ORIGIN

As much as Rinaotei likes snow maybe coming here in Tunnel M wasn't a good idea for a couple of reasons the factor that the water that has flooded the paths are still above flank-deep which she occasionally needs to swim through. Also the factor that it was dark still and that was when Rinaotei was deceived in Tunnel M that led to some unfortunate circumstances even if Rinatei believes that she may have actually seen the same presence that tricked her in Orion when she presented more stones to Mintaka although sighting them again was unnerving.

So she came here despite the past and current circumstances possibly avert that presence and oddly the moment she entered she saw a blue, tiny crystal which she carefully plucks with her tail. Well, Rinaotei supposes she could pass the time finding more, hopefully by the time she presents more to Mintaka that presence will have gone by then.

"Speech"

In this gelid cavern, there will most likely be a lot of stones that'll be caked in frost making them look like white stones. Rinaotei perhaps could've used the likes of Glaciate on some gravel earlier to make them have that colour. It would've been an excellent idea, but Rinaotei is aware that the verglas and the ice of her Spell would've melted eventually if anything when in Fornax the ice would melt in a few minutes if she used the Spell.

Rinaotei still tried looking in areas that had stones coated in frost and to her luck she a pretty big crystal, clear maybe but also had a tint of white on it almost like the big one she found underwater in Fornax. Rinaotei now off the ground flies just a little she grabs it with her front talons and brings it to near the entrance.

"Speech"

Pushing her two finds a little further away so that they were a bit more well-hidden not to get stolen even if the darkness did a good job enough in cloaking their visibility. With that done Rinaotei decides that since she managed to find two stones in the water earlier, she'll check in the water too. Wading in this admittedly freezing water that was biting at her nerves to make some parts of her body feel numb, which has been a concern for her as previously she could handle cold water, even Tunnel M's, well, except for the time where she drowned in it and almost died and instead came back with this new form to her body. Still, she tries not to let that part get to her; she's more concerned how in that incident Rinaotei got deceived for being too foolish for her good and harming another Gembound in the process which she is still unsure whether they are alive from that or not. Walking and occasionally swimming in this water she actually saw another blue stone, looked like some blue gravel. Deciding this will be good she takes that one too in the hook of her tail and wades back over although admittedly this backtracking was perhaps taking more time than actually finding the stones.

"Speech"

Feeling very confident on how well this is going motivates Rinaotei to continue and keep this going not as much of a chore to pass the time now before going back to Orion. Deciding to get creative again, she tries to find any small grottos in the walls which did take some time as while there were some, quite a few of them were submerged underwater by the flood. Rinaotei did manage to find a large crystal while swimming underwater in Fornax that water was warm and wasn't as limited in space. Soon she did find a cave though what does she know it a white stone is right inside it too, the entrance was fairly narrow though as she to squeeze inside the lip of the rocks from the entrance was prodding at her jaw which did hurt. Withdrawing her face from the entrance, on closer look, however, the stone itself isn't so far inside to need to squeeze her whole body inside. Instead, she jabs one of her front legs inside it which had enough force to get it through, and she gripped onto the stone, she shot her leg backwards which did risk her claws losing the grip on the stone but she managed to keep hold and take it back to her loot.

"Speech"

On the way back to the entrance her new one for the collection that she has taken out from her claw and put that one coiled around her tail Rinaotei was careful not to lose her grip. But she ended up slipping and her face toppled into the flooded water which thankfully while deep for a path that's for walking on it isn't deep to be trapped underwater in and potentially drown. Rinaotei didn't bring her head back up yet and instead actually took this time to look to see if there was another that she could find to find what looks to be another blue gravel. First, she picks up the smooth, white stone that did slip out of the coil of her tail and picked the other one with her jaw and brings her head back, nice as it was to find this perhaps she can have the wade back to the collection without slipping again.

"Speech"

Rinaotei didn't bother for a little bit to look for more as the cold temperatures were starting to get to her she couldn't really feel her body well as it feels rather numb which made movement difficult can't really try to look for more and potentially carry a new stone back to the entrance especially with that wall she needs to climb each time, perhaps she should move this collection to the Pisces entrance instead...

"Speech"

After the pondering for her break, Rinaotei decided against placing all these stones by the Pisces entrance, as while it will be nice not to have to trek this wall every time she finds a stone. The challenge will be carrying all of them all at once when she's done to take them to Orion which may not end pleasantly. So she leaves them there as she glides down from the cliff of the wall and looks for some more, choosing to fly around this time to find some taking it slow to avert crashing into things. She saw something which she thought at first was a chunk of ice but on further inspection was another clear but still white crystal. Rina grabs the quartz with her talons and carries it back to where all the rest are, maybe remain in the air to find things.

"Speech"

Rinaotei chooses to take a break again when she decides not to find some more right away and just guard the stones she has found so far, although she is more in Orion now of sorts with it being less cold so she'll be able to be warmer quick, perhaps since she done this in quite enough time, she shall wrap this up soon.

"Speech"

Rinaotei decides to give things one last bout very quickly, her body felt too numb still, but since originally this search was only to pass the time and hope that perhaps that presence that was the same one that was what caused that incident here in Tunnel M in the first place. Rinaotei however still thinks lots of the blame for that incident was her's since she allowed it to happen to her even if she was half the wiser. But an aspect of herself was also concerned for other Gembound what if it tries something on other Gembound like it did to her? So she made her last look quick and was barely paying attention, but luckily she managed to find just a small blue stone again, so she whisks that away and hastily returns to the other ones by the entrance scooping the smaller ones with her tail and the crystals she places on her back. Checking if fully packed while wrapping her wings around her back again she tries her best to dash over to where the kings are despite the numbness and holding all of these stones.

"Speech"

OOC: -Exit Rinaotei-