:39:17 GMT -6
But perhaps she could make it work anyway. It might open up further in for all she knew- perhaps this unusual entrance was just something to dissuade people from finding the splendors within, allowing whoever dug it to keep them for themself. "It's worth a try, right?" Fiera said, glancing to her side. Snowdrop had raised her ears at the tunnel... as much as she could raise them at least, and was staring at it. And yet, she didn't seem to be resisting or shying away, so Fiera decided to go for it. As expected, it was an awkward fit. She nudged the mine cart into the rounder hole- thank goodness it fit- and shuffled in through the taller, skinnier one, awkwardly dragging the cart alongside her. Snowdrop filed in after Fiera, thankfully having much more room to maneuver herself than Fiera... not that she needed it, considering she was more flexible than Fiera as well.
Fiera 3 Snowdrop 9.3/11.3 8
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 8:41:33 GMT -6
Fiera glanced back at Snowdrop, looking to see if the tailypo was showing any kind of distress. She seemed wary, but not scared, which made Fiera frown a bit. Perhaps she was hoping the little cat would freak out, if just to give Fiera an excuse to leave as well, but there was no going back now for either of them. Well, there was, but the blow to Fiera's ego would be one that she refused to take, so further down it was. Her headlight illuminated their surroundings easily- what little of them there were. Brown stone lined Fiera's head on either side, with mere inches of wiggle room. She was constantly reminded of this by the grinding and clattering noises that her helmet made as it struck the sides when Fiera couldn't adjust herself in time. The minecart, thankfully, creeped along steadily, not getting caught on any unseen stones along the way.
Fiera 4 Snowdrop 9.4/11.4 9
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 9:26:42 GMT -6
So far so good, but Fiera couldn't see too far ahead to tell if there was an opening up ahead. The tunnel had a slight curve to it, meaning that she could only see a few feet ahead at a time. The tunnel didn't seem to be expanding, but it didn't seem to be narrowing either. Still, that combined with the odd shape and the curve left Fiera wondering if this was a tunnel carved by man at all. She figured that if it was a natural tunnel, carved by the movements of the earth, wind, and water, it would have been hammered out by miners already, smoothed and made convenient to walk or crawl through. But here it was, right off of the main room. That left then the idea of animals. It wasn't like the mines were lacking in wildlife, crawling in and around the various tunnels surrounding them.
Fiera 5 Snowdrop 10.0/12.0 10
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 11:53:43 GMT -6
The tunnel worms alone could have dug this tunnel, though it was unusual to see them so close to the surface. Still, some of the smaller ones could have managed this over time. A more likely explanation however was the gem wyrms and drakes. They were a much more common sight around these parts than the worms, and were just as capable of burrowing with their claws and teeth, even if they weren't very fast. She could easily imagine a few of those digging a tunnel this lopsided as well, as opposed to the more circular tunnels that the worms usually carved out. If they focused on just the soft stone and stopped where it got harder, then it certainly would end up like this. But then... Fiera bit her lip as she continued shuffling down the tunnel, leaning on the wall behind her at an awkward angle as she moved.
Fiera 6 Snowdrop 10.1/12.1 11
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 12:01:27 GMT -6
But then, did that mean there were any gemstones down here at all? Or was she on a wild goose chase down the tunnel to only find a little nest made of useless slag? After all, if it was mined by a person that meant that there was at least SOMETHING down here, but gem wyrms and tunnel worms were a lot more likely to eat whatever scrap they could find lying around. She sighed, preemptively disappointed. She couldn't even maneuver properly in here to mine out the wall in a different direction to try and get to more fertile grounds. She would just have to wait this out and see. And it looked like that was going to happen sooner than she thought. It was imperceptible at first, but the tunnel was definitely getting wider the further down she scooted. She could even feel Snowdrop pressing against her legs as the kitten tried to shove past her.
Fiera 7 Snowdrop 10.2/12.2 12
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 12:05:08 GMT -6
"Snowdrop, cut it out." She hissed quietly, gently nudging the tailypo back with her boot. The shimmering white kitten wailed plaintively but didn't try to shove past Fiera again- the last thing they needed was for her to get stuck between the humanish and the wall and cause them both to have to call for help. Soon, Fiera's headlight was revealing the cave walls even further away. It looked like in addition to the tunnel getting wider, it was getting straighter as well- perhaps she would even be able to stand up straight soon. She kept shuffling sideways, practically crabwalking while half sitting down the tunnel, until finally the walls widened into what she could call a room. "Thank FUCK." Fiera said, not caring if her voice carried back down the tunnel to the main room. She nearly collapsed, settling down in a crouching position and stretching her back, rubbing it where the wall scraped against it.
Fiera 8 Snowdrop 10.3/12.3 13
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 12:11:47 GMT -6
Then she pet Snowdrop on the head, who was plaintively mewing for attention now that Fiera was "in her range" so to speak. "Yes, yes." Fiera said, running a finger along her ear, taking care to not jab her in the eye on her forehead. When Fiera decided that Snowdrop was satisfied (not when Snowdrop decided, of course- she'd be here all day if she let her pet run the show.) she straightened up, stretching until her fingers brushed the ceiling. She still didn't have a ton of room in here, but she had enough. She tugged her mine cart the rest of the way out of the tunnel and finally looked around, taking stock of her surroundings with wide sweeps of her head lamp. The stone making up the walls and floor here was a boring mid-tone brown, just like the stone in the rest of the tunnel she had just crawled through.
Fiera 9 Snowdrop 10.4/12.4 14
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 6, 2022 12:14:18 GMT -6
Fiera gave it a brief tap with her pickaxe. Despite it's appearance, the stone here was pretty hard. It would be tough to cut through, though she realized she may have to if it came down to it. The ceiling ended a foot or two above Fiera's head, making this an impressive space for an animal to have carved out, but only just big enough for Fiera to feel comfortable. It wasn't very wide either, only about six feet in diameter. She could lay down and touch one end with her ears and the other with her tail. Not that she was going to with how dusty this room was, of course. Little chunks of rock were scattered around the periphery of the room, apparently placed there by whatever creature made it, perhaps as cast off materials from whatever construction project they had drummed up. Still, those chunks weren't what Fiera was focusing on.
Fiera 10 Snowdrop 11.0/13.0 15
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