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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 18:42:14 GMT -6
She paused for a moment, checking for any obvious signs of wild critters. It was rather difficult to find anything in a narrow tunnel, so creature tracking would have to wait until they got to a more open area. Faye glanced at her, curiosity glimmering in her gaze. She was clearly wondering why Leafy had stopped.
"I was looking for signs of wild beasts, but this area appears quite empty of them. We'll check again later." She tried to explain.
It was difficult to gauge how much her pet understood her. Faye nudged Leafy forward and the girl obliged. If her mining familiar was determined to keep going, Leafy would not be the one to stop her. It was good that she had taken an interest in mining. It would be a bit odd if a mining familiar disliked the hobby after all. It seemed almost like a paradox. Was it even possible, or was mining simply programmed into them?
(Faye 13, 18)
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Post by Renathan on Oct 29, 2019 18:56:24 GMT -6
What a beautiful green metal! Certainly worth the difficult hard stone around it. Near that is a strange shimmering stone in a fancy shaped! What are they even used for?
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 19:59:36 GMT -6
While Leafy was distracted in her thoughts, Faye paused and clicked to get her attention. She snapped to attention and glanced down at the halfbreed. The Maluzik was sniffing at a stash of two items, a piece of ore and a marquis gem. Both would be of value.
"That's a good find! You're certainly getting the hang of this!" Leafy praised.
She grabbed the gems, putting them in her backpack with the rest of her finds. She debated for a moment returning to the buggy, but decided she would stick it out just a bit longer. If she could find and tame a wild critter, that would be a good time to return. But for now, she was capable of carrying her treasures along by herself. She was gradually gaining more muscle, even if she would never be an extremely athletic person. Exploring was guaranteed to allow her to maintain a certain level of fitness.
(Faye 13 1/5, 18 1/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:15:23 GMT -6
The path started to incline and the change in terrain was enough to catch her interest once again. When the tunnels remained static and unchanging, Leafy found herself growing bored. Simple changes were often enough to keep her from drifting off towards far off places within her mind. Leafy had been learning to keep herself away from those places. She didn't want to lose herself to the darkness. She didn't even know how to describe it accurately. Sometimes she would lose time and when she came to, she didn't quite feel like herself. It was a strange sensation and the girl tried to do her best to avoid placing herself in those situations. It wasn't always so predictable, however. Being around other creatures helped her. Right now, Faye's presence was working to keep her calm. She might be better off with the presence of a sentient creature, but sometimes Leafy liked to be alone in that regard.
(Faye 13 2/5, 18 2/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:18:36 GMT -6
She kept her mind fixed on the terrain. Sometimes it helped her to remain focus on a task. If she could hold her concentration, her mind didn't have the ability to wander. She liked to memorize the rocks and plants around her. There was little in the way of foliage in the underground, but there were still a strong variety of plants that grew down here. Faye twitched her ears as she observed. Leafy appreciated how the halfbreed liked to take things slowly. Leafy could be observant when she wanted to, but the girl was always more focused on learning new things. If she wanted to track down a monster, she was skilled at looking for the signs. When it came to other people, she wasn't the best at reading them. From her understanding, her childhood was not considered normal. But acknowledging that was one thing, accepting it was another.
(Faye 13 3/5, 18 3/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:26:42 GMT -6
She turned her attention back to the tunnel. She had felt herself drifting off to those dark places and she needed to work to bring herself back. She focused on Faye, listening for the sound of her mining familiar's footsteps. The creature was adept at stealth, but Leafy's hearing was sharp enough to allow her to hear the slight noise against the ground.
"You are present in this tunnel. You are looking for treasure. If you find a monster, you think that'd be real swell." Saying words out loud like that was supposed to help, so Leafy tried her best to mimic the tactics she had heard about.
Faye perked up at the sound of her voice. She listened to the sound of Leafy's voice, soothed by the calming tone. If Leafy wasn't able to comfort herself, than she could at least calm her companion down. It was a sign that the two were developing a deep trust.
(Faye 13 4/5, 18 4/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:30:28 GMT -6
They continued forward, following the path ahead down a fairly steep incline. Leafy was glad that Faye did not rush things. It would be difficult to complete this journey with one of her more hyperactive pets. She glanced behind her, momentarily dreading the climb behind her. If she wanted to return to her buggy, she was going to have to backtrack up the hill. Perhaps she would get lucky and could find an alternate route. Hopefully Faye could figure something out. The halfbreed should have some idea of pathing.
"I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, though."
Leafy didn't really consider herself a worrier or the type to plan far ahead. She had her own goals and she'd accomplish them at whatever pace she felt like at the time. For now, that goal was finding more treasure. She'd sold a bunch of pocketpets recently which meant she wasn't hurting for money. But she'd never say no to treasure.
(Faye 14, 19)
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Post by Renathan on Oct 29, 2019 20:37:50 GMT -6
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:49:21 GMT -6
There were even more treasure hiding along the path. It felt rather strange. All of these gems were simply here out in the open. Had someone stashed them here? Was she going to come across the creature or person that had? She shuddered at the thought of all these gems belonging to another person. She was far too impulsive (and greedy) to leave them behind, but the risk of taking them could potentially be rather high. Faye regarded her with a strange look in her eyes. She seemed confused, not quite understanding why Leafy was questioning the presence of so many gems. It seemed like a natural thing to her. Faye might know other mining familiars, but she wasn't experienced with the harshness of humanity like Leafy was. The girl had been taught to question these things. Not by any other person, but through experience. Her parents hadn't exactly been present in her life.
(Faye 14 1/5, 19 1/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 20:53:40 GMT -6
She picked up the pace slightly, simply to get her mind off of things. She focused on Faye's movements, watching as the slender halfbreed gracefully slunk through the tunnel. The tunnel was dark and the presence of shadows was overwhelming. It was difficult for the girl to see much of anything, but the flashlight helped to curb the darkness. However, the tool did not provide her with a very large field of view. She felt like she was stumbling aimlessly forward. She couldn't rely on her eyes and without her sight, her other senses would work to play tricks on her. For now, she would need to rely on Faye for navigation. The halfbreed slowed things down once again, as though protesting against Leafy's impulses. Faye moved calmly, shutting her eyes and clicking in various directions. The process was fascinating, but Leafy found she was struggling to understand much about it.
(Faye 14 2/5, 19 2/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 21:02:22 GMT -6
Could Faye really get a clear picture through echolocation? It didn't seem as effective as sight to the girl, but she supposed that it was necessary for situations like now, where it was nearly impossible to see clearly. Leafy didn't want to be ignorant about such things. Eyesight was familiar to her and it was difficult to understand that it might not be the most efficient tool in helping someone navigate an area. She loved learning new things and sometimes her inability to see past herself made this difficult. She wanted to be more empathetic, even if she struggled with the concept at times. She wasn't a monster, but sometimes it was nearly impossible for her to understand others. Pets were a bit easier for her to understand, but she still struggled.
"Maybe I should listen to you more, Faye," she mused. "Perhaps I have been underestimating your talents. Teach me to be more like you."
(Faye 14 3/5, 19 3/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 21:08:01 GMT -6
Of course, there was still a language barrier between the two of them. Creatures had their own way of speaking and often, that didn't involve language at all. She had heard of objects that could eliminate this barrier, but they were expensive and difficult to obtain. If she were to obtain such an item, she supposed she would use it to understand Felusine. After all, she had a lot of them and their intelligence was rather high. They simply lacked a means to communicate with her.
"We can get along even without words. I have learned that much in my time within the labs," she commented.
She felt a flicker of fondness in her chest as she recalled her different pets. She had so many loyal pets and the thought made her feel rather secure. Even now, she and Faye had forged a bond that was simply growing stronger with time.
(Faye 14 4/5, 19 4/5)
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 21:14:09 GMT -6
Leafy blinked in confusion as Faye suddenly stopped. It was then that she realized that the incline they had been traveling down had abruptly flattened. The area directly in front of them had been blocked off with plywood. It had been haphazardly hammered to a wooden structure. The blockade didn't appear to be particularly effective considering how plywood was rather easy to break through. Her curiosity was too strong. The area was clearly blocked off for a reason, but Leafy wouldn't be able to simply walk away. Even if danger lurked behind this door. Faye appeared equally curious. The halfbreed had her ears perked forward and her tail swished back and forth as she regarded the dead end.
"I suppose we'll need to break this down first if we want to continue on."
She grabbed a piece of plywood, using her body weight to test how strong it was. The wood broke, having long rotted away.
(Faye 15, 20)
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Post by Renathan on Oct 29, 2019 21:15:49 GMT -6
A strange chaotic thrumming began to pull on anyone nearby with an idea of what magic feels like. It almost felt like a stuttering heartbeat; and then like a thunderclap! It alternated without rhyme or reason.
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Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 22:33:22 GMT -6
Leafy felt the familiar thrum of magic in the air. She had to get behind this blockade. There was definitely a magical crystal hiding behind it. She felt immediately drawn to it, even more so than the other crystals she had found. This one seemed to belong to her somehow. Like it was a puzzle piece that she had been searching for. She felt herself growing desperate, as though the barrier was blocking her from a piece of her soul. Faye seemed to pick up on her discomfort, she clicked rapidly, trying to snap the girl out of the strange fugue she had entered.
"Once we get to the crystal, I'll be okay."
Faye seemed unconvinced but she allowed the girl to continue prying wooden planks away from the wall. After a few strong pulls, the entire blockade was dismantled. Leafy immediately felt a huge wave of relief wash over her.
(Faye 15 1/5, 20 1/5)
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