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Post by Annabelle on Aug 19, 2012 6:19:24 GMT -5
A place where people are said to just suddenly disappear, now that had her intrigued.
For years she has travelled around with no particular destination in mind, always the roamer. Never settling down anywhere or even caring to find somewhere to settle down, she was always looking to discover new things, but more importantly find her long lost brother. Thus far she has had no particular leads, but deep within the pits of her stomach she just had a feeling that she was alive. And she might have finally found out where he might have gotten to, or so she hoped. The past few ‘good vibes’ she has had got her absolutely nowhere. But this place seemed different from all the rest. These crystal caves as they were called definitely caught her eye when she first heard people go missing here and that odd things are known to happen at night when the animals come to take refuge.
Now, Annabelle is not always a curious wolf, but she does have a soft spot for odd things. There was no way she could resist exploring something like this whether she would find her brother here or not. So far she has discovered that this place likes to play tricks on you, making you think your reflections off the crystalline structures lined throughout the cave are something they are not. Sometimes they mocked her, her black pets did seem intimidating from the lack of lighting whenever she caught a glimpse of her reflection, and sometimes they made the path look the same. It truly was almost like a forest of crystals, this cave was. It was beautiful and yet confusing at the same time. One more than one occasion, she had found herself wandering in circles; at one point it became frustrating but the thrill of it all toned down her frustration before it could escalate and get her lost permanently.
That certainly wouldn’t have been fun. But then again it could be the very reason there are disappearances: this places draws in those curious or stupid enough to want to explore and then they become lost for all eternity trying to figure out the maze. Or perhaps the crystals tell them where to go, and they don’t really listen, or they are too stubborn to see the signs. Huffing softly, she chuckled in amusement at her own thoughts. She really wasn’t sure what to make of it all; perhaps she was being stubborn and would end up lost as well, though again she really did not want to end up lost. Or, of course, getting lost was inevitable in these caves. Somehow that wouldn’t be all that surprising but she didn’t want to risk it by going in any further than she has.
It was starting to get darker; from what she understands, hearing things through the grapevine, things really get interesting at night. It goes without saying, really, at least from some of her past experiences anyway. Night time was fun time, where the true predators were out and about and the world becomes dangerous, yet alluring at the same time. Which only strengthened her interest in these caves, what mysteries they would hold at night, or were there no mysteries at all and she came here for nothing. It would all be a waste of time. But that was her life for you, she sometimes wastes her time with things, no matter how irritating it may seem. There was always some sense of intrigue in things, though she always liked a deeper meaning. If it was too simple, it was just that, a waste of her time.
For now, since she has not rested for awhile, she decided she would curl up against the wall. Her little adventure could wait. The caves would still be there when she woke up.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 19, 2012 6:48:51 GMT -5
The caves had put the tigress in a sour mood. Sure the little reflections were pretty and alluring, but who, honestly, would be stupid enough to walk into a place just because it was pretty. Things scaled mountains because they were pretty, and what ended up happening? They died from stupidity. It was much harder to die in these caves, unless of course you came in to starve. Angelus had already dealt with those fools, either relaxing in her stomach or whining somewhere behind her.
The Crystal Caves were Angelus' secret spot. She came here when she was feeling extremely antisocial, or to surprise the things that hid from the moon in here at night. She knew, vaguely, her way around, mostly by dragging her tailblade against the crystals on the wall and listening for the resounding echoes that drifted back towards her ears. It also caused some of the crystals to chip, which made it even easier to find her way back to where she had come from.
Strange, then, that she smelled a wolf not too far off. Angelus trigger her eyes to give off that faint red glow, making the crystals go berserk with madness. Their chaotic glow floated back onto Angelus' stalking form, causing her holographic fur to shine more eerily than usual. Her tail was raised overhead what seemed offensively, but it was more for her defense, in case this wolf was an aggressive fool like so many others she had run into. Either way, she would have to get around this wolfess before she could make her way out, and interacting with others was not one of her strong suits.
Angelus halted a few yards away, her silent form obvious for this wolfess to examine. Blade was held steady, ready to insert poison should the need arise. "You. Who are you?"" The low rumbled echoed quietly, fire brimming on the edges. Socialization was not her strong suit, but she did not quite feel like eating wolf after all of the other morsels she had. Perhaps she could just sidestep the body and be on her way, but for the moment the fae had the tigress' interest.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 19, 2012 7:27:19 GMT -5
Annabelle had not fully been asleep and soon became aware that she was definitely not alone. As soon as an odd sound captured her attention, her ears strained and her fur was on end, listening in the direction the noise had come from. Odd, the noise sounded a lot like something being dragged across them. In fact the crystals seemed to make the noise ricochet around the area. Almost enough to give her a headache and made it hard to concentrate, she noticed. That was something that did not sit well with her, and a low growl escaped her throat as she kept her gaze transfixed upon the direction from which the noise came. Whoever was disturbing her peace was going to pay dearly. She did not like being woken up from her beauty rest, not that she really needed it anyway. Beauty rest was, more or less, an excuse in her eyes anyway.
The glowing red tiger came into view not too long after she growled. Annabelle’s ear twitched, “Me?” She replied in a sultry tone. The black wolf did not bare her fangs or even act aggressive, that tail honestly did intimidate her, but instead she straightened herself and smirked once she got to her feet. “Why, I’m just a traveler looking for a place to rest for the night. This place has caught my eye, it’s so mysterious, and the crystals as marvelous. I couldn’t help myself.” Daring to step closer to the strange tiger she sat about a few feet away and curled her tail around her paws. Her head was tilted slightly, taking in the odd features; what stuck out most were those glowing eyes. Annabelle was indeed a curious wolf, perhaps too curious for her own good at times, but that did not mean she wasn’t cautious.
“What about you? Did you come here seeking to discover the mysteries of the Crystal Caves, just passing through?” A simple question, perhaps proving she was a bit of a curious wolf. But honestly she didn’t want trouble. There were times she could be rowdy and stir up a bit of conflict but she was far too tired at the moment to think up something clever. And that tail… Now that she was thinking about it, it kind of reminded her of a scorpion and wondered if it was just as deadly. Annabelle didn’t have any fancy toys like that; she was born as a ‘normal’ wolf mostly. All she had were her fangs and claws for the most part.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 19, 2012 7:57:23 GMT -5
Tigress glared as she felt the wolf's eyes all over her odd form. Perhaps she was new to the strangeness of the Tundra; certainly there were none like Angelus, but there were other ones that were not "normal". Or, mayhap, she had simply been stuck within the caves for that long of a time. The she-wolf did not seem to be suffering from the usual effects the caves wrought, but nonetheless she seemed to be one of those curious ones who always fell for the cave's tricks.
Throat rumbled as the wolfess became more concerned of why she was there than who she was. It irked her when Angelus' questions were ignored. Impatient sigh flowed swiftly through her nares, eyes closing for a second to calm her temper. The feline was always more patient with females, for some reason. Testosterone just seemed to get on her nerves. As she opened her eyes again, her blade lowered, and crania rose to a normal position, seeing as this wolfess was not her chosen prey.
Eyes narrowed as the femme dared to near her. There was no aggression in the canine whatsoever, just simple curiosity and the thirst to know. Many had shown interest in the tigress, but few dared to let it consume them in her presence. Maybe Angelus would do some studying of her own. Her orbs turned themselves off, not really needing the low wavelength light anymore, and the cave returned to its former gloomy state.
Angelus scoffed as the wolfess blathered about her own reasons for coming here. "There are no mysteries in these caves. Only alluring lights." Maybe kindly (or perhaps not), she left out her usual thoughts of the dull-minded being the ones to fall for it. The tigress could hardly blame her for wandering in if she was that fresh to the Tundra."I simply come here for entertainment." The glowing tigress had already deduced the reason the ebony wolfess was here; it was the same as any other slumbering creature she had killed along the way. This one, as long as she provided entertainment, would escape her ever touchy wrath for the moment.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 19, 2012 8:59:45 GMT -5
The tigress definitely did not seem like the most open-hearted creature Annabelle has come across in her travels but she was definitely one of the most interesting. Being new to these lands, she did not really know what to expect; the land she was born in was very different from this that was for sure so she considered herself a bit of a tourist. A tourist because of her curiosity, her eagerness to learn more about this land and its inhabitants, the wonders that hide deep beneath the surface if any. She had to admit that there was a bit of disappointment when it was mentioned that there were no mysteries in this cave. Seems she had been right about them after all but she was not deterred. After all the tiger had mentioned that there was some kind of entertainment to be found here.
“Entertainment?” Annabelle inquired, “Well, that’s a shame. The way this place was spoken of I would have expected there to be a lot more, but I suppose entertainment varies in the eyes of the individual.” Surely there had to be a reason for her coming here for entertainment, even if this place held no mysteries. However she knew better than to pry and just left it at that for the time being. As much as the tigress intrigued her she was still a stranger, and Annabelle was a trespasser in one way or another, she was going to stay in her place and respect that. Tourists had a tendency to ramble on and ask questions to the point of annoyance but she knew better than to just shoot her mouth off without thinking. Years of being a loner will do that to you. It will make you aware that learning must be a personal experience and you shouldn’t be spoon fed everything.
Oh how it irritated her whenever she was bombarded with questions. It was only natural that she would not do that to someone else, knowing full well how annoying that could be indeed.
The she-wolf tilted her head again, seemingly deep in thought. Perhaps she really had come here and wasted her time, discovering nothing, but then again she had not fully explored. There had to be something deeper, right? Well that might be a little too adventurous or stubborn for her taste even if she had her moments of stubbornness. A light smirk touched Annabelle’s expression again, “You know, I have heard that those who wander in here often disappear without a trace. I don’t know about you, but I suppose that could be seen as entertainment.” She took her eyes off the tigress for a moment to look around, “This place plays tricks on you as well, also entertaining yet tedious I imagine.” In a sense what she said was more of an observation or a statement, to seem obvious more or less; in a sense it was her way of keeping notes.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 19, 2012 18:22:39 GMT -5
A small smile spread its way onto Angelus' face. Her eyes flickered to a glow again, creating an eerie scene of the grinning tigress. Her auds flicked intently, drinking in the wolfs words of the tales that were spread all over the Tundra about the caves. For all Angelus knew, those tales were of her and the dead bodies behind her. But, if the wolf wanted to sate her curiosity, by all means, the tigress was perhaps the best escort for the wolfess.
"Very well then, little wolfess. Let us venture deeper into the depths and see what we can see." Shoulders turned back towards the way she had come, her tail making a thick "shink" into the side of the wall into the previous groove she had created. Glowing eyes looked back towards the wolfess expectantly. "I would not, honestly, walk behind me." The wolfess would not be forced to change her position, but being closer to the source of the scratching noise was not to the canine's benefit.
Uncaring of what the canine chose to do, Angelus began walking, the scrapping noise causing some of the whining to resound again. The tigress was obviously pleased by the noise as she walked, and she continued on, content to sate the wolfess' desire for knowledge of the Crystal Caves.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 20, 2012 7:25:06 GMT -5
Her own personal escort? Now that was going to make thing interesting, Annabelle thought to herself as she chuckled quietly and stood from her sitting position. “Oh, well by all means let’s indeed have a look around, maybe we will find something interesting.” A yawn and then a long almost exaggerated stretch came from the black she-wolf before she began to trot alongside the tigress to avoid the business end of that ever intimidating yet still very intriguing tail of hers. Knowing what was best for her, she would avoid being damaged by something strong enough to create grooves in the crystals at all costs. Her stride was graceful and definitely suited a wolf her size easily; she carried herself well, proudly, as a wolf should. Annabelle was not in any way haughty but she did have a sense of pride about her –the pride of being a loner.
As they walked further along, she took in the surroundings. In more ways than one this place was definitely a forest of crystals, lined with mysterious (whether they actually did hold mysteries or not didn’t seem to matter at this point) passage ways. Who knows, maybe they would find some awesome treasure. And if they did would they be forced to fight for the treasure to see who gets to keep it? Getting into a fight with this tigress was probably not something she should put on her to do list but the thought amused her greatly. Where she was from, she was known as a top fighter, which was why some of the packs let her in with them after she defeated them. Against a creature such as this mysterious tigress, well, she might not want to press her luck but she couldn’t help but wonder.
“You say there are no mysteries here, but I still can’t help but think that the crystals in the caves are indeed entertaining.” The she-wolf spoke out again, continuing to absorb her surroundings. At one point, when the tigress’s tail chipped a piece of the crystal off, Annabelle pushed it along with her paw, noticing how it seemed a lot different from the ones closer to the entrance to the cave. It made her wonder if they really did hold some secret that was unseen to those who could not look past the seemingly dull and uninteresting façade. This little adventure was going to be interesting.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 20, 2012 13:17:47 GMT -5
The passageways led on and on, with no end in sight to them. Angelus could very well have taken the wolfess in circles without her noticing too much, but decided against such trickery. There was no reason for her to act ungraciously towards her guest, though there was no reason to lavish her with kindness, either. The tigress was continuing on simply for her own enjoyment of the situation.
Angelus huffed at the wolfess' insistent statement about the mysteries of the cave. The unnecessary yapping touched her patience, much like a curious cub would. She was not content to just know that the caves were mysterious; she wanted the knowledge of why. It would make the wolfess a great asset in her latter years, should she exist that long and curiosity not steal her away and give her to death.
Silenced reigned for a while after the canine had spoke, Angelus pondering on a few issues in her head. "I have always taken the same route to ensure low odds of losing my way... perhaps you would like to venture to where I have not been?" The feline hoped that the wolfess understood the possible dangers that could come with venturing into the unknown. Though, if the wolfess was here, in the unknown to begin with, it did not bode well for Angelus' hopes. The crimson tigress had given her offer of entertainment, not of protection.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 20, 2012 14:49:27 GMT -5
Annabelle couldn’t help but smirk when the mention of venturing into the unknown was brought up. The possible dangers of this place practically oozed off of it and yet it still did not deter her. The black wolf has always led a dangerous life, stealing from other packs, getting into fights. In fact the mere thrill of plummeting deep into something unknown and potentially dangerous brought a sparkle to her eyes and a faint grin to her expression. What was danger to her? It was an obstacle, something to conquer and then spit on once you worked your way around it. Should you face defeat, you try again, and if it kills you, well, then you’re just plain stupid and probably should have never put yourself up to the challenge.
The tigress’s words seemed just like a challenge to her despite the hidden warning laced in with her tone. Or perhaps this was Annabelle’s rougher nature beginning to peek through just slightly. She was quiet for a few moments, letting the words further sink in so she could choose the response she felt was best. The she-wolf could be extremely shy at times whenever a dare or challenge was present even if she usually hardly ever backed down. Socialization was not always something she was comfortable with and she usually stirred up trouble or did something mildly anti-social. The temptation was beginning to scratch at her here, almost as a way to further test the tigress. Annabelle enjoyed testing others just to get a feel for the other and see where she should not tread.
“If you’ve not been there then I assume it would be for good reason,” she replied with a bit of a chuckle. “On the other hand, perhaps the reason you stick to what you know is because you’re afraid of what might lie off the beaten path?” The question was spoken in a neutral tone, no challenge other than her testing. “I, for one, would love to see what lies beyond if these caves are every bit as dangerous as their reputation describes.” After all she didn’t come here just to see the pretty things even if they were fascinating; the more the two walked the more her curiosity grew. However, as it grew, she knew she would have to be careful and not allow it to carry her away. This was indeed still the unknown. The unknown was still ever dangerous.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 20, 2012 15:10:17 GMT -5
Auds flickered at the fae's statements. Angelus, afraid of the unknown? It wasn't likely. What the wolf had in thirst for knowledge Angelus simply lacked. She had roamed through to the one of the caves many dead ends, picking off unsuspecting prey as she went, and this was good enough for her. It was within the tigress' power to make a map of the place, for her technique of slicing a part of the wall with her blade could be put to multiple uses.
"The only reason I avoid them, wolfess, is that I do not posses the same bubbly curiosity as yours." Angelus kept her tone neutral as well, though the wolfess' words held more insult than hers. The feline paid little mind to the wolfess' ramblings; she fully understood, after many sentences, that the fae wished her hunger sated. It was only a matter of when the caves would run out of tunnel that she had already passed and reveal to them new passageways.
The tigress made a very angular turn to the left, switching her tailblade to the opposite side of her. The smell of old blood and meat filled the air here, and Angelus couldn't help but grin. This was the way she had come earlier, but she would not tell the fae that information. Perhaps it would rouse her curiosity even more, and though that result might annoy the tigress more than anything, it was still of interest to her to see how the fae would react to such a graveyard this deep in the cavern.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 20, 2012 16:24:05 GMT -5
The look that fell over Annabelle as she listened to the tigress’s response carefully was not quite readable. It could be portrayed as satisfaction as well as amusement but also showed a hint of nonchalance, taking in what was said about her, as she would not deny her curiosity. “’Bubbly’ curiosity? That might be one way of putting it,” was her response, keeping it simple, her tone remaining neutral. While she was indeed a curious wolf she would not say she was bubbly. If anything if she was asked she probably say that she was just too intrigued for her own good, her ignorance showing through a bit more than she would have liked. It was a bad habit of hers and she can’t help it sometimes no matter how much she tried to restrain it. Usually she didn’t care too much about these things, but the Crystal Caves really have caught her eye for it to come out.
Nothing was said after that as she silently continued to watch her as they moved about the caverns, already having taken notice to how she navigated with ease, marking her path with that tail of hers. It was becoming more of an annoyance to her than something of interest as she always had to be careful and not get herself cut on it. The crystals on the floor of the cave were sharp enough, this section seemed to have them laid out oh so conveniently, and if her paws had not been hardened by long travels and rough terrain they probably would have been sensitive on them. Of course that did not mean she couldn’t feel them, for every now and then she would have to step over an extra sharp-looking on so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
And on top of the threat of the crystals, she could smell blood in the air. She lifted her head and smiled a bit as the scent touched her nose; Annabelle loved the smell of blood. It was one of her little fetishes and showed she had potential to be dangerous herself if provoked. “Looks like not all of the curious ones are lucky, what a shame,” she commented quietly, mostly to herself. The blood smelled pretty fresh, too, which make her put her guard up a bit more though it was subtle. Something must be in the caves with them, unless she was just having an over-reactive imagination, which was more than likely the case. Whenever she went seeking something, she tended to have a bit of an imagination and on more than one occasion it has proved to be a handful.
“I wonder if we will end up just like them,” she added with a smirk. This time her tone was a bit less neutral and held a sick sense of humor hidden in it. Perhaps this was just one of her little mental notes, however, it was not exactly known for sure. Sometimes the black she-wolf could be odd in her own way. Then again who was not odd?
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Post by Angelus on Aug 23, 2012 7:12:25 GMT -5
Sick smile was plastered upon Angelus' countenance, fangs catching the nearly demonic luminescence of her eyes. That thing that was in the cave with them was none other than she. The secret was hers, and she would not reveal her little wonderland to anyone. She wanted no one else to claim this area as their little hunting playground, It was one of the few things in her meager life she was willing to fight for, that and her freedom.
The crimson tigress spoke not a word in reply to the wolfess, simply dragging her blade against the wall as she walked. They soon passed most of the bodies, everything at the back rotting. Angelus paused a moment at a three way split, lifting her tail non-menacingly into the air. "Well, wolfess, you chose the adventure; choose our path." Orbs burned into the owner of the amber eyes, expecting a swift answer, though a part of her challenged that, thinking that the wolfess would instead babble about the choices.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 24, 2012 4:33:36 GMT -5
Her brilliant amber eyes scanned the paths that stood before them warily as the tigress informed it was up to her to decide which of the three they should take. Each path lead on into the unknown and she could only choose one? Annabelle did take some time to wonder how she should go about the question. It was a simple task after all so there was no reason to delay it any further than it needed to be. So with that though she kept it simple and did not think about it too much; surely there were other paths similar, all branching off in different directions like this. It was likely that they would take them back to the beginning again, but she certainly did not want that. The whole point of this little adventure was to explore even if that did mean they would probably end up going in a circle at one point or another.
Annabelle wondered if the straight path was the way to go, what that slightly adventurous side felt was right, but she also wondered if that was to be expected. They say that if you take the left path when you’re lost and continue to do so you will find your way back to the start. In a way she was going to challenge the tigress. Which path would the tigress expect her to choose? Well there really was no reason to keep her waiting, Annabelle thought to herself. After giving a brief nod, “Well, if you insist,” the she-wolf spoke about a minute after the tigress had spoken, brushing past the crimson beast and heading down the right path, gesturing towards it with her head to further confirm her choice. For all she knew the right path could very well bring them in a circle but she went with it anyway.
The question had not been one where there was a right or wrong answer to it after all. After a few feet she paused and looked back to see if she would follow, warily. Her guide, as it were, could just completely abandon her and take a different route after all.
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Post by Angelus on Aug 25, 2012 7:20:09 GMT -5
Angelus stood, staring at the wolfess as she mused to herself which direction to take. Such an open question (though there were only three choices) seemed to take the wolfess by surprise. The tigress found herself waiting for a moment as the ebony canine finally made a decision, walking off towards the right. Slowly, the feline pushed her body back into motion after the wolfess. It was amusing to her, how she had looked back after her, as though the feline would dash off to the left and leave the lupess in the middle of the caves by herself. Such deceit was not beyond Angelus, but it would have made her into a coward. The crimson beast was no fan of cowardice.
Angelus made no comment about the path the smaller beast had chosen. From this point on, these caves were a mystery to her as well, a map unwritten. She knew not the surprises that would come after them, and if they would find more animals along the way that have avoided Angelus' wrath. The smarter things in the Tundra would stay towards the front so as to not get lost, but perhaps there were some that had been lost in here for ages, living off of only the fools who decided to venture in. Such a lifestyle would be tricky, but it was not completely impossible.
A thought, then, struck Angelus. What if these caves extended throughout the entirety of the Tundra? Surely, it was no task finding their way out thanks to Angelus' method, but they would be delving deeper for years. "How long would this expedition of yours last?" She asked out loud, moving past the wolfess in the same way the wolfess had done, though her tail whirled menacingly past her head only to implant itself into the wall. She did not know about the curious wolfess, but Angelus had better things to do than wander about in caves being dazzled by their insides and disemboweling them.
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Post by Annabelle on Aug 26, 2012 4:41:51 GMT -5
While the thought of dragging the tigress around these crystal caves was rather amusing Annabelle was beginning to feel that there really was nothing more to be seen. The realization had not yet escaped her thoughts and reached her expression much to her relief but it was threatening to. Impatience rang in the tigress’s tone even though the question had not showed impatience; rather it was something along the lines of casual impatience. A question not meant to be rude, but, potentially, showed that they could only do this for so long before everything became boring. Even the swipe of her tail held true to that potential impatience, showing she was growing tired of these caves already. The black she-wolf was beginning to wonder herself how much further she could go before these caves just became too dull.
“I despise simple things,” she replied simply, just stating a fact about herself. The tigress could take that how she wanted. This was just another part of her little test after all, not really to see how long she could keep it going sort of out of her own amusement but to see if the tigress would reveal anything small about herself. She was not expecting it of course; Annabelle might be a curious wolf but she knew better than to open up and make friends with everyone she met. It was needless to say that some were nice while others were as mean and nasty as could be. This tigress was appearing to be just as neutral as Annabelle was for the time being; perhaps the crimson beast was also not one for socialization. She, again, did not seem very open-hearted. “And I wouldn’t really want to get lost in this crystalline labyrinth, so once I feel I have been satisfied I shall take my leave.”
She left it, again, for the tigress to think about it however she wished.
Her satisfaction could be quenched minutes, hours, days, maybe even weeks from now but she certainly did not want to stay here that long. Eventually the crystals would become rather dull; something pretty could only entertain for so long after all. After all she had only agreed to this adventure just so she could confirm that there was nothing here. At least that part was beginning to become obvious to her. Inevitably everything would eventually begin to look more the same no matter which path was taken and merely looking her surroundings it would become more tedious than entertaining. That was how these caves seemed to like to work, and Annabelle was always telling herself to be careful.
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