Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 25, 2023 14:22:30 GMT -6
Slowly, and not quite so surely, the two were making their way across, though, even as the receding tunnel behind them continued to echo ever ominous. The sphinx's main consolation was that if there was going to be a stable point, it was likely to be the ceiling of the tunnel above their collapsed space - the structure below had proven to be not quite so supporting, but the structure above them was as of yet unproven.
Thump, thump, thump, the card rolled along, though nearing the opening into the tunnel above, the path got a little easier, as now dirt and soil began to litter the ground among all the stony rubble. A sign of hope, that their new tunnel might be an easier path to walk, but also that the surface might not be that far away. At the very least, something that could lead them back to the main tunnel network, blessedly reinforced and easy to navigate straight to the entrance.
(240) Darky: 240 - (added) Ras Dashen: 125 (0/5) / 125 (0/5)
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Post by Jack on Jan 25, 2023 18:07:04 GMT -6
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 25, 2023 18:17:55 GMT -6
(Cooldown ends: post 265)
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Post by Jack on Jan 25, 2023 18:40:07 GMT -6
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Jun 27, 2023 5:32:49 GMT -6
The gargoyle was certainly doing the brunt of the work, seeing as the mammalian was mostly holding on (both physically and figuratively). Fortunately the slop is quick to even out, and its not long before they're back on level, stable, smooth ground for once, with breathable air to boot. The collapse had been a fair amount of time ago, the digging of the tunnel through the rubble taking quite some time, but even then the dust hadn't completely settled in the collapsed cavern below. Particles and flecks shone back in the flashlight, especially around the part where they'd climbed, as the cart kicked up additional aerial debris when it rolled past.
Taking a moment to rest at the top, the sphinx wasn't going to concern herself with too many 'what if ' scenarios just yet, and instead used the opportunity to sit down, lean up against the cart, and just breathe for once in.. however many hours.
(241) Darky: 241 Ras Dashen: 125 (1/5) / 125 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 27, 2023 5:37:35 GMT -6
Ras peeked out from the front of the cart, still tethered, and there was a curious, Fine? question sent her way.
Darky waved a hand, both assurance and dismissal, "Yeah, I'm okay.. just a bit tired." And glad to be out of the hole, at last. There's much to be said about the power of motivation, in particular during a time of crisis. You don't always realize how tightly you're holding onto any slim chance of hope, until you reach a point where you can loosen the grip and find your palms marked with nail indents.
Well, figuratively speaking, at least. Her palms were scratched and dusty, but from all the digging, dragging and carrying of rocks, rather than any tight-knuckled moment of perseverance. And the heaviness of the cart gave more hints towards the sheer benefit of the trip, which didn't quite undo the drama of getting the things, but was coming as a close second.
(242) Darky: 242 Ras Dashen: 125 (2/5) / 125 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Jun 27, 2023 5:42:16 GMT -6
The rest takes a couple of minutes, the coolness of the new tunnel helping soothe out the last of the stress and panic wrinkles on the mind, before the mammalian breathes in deeply and hauls herself up on her feet again. Out of the hole didn't mean out of the mines, so there's no reason to rest on one's laurels just yet.
"Stay here," she motioned to Ras, and begin to walk back towards the collapsed slope. Not for any self-punishing reasons, but more for geography. Checking where the collapsed tunnel wound, the tunnel above looked to run some distance together, before they diverged away from one another. This meant that for a short bit of the path through the above section, they needed to be careful in case the structural damage to the bottom one's ceiling extended any further from the slope. Although keeping more to the left looked to give better chances of avoiding any unfortunate loss of footing.
(243) Darky: 243 Ras Dashen: 125 (3/5) / 125 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Jun 27, 2023 5:45:56 GMT -6
"Right, we can work with that," she muttered to herself and climbed back up. Above, the gargoyle was already craning his neck to catch sight of her, before beginning to do a small welcome shuffle that could have been seen as a sort of animalistic dance if one was being very kind to the term 'dance'. She'd since learned it meant something.
"What is it?" the mammalian blinked, hopping up onto even ground.
Stone, the gargoyle thought back. Many stone. To be sure, they were in the mines, so there's a lot of rocks everywhere, but she also knew Ras didn't always express his thoughts very clearly when it came to verbal communication. In the mind's eye the word 'stone' rang a lot more brighter, shinier, and expensive.
"You found a cache?" Darky's ears perked, as she pieced the meaning together.
Yes, yes. Many stone, very near, the gargoyle gave a small hop in place.
(244) Darky: 244 Ras Dashen: 125 (4/5) / 125 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 27, 2023 5:49:32 GMT -6
"Alright, show me the way," she smirked, and motioned onwards. They still needed to pull the cart a little to the left of the tunnel, to avoid any threats of a collapsing floor, but once that was done she unclipped the leads from the gargoyle and allowed him to roam around in a few quick circles. It continued to be amazing how finely tuned they were to the nature of the caverns, so much so they could literally 'sniff out' gems and the like by sense alone.
Sure enough, once he'd regained some bearing, Ras shuffled over to the side wall of the tunnel, where some larger rocks had been piled up. Without paying too much attention one could assume it was just naturally occurring, but a closer inspection showed some tell-tale signs of it being a bit too structured.. Someone had set these up by hand, to cover something beneath.
(245) Darky: 245 Ras Dashen: 126 (0/5) / 126 (0/5)
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Post by Silver on Jul 4, 2023 22:27:34 GMT -6
Clearly, this Gargoyle's favorite color is green. It sits just behind the rock pile idly playing with a peridot, not yet knowing that the guardian or its companion is nearby. Hopefully they are able to notice it before it notices them. To tame: Make at least 3-5 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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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jul 18, 2023 15:22:52 GMT -6
( Taming: 1 )
The two were just about to turn the corner in order to approach the pile proper, when a faint clack of a rock caused the mammalian to freeze in place. Her immediate fear was that this was the first tell-tale warning of another collapse, likely a piece of rock clattering down from an unstable ceiling. But once the immediate sense of fear passed over and through, the mind is able to recall one very important fact: the sound was a lot more glassy than that.
With a motion, she indicated that Ras should stay put, while she inched a few steps closed. Sure enough, the other gargoyle came into view just behind the wall corner, looking to be playing with some rocks. The origin of the sounds had been found, but so was another resident of the tunnels. To their fortune, it seemed a bit preoccupied with its play, otherwise if it had turned aggressive things could have become.. a bit more complicated.
(246) Darky: 246 Ras Dashen: 126 (1/5) / 126 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jul 18, 2023 15:26:53 GMT -6
( Taming: 2 )
Which isn't to say Ras wasn't surfing her thoughts for more context on what's happening. He was getting a sense of Something, but he couldn't name it (just that he was being annoyed by it for no reason at all). What, what? he insisted.
Shh.. Keep quiet, there's someone else here, the mammalian made a more desperate handwave towards him again. It's not angry or dangerous, though.. Least not yet. I need you to be as calm as possible. Can you do that for me?
Even as the sphinx was thinking that, the gargoyle's posture had already puffed up at the mention of "someone else", the beak making a minute grind against itself in pre-emptive threat displays. It was a minor sound.. nothing to really be mindful to with any regular miner.. but it was a very distinct sound for a fellow gargoyle, as the winged one's head suddenly turned towards them, the playing stopped.
(247) Darky: 247 Ras Dashen: 126 (2/5) / 126 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jul 18, 2023 15:32:08 GMT -6
( Taming: 3 )
Right, well.. No time to be annoyed at Ras now. The sphinx's mind kicked into gear, trying to think up of what to do next, before the gargoyle had any chance to decide to turn hostile. A rolodex of options flashed by, suddenly stopping at the thought of 'oh, it likes green?'. Well, that's something they had in common.
The mammalian crouched down, making herself seem smaller and less threatening, while very slowly and carefully putting her pickaxe flat against the floor. Her own gargoyle was quick to start objecting, but she merely asked him to trust her, the ribbon keeping the desperate communication silent from their 'guest'.
Unarmed, the gesture might have been more prominent to something a bit brighter, but at the very least the sphinx hoped to appear more harmless. Reaching to her neck, she lifted the bandanna and briefly fiddled around with something beneath and near the collar, before reaching out with a closed fist.
(248) Darky: 248 Ras Dashen: 126 (3/5) / 126 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jul 18, 2023 15:38:56 GMT -6
( Taming: 4 )
Opening the palm, something small and bright dangled down, hanging between thumb and finger - a piece of polished, cut jade, set into a simple tear-type setting of a silver necklace. "Do you like green things?" the mammalian asked, smiling, as the jewellery glinted faintly in the torch light.
The gargoyle's demeanour changed.. Where before it had begun the first stages of defensiveness, especially with the black one so close and so.. bristly, then now it's attention was entirely on the necklace. It knew jade, it was pretty abundant down here in the mountain.. but it had never seen it in this shape, in this form, in this brightness. And it was captivating.
"Seems like you do," the mammalian mused, and took a careful step back, to see if the gargoyle would follow. It didn't at first, but a couple more of her steps eventually started drawing the winged one out towards them.
(249) Darky: 249 Ras Dashen: 126 (4/5) / 126 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jul 18, 2023 15:44:44 GMT -6
( Taming: 5 - Done! )
Ras was still in the process of giving the winged one a proper gargoylian stink-eye, but the sphinx chided him to stand down and stand back. We're making friends, Ras, she explained, I don't think you need to worry about this one. Of course, things can still change, should she put her foot wrong.
Which is why she made sure to go as gradual and calm as possible towards the cart, using the necklace as something of a lure. "There's plenty more where this came from, if you're interested," she explained along the way, for all the good it did in the gargoyle understanding her words. But the phrases themselves weren't half as important as the calming tone.
Once at the cart she finally stopped, "You can have a look if you'd like, it could make for a nice nest." She opened the lid of the mining cart, showing the sheer pile of stones they'd already gathered, of all sort, size and colour, but most importantly, also in green.
The gargoyle seemed to consider, its likely it had never had quite this many gems at any one time. But when the sphinx placed the necklace into the cart that seemed to decide it - the winged one jumped after, nestling within, far too eager to get its strange new shiny prize.
(250) - (added) Darky: 250 Ras Dashen: 127 (0/5) / 127 (0/5)
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