ORIGIN - Cross my Heart

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knew so little about his surroundings that he picked a random direction and went with it, not sure what he would find. He had already marveled at the ceilings of Orion, now he seemed to be heading somewhere very bright. Although his eyes were feasting on the sights, he was careful not to let his guard down. He carefully scented the air and tried to practice his shadow magic whenever he had a chance. Breathing deeply, he hoped for some sort of prey as he hadn’t eaten much since arriving and the lingering feeling of hunger always plagued him.

He saw a flickering light and turned his head towards it, but immediately it disappeared. He crouched low, worried he had been spotted. He sprinted to a wall and tried to blend with the stone. The greenery prevented any sort of camouflage. He panicked while tucked quietly against the wall.

Tourmaline didn't expect to be back here so soon. After her... eventful hunt, Tourmaline had remained with the corpse until the cave claimed it. She'd then headed back into Polaris, but her curiosity soon got the better of her.

The threshold to the tunnel beyond was as Tourmaline remembered it. Covered in moss, and the sweet scent of... something. It seemed empty, with her not seeing Poltergeist immediately due to the uneven terrain.

Would it hurt to see if anyone was there? Probably not... she decides, reaching out with her magic. She's had a little practice, so hopefully it would work.

Her head almost immediately snaps up, then settles down on the fox pressed against the wall. She takes a tentative step closer, calling out, "Hello?"

@Poltergeist

Poltergeist tried to keep an even expression, but to be honest, he nearly jumped out of his skin when the cat found him. He had just barely seen her when she called out to him. A shiver ran down his spine. He attempted a sly smile, but it wasn’t very convincing. After all, he was a tiny, starving fox kit pinned against a wall in fear.

“What a pleasure, hello to you too,” he said as suavely as he could muster. Returning to his element, he sprung from his scared position to a good spot a few feet from the cat. He had never seen a cat like this one, but that wasn’t surprising, he had just seen a deer dog after all. Her gem sparkled and Poltergeist couldn’t help but give it a long glance. It was nearly as beautiful as the ceiling in Polaris. He awaited her answer patiently, ready to run at a moment’s notice.

@Tourmaline

It's small. is the first thing her mind supplies. And polite. And scared. She looks Poltergeist over as he trots in front of her. A child. She remembers her childhood - tumbling out ungracefully in front of an older and larger feline.

Tourmaline hopes she's not that intimidating. "My name is Tourmaline. Who would you be?" she asks, bending down a little to seem less threatening.

@Poltergiest

It seemed as though the larger feline was trying to alleviate his fear. He hoped she wouldn’t change her mind as he was sure she had claws hidden in those soft paws.

“What an interesting name. I’m Poltergeist or Geis, whichever you prefer,” he seemed calm enough, though he was still being cautious. He hoped this was enough to please the cat. He didn’t want to see her angry. “I’ve never been in this tunnel,” Or practically anywhere. “And wanted to go exploring.” He didn’t want to seem intrusive in case she lived here. Trespassing was a big no-no for a lot of animals.
@Tourmaline

"Poltergeist. Geis," she repeats. That seems to satisfy her. A quick nod emphasizes her approval.

"Well, this tunnel..," she trails off, looking down to the other end. "You came from Orion," Tourmaline offers, before tilting her head in the direction of the tunnel exit behind her. "This end leads to Polaris. I think it's the heart of the caves. It's good place to spend time if one doesn't know what to do."

She thinks a little. "These caves are large. I still haven't seen all of them."

@Poltergeist

Tourmaline seemed satisfied thus far with Poltergeist’s words, which comforted a small amount more. He nodded along to her explanation, eyes gleaming from attaining new information. Everything could be used, down to the edibility of the moss at their feet.

“Polaris…” He whispered, noting it to himself. He would definitely go there next. After gleaning as much information as possible from this treasure trove. The idea that even she, clearly an adult of a few cycles, didn’t even know every cave thrilled and scared Poltergeist.

“Do you know where a good place for a burrow is?” He asked before realizing he didn’t want her to know where his hideout would be.

@Tourmaline

"Polaris always makes me feel like I'm ready for anything. I don't know if others feel it too, but... Either way, that is also where I hatched. I spend a lot of my time there." She hopes she's being helpful to this child - Her own fear had kept her from asking questions she would have liked to learned the answers to sooner.

At his question, she glances away, thinking. It takes her a moment. "I've never made a burrow, so I don't know how to exactly. Either way, you might be able to find a spot in Polaris, but there's only a few patches of dirt. I'd try Eridanus. There's a lot of peat and dirt you can dig in, even if it is a bit damp."

@Poltergeist

Poltergeist wasn’t quick to respond as he normally was. Instead, he mulled the information around in his brain for a bit before responding.

“I guess I was born in Orion, but it didn’t feel that way to me. The stars were pretty though.” He said in response to her feelings about Polaris. He didn’t understand how a cavern could make you feel like you could do anything, but he took her word for it. “Eridanus, which way is that? Or what does it look like so I can recognize it if I get there?” He knew trying to describe where something was was an unforgiving task in these tunnels. Unless you were right next to them or knew the area well, how could you possibly describe every twist and turn to get somewhere?

@Tourmaline

She's patient - Tourmaline is not in any rush herself, and she thinks before she speaks plenty. She paws at the moss a little as she waits.

"Maybe it's not your birth cave, but Polaris itself then? There is a large crystal, that magic comes off in waves. Perhaps that is what gives the air its charge?" she ponders, curious herself. She hadn't really thought on the why of Polaris much, just the what.

Either way, she's not sure exactly how to show Poltergeist where Eridanus is without leading him there herself. She thinks a little, before starting, "I think it's one of the tunnels in Polaris next to this one, but that one branches. If you do find it, Eridanus has a lot of ferns and other green plants. The air smells like fresh dirt."

@Poltergeist

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ORIGIN > IC Archives > Year 8 Archives > Cross my Heart