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Post by Jack on Jul 3, 2019 7:27:30 GMT -6
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Post by Renathan on Jul 3, 2019 23:30:08 GMT -6
The first thing that frightened Renathan were the sudden waterspouts. He had been continuing along the path he chose earlier, the izer tightly holding on to his shoulder, when suddenly water spouted up from exactly where he had just stepped. The roll that he took actually made him a little sore, he had just hardly missed being hosed down with the pressure of a sharp hose. The mammalian worriedly reached for Auburn immediately, and was happy when his hand touched warm fur as she trilled at him worriedly. Her reaction speed was a lot better than his in general, and she had flown to get out of the way. Exactly what he would have wanted her to do; she was more important than him in general, in his own mind. Perhaps that was the way that people of the Labs became with their creatures after time went on, or maybe it was just Renathan.
[21]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 3, 2019 23:32:49 GMT -6
Once again, Renathan was left trying to pick himself up off of the sand. He had no idea what was up with the mansion this month, but it was certainly not something he was used to anymore. The last time the mansion had been vicious to him was last year, in fact, and he was shocked really. He wondered if this was just something that happened during certain months, or if it was simply him. He was weak to psychic influence, after all, and he knew that the spirits of the land were often very adept with such things. Renathan pulled himself up off of his leg, having difficulty doing so because he was sore. The mansion was certainly not being kind today. "Auburn, did you, by chance, hear that before it happened?" He asked, curiously, as he pet her between the pale white ears atop of her head. She often seemed like she did.
[22]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 3, 2019 23:40:39 GMT -6
Renathan was always concerned for Auburn's safety, mostly because she was his familiar and partially because she was excessively small for a creature of his. He hardly ever managed to train something this small, so he was extra protective of her. However, the tiny izer seemed to manage to always steer clear of dangers that were, in fact, steer-clear-able at least. Renathan believed this to even be a bit more the case than it had been with Shy Guy, even, and he wasn't sure what to think about it entirely. "You are a smart little cookie, aren't you?" Renathan said, mostly to no one again, but technically in the direction of Auburn. He knew she didn't really understand him, but here beneath the ground without an obvious way out, Renathan was feeling more trapped and alone than ever. It was nothing like the mines, where he always knew the way out and what to expect for the most part.
[23]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 3, 2019 23:44:11 GMT -6
Renathan finally gets on his feet after a moment of consideration, and once again picks up the izer and places her on his shoulder. She seemed anxious and was extra floofy; he understood why. This place was dark, foreign, and weird. There was no sky; so the poor creature was probably not used to that, being a bird and all. They were so used to being able to lift into the sky, after all. "Be careful, and keep an eye out." Renathan said, practically to no one once again but technically at Auburn. "I promise I will get us out of here, don't be too on edge." Renathan said. He tried to pet her to get her to relax a bit, since she was so anxious, but it didn't really work well. Sometimes he didn't know what to do with the link and all; it was such an odd and foreign thing.
[24]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 3, 2019 23:49:20 GMT -6
The emotional link was almost like having someone in your head all of the time, but it had less of the control to it that one had with ribbons. With ribbons, at least, one could take them off if they needed a moment without an animal being in their head. However; with the link that was not the case. It was just... There, it materialized like a new bridge at certain points with different creatures, some more quickly, others more slowly. If one wanted to avoid them, there would really be no way of doing such. Renathan felt more bad about what the others had to deal with, than what they did to him most of the time. Renathan was much more moody sometimes than the other creatures all were combined, but sometimes he just felt helpless. Auburn was not feeling safe at all, and there was no way that he could fix it except to... Move forward. Danger and all.
[25]
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Post by Jack on Jul 4, 2019 6:25:54 GMT -6
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Post by Renathan on Jul 4, 2019 15:43:19 GMT -6
Renathan absolutely had to keep moving, regardless of how panicky he was currently feeling about being stuck in this mess. Renathan gently petted the fluffy russet izer on his shoulder as he walked, trying to keep her as calm as possible. "We're going to be okay..." Renathan said, mostly for his benefit; but the soothing tone did make Auburn relax just a little. Renathan had learned what to look for with the water spouts, and as he felt the ground begin to seep cold water and rumble beneath a foot, he dodged it quite easily this time, looking back to see how the spout looked. The water almost seemed to glow blue, like the strange water in the hourglasses that glowed on the walls. "Isn't this odd, Auburn? Where are we anyway..." He mumbled. He knew that they were at the Mansion on the grounds, of course, but he had no idea exactly where this was otherwise.
[26]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 4, 2019 16:04:57 GMT -6
They really needed to get out of here, but it was a halting progression at best. The russet mammalian was leaping back almost every other step now, but at least Auburn seemed to be getting used to it, thankfully. Renathan tried to remain positive as the spouts erupted from the ground every few steps or so. Renathan dodgily attempted to avoid them, but they seemed to come from his footsteps, and not randomly. It was a conundrum, there was just not a lot that could be done about it. The black sand was getting a bit... Soupier, too. Still, Renathan continued on, knowing that he had to do something, and moving on was the only thing that could be done. The pair pushed ahead; at least until Renathan's foot hit something solid yet... Hollow. Suddenly, Renathan's heart was up in his throat; or at least that was what it felt like. What... Was that?
[27]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 4, 2019 16:09:34 GMT -6
Renathan already guessed what it was before he even looked down, and he didn't really want to look down, but he did anyway. He tried not to think about it too much when he realized that it was a murp skull... Wearing a tattered, ruined pirate hat. Just... What? Renathan had been afraid that it would be a human-esque skull, but the fact that it was easily recognizable as a murp skull made him feel so much better. "Oh, phew." Renathan said, relieved, before dodging a bit to the side to get out of the way of a new glowing waterspout. "Haha, Auburn, I'd thought that was a human sku-" He stopped when he looked ahead, the water spout illuminating the area a bit better than it had just been before. The area was littered with dry bones of all kinds. Renathan stared in both curiosity and horror, wondering... Where all of these came from.
[28]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 4, 2019 16:15:29 GMT -6
Of course, the mansion tended to just randomly create things out of thin air all the time to exist here, some of which appeared to be just fine to be taken away from the strange area, but these skulls. Renathan almost felt a bit odd about them in general; and he hunted on a regular basis. Some of them were vaguely humanoid as well, and that made him a bit uncomfortable. He didn't hunt humanoids, of course; so maybe it was just their presence that made him feel awkward. There was no way that this many animals and... Well, people, passed here, right? The mansion hadn't even been open long enough this month. Perhaps these were years old? Surely not. Renathan took a deep breath and then metered it out, clearing his head. He couldn't afford to overthink this, they needed to get out. Renathan pushed forward, gently picking his steps over the bones to keep from stepping on them.
[29]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 4, 2019 16:36:12 GMT -6
Renathan tried not to feel too sick as he went over the skulls in the underground sand... Tunnel thing that was absolutely covered in bones. Renathan tried not to think about it much, and finally he made it to the other side of the kind of large room. He then breathed out a breath he didn't know that he had been holding. Renathan had held his tails above the sand the best he could, not wanting to touch any of those if he had the chance. Renathan tried not to be too superstitious, but some things were just not good, all in all, and he'd much rather avoid them. This was one of those things. Renathan kept walking, moving away from the area in the same direction he'd been going this entire time, dodging those blue geyser-like eruptions every now and again. "Don't worry, Auburn. I'll get us out of here." That one was mostly for him.
[30]
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Post by Jack on Jul 5, 2019 10:37:12 GMT -6
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Post by Renathan on Jul 5, 2019 17:56:28 GMT -6
Just ahead, the black sand looked very dry in the pale glowing blue light of the strange sand glasses filled with the odd blue liquid. Renathan was glad for that, but somewhat concerned about it. He felt like perhaps that something horrible would happen, because each new thing they came across seemed much worse than the others. He hoped that the waterspouts would go away now; since the ground was not near as soupy as it was before. His paw pads were screaming for dry, that was for sure. "Auburn, look, the ground is changing up here..." He trailed off, finally getting on what felt like powdery dry sand. How the black sand had managed to be so bone-dry up here when they were so soupy back there was not something that Renathan knew, but it was certainly something he wanted to find out. Sadly, it was more important to get out of here than it was to figure that one out.
[31]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 5, 2019 18:13:23 GMT -6
Renathan picked up his feet as the tiny powdery grains of black sand fell off in little bits. Black sand usually came from lava, right? Was this... No, there was no way this was a lava tube. The black sand was super fine, so it seemed like it would have been inactive for a long time if that was what this was, at least. Renathan tried to quell the panic that was blossoming in his chest. Lava would be just terrible, absolutely horrible; especially with all of the wet. The chances of it becoming immediately steam were pretty dang high. Renathan felt Auburn brush into his neck and he petted the creature, trying to make sure that they were calm. He had to keep moving on. Renathan moved forward over the powdery black sand, trying not to think about the bones he just walked past, or the danger he might be walking into now.
[32]
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