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Post by Leafy on Oct 25, 2019 23:04:24 GMT -6
She and Lotus directed their energy towards the door. Leafy flung it open without care before realizing that it wasn’t such a smart thing to do. Lotus burst forward before the girl could stop her, heading straight for the unknown. Luckily, there was no immediate danger on the other side of the door. They found themselves in what appeared to be a massive dining hall. The tables were extravagant, made of handcrafted wood. They hadn’t been maintained however. Dirt and stone rained down from the ceiling. Covering each surface with a thick layer of grime. Leafy glanced up, trying to determine if the area was structurally sound. When the ceiling didn’t collapse on her, she figured it was probably safe. She’d experienced enough tunnel collapses in the mines to prepare her for the possibility to occur again. The important part was to keep your neck protected from anything heavy that might fall on your head.
(Lotus 5 4/5, 13 4/5)
14
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Post by Leafy on Oct 25, 2019 23:08:27 GMT -6
“Does this area have two floors?” she asked in amazement.
She’d heard of huge dining halls before, but she’d never witnessed one herself. Leafy wasn’t really invited to the mansions that houses them. Lotus burst forward, excitedly wagging her tail. The halfbreed was back to being carefree and Leafy could hardly imagine that she had it in her to growl. If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she was unsure if she would have believed it.
“Don’t go too far okay? And if you see anything interesting, just bark!” she called out after the halfbreed. “I know I haven’t trained you this, but those are my instructions!”
She hadn’t given the halfbreed anything too difficult to follow. If she saw something strange, she’d bark all on her own. Her attachment to people would prevent her from venturing too far away from the girl. It wouldn’t hurt to invest in some proper training in the future.
(Lotus 6, 15)
15
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Post by Renathan on Oct 26, 2019 8:56:11 GMT -6
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Post by Leafy on Oct 26, 2019 18:44:23 GMT -6
On the middle of the dining table was a strange assortment of items. Leafy found a few more of those wax leaves, along with some sort of bundle of flowers, and a mushroom pocketpet. She picked all of them up, placing them inside her backpack with the rest of the stuff she’d found.
“Have you found anything, Lotus?” she called out to her halfbreed companion.
The Orbacus wagged her tail and barked in response. Leafy supposed that meant that she hadn’t found anything. She seemed enthralled with the shadows in the room, chasing after them as the spun and swirled. For a moment, Leafy wondered if the shadows were moving on their own. A quick glance up determined that there were a few hanging lamps in the area. They swung on their own, making the shadows dance as they moved. It was unnerving for certain, but she didn’t think they were harmful.
(Lotus 6 1/5, 15 1/5)
16
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Post by Leafy on Oct 26, 2019 18:58:27 GMT -6
She had some pets that theoretically were able to move through the shadows. She’d never taken the time to teach any of them properly, so she didn’t know quite how it worked. She knew Lotus didn’t have such an ability, but it would be quite entertaining if she did. Leafy imagined that she’d be putting it to good use right away. Right now, she’d settled for chasing the different shadows across the room in some game like tag. Leafy couldn’t even guess how one might win such a game.
“If you somehow have the ability to catch shadows, I promise you that I’ll be very impressed!” she called up to the halfbreed.
Lotus paused momentarily from her game to direct her attention towards Leafy. When the lamp overhead swayed dramatically, the halfbreed turned back to the corresponding shadow and chased after it. She barked playfully at the shadow as she pounced on top of it.
(Lotus 6 2/5, 15 2/5)
17
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Post by Leafy on Oct 26, 2019 19:45:10 GMT -6
Leafy found herself wanting to join in on the game too. She chased after Lotus as the Orbacus chased after another shadow. When the halfbreed pounced on this one, Leafy followed her, jumping onto it like you might jump into a mud puddle. The game was fun, even if there wasn’t really a way to win it. They played for a couple more minutes before she found herself start to feel unsettled. She felt as though someone was watching her, but there was definitely nobody else in the room.
“Do you feel that as well, or is that just me?” Leafy knew that she could get lost in her imagination at times, but this felt like a very real sensation. “If there’s someone else here, come out now! I’m not afraid to fight you!”
Leafy was actually very much afraid of fighting. She had no true combat experience and she hadn’t brought a weapon.
(Lotus 6 3/5, 15 3/5)
18
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Post by Leafy on Oct 26, 2019 20:10:35 GMT -6
When she got no response, Leafy decided that she was just getting confused again. If there was a monster lying in wait, it clearly wasn’t ready to attack her. For now, she could rest easy. The Orbacus had settled down as well, growing tired from her game.
“I think taking a rest is a good idea,” she told Lotus.
There was still a massive room left to explore and Leafy figured they would be stuck in here for quite a while. There didn’t appear to be any food in here which seemed rather odd for a dining room. Leafy didn’t really know how fancy houses worked, maybe that was simply typical for a mansion.
“Don’t rich people have to eat too?” she questioned.
Lotus had grown less hyperactive. She was content to follow Leafy around as the girl checked the area for any signs of life. She decided the area was void of monsters.
(Lotus 6 4/5, 15 4/5)
19
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Post by Leafy on Oct 26, 2019 20:21:44 GMT -6
Monster hunting was an unusual career choice, but Leafy figured that was her true calling. Even if it wasn’t a proper job available to her. She liked exploring area and she liked discovering new creatures. Monster hunting just added a flair of danger to the whole process. She liked having Lotus around to help her. If you were smart about things, monster hunting didn’t have to be dangerous.
“I don’t see any tracks or signs of monsters, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t pass through here. We could be looking at a ghost too and ghosts don’t really leave signs unless they want to haunt you.”
Leafy narrowed her eyes, searching for any objects that a ghost might be attracted to. They liked things they could throw or lights they could control. A ghost could very well be controlling those swinging lamps and she’d have no idea! She needed to stay sharp. Hopefully Lotus could alert her to any ghosts in the room.
(Lotus 7, 17)
20
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Post by Renathan on Oct 26, 2019 20:51:49 GMT -6
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Post by Leafy on Oct 30, 2019 0:30:55 GMT -6
Leafy felt the strange buzz of magic in the air. She glanced over at Lotus, but the crossbreed seemed unaffected by its pull. She made a beeline for the crystal and collected it before it could mysteriously vanish on her. One could never be too careful with these things. She gathered up the other items that could be of value and made sure Lotus was close by. Now that she had found a magic crystal, she felt that her time in this room was done. She led the cross to the door and they both exited, eager to explore a new room.
"We've certainly found lots of treasure so far, haven't we?"
Lotus barked in response, happy that the girl was so enthusiastic. They entered a hallway which had a door located just a few feet inside. Leafy felt slightly unnerved at the placement, but she walked towards it all the same.
(Lotus 7 1/5, 17 1/5)
21
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Post by Leafy on Oct 30, 2019 0:40:15 GMT -6
When she entered the room, the first thing she noticed was how bright it was. The sudden change was jarring considering most of the room during this month were dark and gloomy. It took her a few moments to adjust to the light level and even then she wasn't comfortable. Lotus also had issues adjusting to the light, but this didn't appear to effect her comfort level. She was always fairly happy go lucky.
"What is this place?" she questioned.
The room was spacious and rather plain looking. However, the walls were completely covered in mirrors. They reflected her and Lotus in a warped fashion and the end result had Leafy a little bit disturbed. The distortion of her body was strange and unnatural. She didn't like the portrayal, even if she knew it wasn't real. She leaned down and gave Lotus a quick pat on the head, trying to reassure herself.
(Lotus 7 2/5, 17 2/5)
22
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Post by Leafy on Oct 30, 2019 0:48:18 GMT -6
Other than the mirrors, the room was completely bare. It seemed unnatural, as though it had been formed purely to terrify her. Lotus seemed uneasy as well. Leafy wondered how the cross saw herself in the mirrors. She could understand that the image shown wasn't real, but could a creature? It seemed cruel and she felt bad for keeping the cross in this room. She scanned the walls, trying to see if she could find a way out. She didn't want to spend any more time in this room. Lotus approached one of the mirrors, her hackles standing on end. Her aggression was sudden and it made Leafy all the more aware of how uncomfortable her companion was. She followed the cross as she growled at the mirror. When it became evident that the mirror wasn't about to fight back, the halfbreed relaxed her posture. She seemed confused and uncertain about the mirror.
(Lotus 7 3/5, 17 3/5)
23
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Post by Leafy on Oct 30, 2019 0:51:44 GMT -6
Leafy began to press on different parts of the wall, trying to find the exit. It was evident that this room wasn't dangerous, simply unnerving. There was no real rush to leave, but she didn't want to stay here any longer than she already had. Lotus pressed herself up against Leafy's legs. She moved with the girl as the two checked each wall. After a while, Leafy noticed that one of the mirrors was looser than the others. With a little bit of fiddling, Leafy managed to pull it completely free of the wall.
"This looks like a way out!" she exclaimed.
The mirror revealed an opening. It wasn't quite the door she was looking for, but it appeared to be an exit all the same. Leafy gestured for Lotus to follow her and the two entered into a narrow passage. She hoped it would lead somewhere with treasure, but she would take anything at this point.
(Lotus 7 4/5, 17 4/5)
24
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Post by Leafy on Oct 30, 2019 0:55:57 GMT -6
The passage was ominous. Leafy didn't like the way that the floorboards creaked underfoot. The walls were made out of wood and there were cracks between the boards. Wind blew through the cracks, chilling Leafy even while she was indoors. They walked through the old passage until it finally ended with a locked door. At least she presumed it was locked. She didn't see a keyhole, but the door remained firmly shut when she tried to open it. Was something keeping it closed. Lotus glanced up at her, uncertainty flickering in her gaze. She didn't understand why the girl wasn't opening the door and Leafy didn't know how she could explain it to her. For now, the halfbreed would need to be patient.
"Maybe if I kick it down?" Leafy speculated.
She didn't have much skill in kicking down doors. She'd never had to do something like that. She lined up her foot with the door and kicked at it with all her might.
(Lotus 8, 19)
25
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Post by Renathan on Oct 30, 2019 6:28:27 GMT -6
What immense luck? Just how did you manage to find just another one this close to the last?! A leaf with a face congratulates you on the endeavor. (Share some of that luck with the rest of the world~ :3)
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