Rises the Moon @down-the-winding-corridors - Tumblr Blog

Hi! :D

I'm Mica! Have you seen any cool rocks recently?

@geologist-osha

Explorer blinks, surprised someone came up to her. "Ah, hello. I've seen a few. None that I have on me, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?" They ask, politely.

"I like to collect them," ey grins, "Rocks are nice. And talking about cool rocks can make people happy, sometimes. I also like to look for interesting geologic features."

"Ah. That makes sense. Do you like crystals? I know a cave with some interesting ones, though it's a bit dangerous," Explorer responds to rock.

"Crystals can be fun!" rock nods, "Though, I don't really get why everybody likes them so much better than other rocks. And.. if it's in a cave, I should be fine."

"They're sparkly, I guess."

Explorer nods at the conformation, and rolls their shoulders.

"Alright, follow me then." With a small flash of light in their pupils, they're walking off in what seems to be a random direction, but they seem confident in where she's going.

"Nice, thank you!" He can't quite seem to keep his hands still as they walk.

"What sort of crystals are they? DO you know? Oh, what's the crystal structure - cuboid, hexagonal prism, dodecacedrons? Color? Have you done a streak test on the surrounding rock?"

Explorer blinks at the enthusiasm, smiling faintly. "I'm not familiar with classifying crystals, unfortunately, but I do know that there's three colors they come in- or three different kinds of similar looking crystals. Green ones, which give off a lot of light, yellow ones, which give off less light and scream when you touch them, and red-orange ones, which are the dimmest but. Well. They explode when you touch them."

"Oh, that is not normal crystal behavior," he says, "I'll have to ask them what that's about... I can't even think of any chemical explanation for it, there's nothing That unstable which occurs naturally in crystals, at least not that has been recorded..."

His hands start flapping.

"The colors though, that's easy to explain! Most crystals have different color variants based on chemical impurities - rubies and sapphires are actually the same base type of stone, and they come in just about every color of the rainbow, for instance!"

Explorer nods along to his talking, following along as best she can.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's... Not exactly..." They struggle with the words for a moment. "Here, let me show you." They offer their hand to rock.

Ey takes their hand. "Alright! :D"

Explorer pulls em towards a wall, and then the two phase through it. It's a split second of disorienting colors and sensations before the two are standing in a large cavern.

The stone is a deep grey-black, and crystals paint it with shades of yellowish-green. Some kind of liquid flows through the cave, frothing and bright green in color. Jellyfish-like creatures float above them, clear with bright red-orange cores.

"It's kind of not in the same dimension."

"Woa..." rock brushes his fingers against the side of the cavern. "Yeah the stone feels a bit Odd here..." Ey frowns in concentration for a moment. "Has a funny accent too."

Something clicks for Explorer. "Ahh, you have rock magic, that's cool. Is the accent funny in a cool way?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah! I can't quite place it but it sounds cool," he grins. Then rock takes a few more steps and touches one of the smaller crystals to talk to it for a bit.

Explorer covers their ears as rock touches a yellow one- it lets out an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine- almost like a shrieking soprano.

Ey grimaces, and takes his hand away.

"That one didn't want to stop screaming long enough for me to ask what the problem was..."

"Yeah, they do that. I think they just don't like being touched," Explorer shrugs. "At least it wasn't a red one. Don't- touch those. Again, they explode, and they will take your hand if you're not careful. Oh- and don't mess with the jellies. They explode if you hurt them."

"Yeah, I remembered that part... Not the jellies, the red ones," he clarifies. "Either way, I can definitely feel that these crystals have much more of a mind than most rocks."

"Well, that's... Cool? I think? I try not to touch them, but if bits of the green ones break off, they make good emergency lights," Explorer explains.

"I wonder if those would know anything about the others..."

"I'd say so, yeah. There's a tone of 'em around here, so... take your pick."

"I think I will!" rock starts picking some of them up and secreting them away into eyr many pockets. He didn't limit himself to just the crystals, either.

"How did you find this place, anyway?"

Explorer simply watches, wondering what the rocks are telling em.

"Oh- I explore a lot. This place just has an entrance near a place I go a lot, so I found it a while ago."

"That makes sense!" rocks nods, smiling. "You must find a lot of cool places then! :D"

"I do." Explorer smiles at the statement. "I find staying in place... suffocating, really."

"Me too," Mica nods, "That's why I became a field geologist..."

"Understandable. Let me know when you're done, and I'll take you back to the upper floors of OSHA. Oh- and don't touch the 'water' here. It's acid."

"Oh, that's good to know!" He rocks on his feet a little. "How big is this cave system? Is there anything else of note in here or is it all just more of this?"

Explorer idly extends and retracts the metal, spider-like claws on their fingertips. "It's pretty big- I've nbeen in most of it, but a lot of it is behind acid. There's some cracks and openings to other dimensions, different parts of OSHA- some openings you need to have a special ability to see, some you can just walk through."

"That's pretty cool," ey walks around this area a little more, "I wouldn't want to keep you too long though, so I probably shouldn't explore it all..."

"Yeah, exploring it all would probably take a few... weeks? I'd like to say? I have a bad grasp on time though." Explorer shrugs, idling. "I've got a few hours before I need to leave, though, so we could explore for a bit?"

"If you want to!" He grins broadly. "I'd certainly have fun. Just say when we need to leave, okay?"

Explorer gives em a thumbs up. "I wouldn't mind. Who knows, maybe some of the passages have shifted since last time I was there," she muses, sounding happy about the prospect.

"Do they do that?" Eyr eyes widen slightly.

"Occasionally, yeah. It's definitely not as intense an effect here as it is in most parts of OSHA," Explorer says, casually.

"That's still pretty cool," rock says. "And OSHA isn't a cave, mostly. So it's different."

Explorer lets out a snort at the second statement. "What one would consider OSHA and not just a place connected to OSHA is at least 40% cave."

"Which is less than 50%," ey maintains, "So mostly not! And most of the underground parts are more basement than true cave, even after that!"

He starts walking through the cave, being careful not to touch any of the acid.

Explorer huffs good-naturedly, following along with em. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't really consider the basement, I try not to go there if I can help it." They shake their head, looking a tad haunted.

"Yeah, it's a bit strange down there," he agrees. "There's usually enough rocks around I can get on fine, but it's easy to get lost in..." He drags his fingers along the wall as he walks, makings sure to avoid touching any yellow or red crystals.

"Anyway, more wild parts are generally more interesting to me. It's easier to learn from the stone if it hasn't been messed with too much."

Explorer hums in agreement, keeping an eye on the area around them and Mica. "It can definitely be challenging to find your bearings."

"That makes sense. What's your favorite kind of stone, out of curiosity?"

"Well," he says, "You can never go wrong with a good sedimentary. They've got potential for fossils, which is really cool. But pumice is also great cuz it's the only kind that floats in water, which is awesome! And Gneiss is, of course, very nice..." rocks starts flapping eyr hands again.

"Can I even choose? That's like asking someone to choose their favorite child, it's just not fair... They all have very cool and interesting properties and things about them! There are ones that fluoresce, and you can scratch talc with your nail, and jade is actually two types of mineral - jadeite and nephrite, and coprolite is fossilized dung, and there are rocks that break cleanly and ones that don't, and chalk is fossilized microscopic organisms from like, the beginning of life in the ocean, and graphite is almost the same chemical structure as diamond, and and and-"

Ey cuts rockself off. "And. If I really had to choose. Maybe Mica? But only cuz that's my name. I love all of them equally."

Explorer nods along, keeping track of the information with interest.

They chuckle slightly at his last statement, lips upturning in a half-smile. "That makes sense. What's mica like? -The rock, I mean," they quickly elaborate. "Or you- how are you?"

"Mica the rock is really flaky and glittery. It's not very strong, but people use it to make sparkles and colorants." He smiles a little. "Lab-grown is best, though. Less impurities and none of the... ethical problems that come with mining anything."

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #geologist-osha #weary eyes | rp

"Hm. You're not very flaky, but you are bright. And probably ethically sourced," Explorer attempts to joke.

Explorer looks at the now soaking wet Vaporeon in front of them, mildly confused. "... Huh. Alright then?"

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #memories swim | ask #helltubesusie

A normal-looking human approaches and signs a greeting.

Hello, you look like you're new around here.

Explorer looks surprised at the use of sign language, but responds in kind by using it. 'Hello. I'm not new. I just don't usually wander this close to the surface.'

Isn't the surface usually safer than the deeper levels of this place?

'Well, that depends on which level you're on. The basement is... Not. Fun,' Explorer shivers, as though remembering something awful, 'but below that there's plenty of safe spots.'

I have been to the basement. It is certainly not pleasant. I have not noticed it getting any more pleasant deeper down though.

'You don't usually get below the basement by going deeper into it- it's. Not exactly the easiest to explain, but things in OSHA tend to not be very linear.'

I've noticed the lack of linearity, but haven't managed to reach below the basement yet. I shall have to try to do that.

'There's a lot down there. I could take you, if you want? It's not too long a treck, if you have the right tools.'

I'm capable enough, I should be able to manage the trek. Are you free to go now?

'I am, yes. Follow me.' Explorer begins to lead the way, humming under their breath.

They follow without comment or sound.

After a while of walking, Explorer silently offers their hand.

They take their hand. Something feels… wrong about their skin.

Explorer just assumes it's a condition. In a step, the two are transported through reality to what appears to be a meadow- though it appears to be a cave, the ceiling is too high up to properly make out.

This place looks very strange. What is it?

"It's a cave, technically. There's a lot of crystals on the ceiling, so it basically just eternally looks like day here," Explorer explains, stretching. "It's not sunlight, though, so creatures who can't be in sunlight can still be here without harm."

That seems very useful. Do a lot of people live here to make use of that?

Explorer shrugs. "I've only ever seen one or two people here, so I'm not sure. I'd assume so, though."

Maybe it would be worth trying to find more people then.

"Maybe. I prefer not to go near people in groups," Explorer admits.

That's something that we share.

"Makes sense," Explorer says, rolling their shoulders. "Do you want to go back, or stay here for a while?"

I see no reason not to stay a while. I have nowhere else to be and nothing else to do.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #myriad-forms

"Ah, alright. I'll have to leave soon, but... Is there anything you'd like to do in the meantime?"

*Utur is... well, idly watering the flower garden near their house. It's peaceful, quiet. They're just... vibing, really. Calm. Definitely not expecting anyone to interact with them, accidentally or otherwise* - oshagroundskeeper

Explorer is exploring the grounds of OSHA, looking around as though they're baffled at how normal this area is. They don't seem to notice Utur, yet.

Something about them feels... off to Utur.

*Utur looks up, and notices Explorer, immediately recognising them as a kid that accidentally ran into Utur one time before quickly running off. A very distressed-seeming kid. There's something oddly familiar about them though. Utur can't tell what it is... and if the kid is as stressed out as they were last time Utur interacted with them, Utur might not find out.

Idly, they check their pockets for something that may make the kid at least slow down so they can make sure the kid is alright, is safe.

... they have a jar of homemade jam?

That might work. Maybe.

Utur isn't going to call out to the kid or anything, and just keeps watering their plants. They don't want to terrify the poor soul*

Explorer seems... Not okay, but a lot better than they were doing last time Utur saw her.

They look around, placidly, freezing when they catch sight of Utur. They glance around, wondering if she still had time to escape before they noticed her.

*Utur sighs, and looks up, giving a weary but hopefully genuine-looking smile*

uh. hi. didnt think id see you again anytime soon. uh. you look less stressed this time. that's good. less stress is always good

*Wow. Great dialogue Utur! Really nailing it here! Utur sighs internally, and continues trying to appear nonthreatening and less likely to freak the kid out*

Explorer tenses as they look at her, but takes a breath and tries to stay calm. They seem... afraid of Utur, for some reason?

"That's. Fine. I'm not as stressed." They dip their head in gratitude, taking a small step away from Utur.

that's uh. that's good! less stress is. a good thing. health-wise.

*They're clearly floundering, way too focused on trying to figure out what part of them is stressing the kid out*

uh. would you like some jam. i made way too much so i just have. a ton of jars of it now.

*They offer the jar, awkwardly. Jam. Jam will help*

"It. Is."

Explorer seems caught between panic and... the odd feeling of safety? That Utur seems to emit.

"... What." They lose their fear for a moment in favor of intense confusion.

i uh. i like... making things? like. jam. sometimes preserves. i don't usually make drinks, since they don't store well, but jam and preserves can be stored for a while. i have some dried herbs and stuff as well, if those are more your thing? i uh. i use most of those so i dont have any on hand but i can always get them for you?

*Confusion is... at least better than outright panic and fear.*

i keep most of them for myself, to eat when things are out of season, but i have enough to share too. i think they taste pretty good? some of them might not be your preferred flavour though. i only have that flavour right now

Explorer blinks owlishly as Utur speaks, completely baffled.

"I. I'm fine with jam?" They ask, rolling their shoulders and trying to ground themself. They slowly walk towards Utur and gingerly take the jar of jam.

"... What, flavor is it?" she asks, unsure. They should leave, right? That's what they did last time, but at the same time, there's just. Something about being near Utur that steadies them, in a way they can't explain.

it, uh, its strawberry jam. i have a few others but the strawberries came in really well this season so i made a lot of jam.

*Utur has no idea how to make this interaction less awkward. They're trying! It's not. Working. At least they're trying?*

uh. i think it tastes pretty nice. the jam. my kids like it too, if. uh. you needed some reviews? of the jam?

"... I do. Like strawberries. I'm thankful for this gift," Explorer carefully says- they're not entirely sure what rules beings like Utur go off of, but she's going to use the same set she does when they interact with Fae.

A flicker of a smile shows on Explorer's face as Utur says the second bit, but they stifle it and glance up at them- she doesn't want them to think that they're being mocked.

you are very welcome. uh. i. should probably. keep watering my flowers?

*This is so awkward. Utur smiles back in a way they hope is clearly friendly. They're trying, okay?*

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp

Explorer takes the out as quickly as she can, nodding enthusiastically. "Of course, I apologize for intruding. Have a. Good day."

Explorer slowly backs away, keeping their eyes on Utur the entire time.

Hi! :D

I'm Mica! Have you seen any cool rocks recently?

@geologist-osha

Explorer blinks, surprised someone came up to her. "Ah, hello. I've seen a few. None that I have on me, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?" They ask, politely.

"I like to collect them," ey grins, "Rocks are nice. And talking about cool rocks can make people happy, sometimes. I also like to look for interesting geologic features."

"Ah. That makes sense. Do you like crystals? I know a cave with some interesting ones, though it's a bit dangerous," Explorer responds to rock.

"Crystals can be fun!" rock nods, "Though, I don't really get why everybody likes them so much better than other rocks. And.. if it's in a cave, I should be fine."

"They're sparkly, I guess."

Explorer nods at the conformation, and rolls their shoulders.

"Alright, follow me then." With a small flash of light in their pupils, they're walking off in what seems to be a random direction, but they seem confident in where she's going.

"Nice, thank you!" He can't quite seem to keep his hands still as they walk.

"What sort of crystals are they? DO you know? Oh, what's the crystal structure - cuboid, hexagonal prism, dodecacedrons? Color? Have you done a streak test on the surrounding rock?"

Explorer blinks at the enthusiasm, smiling faintly. "I'm not familiar with classifying crystals, unfortunately, but I do know that there's three colors they come in- or three different kinds of similar looking crystals. Green ones, which give off a lot of light, yellow ones, which give off less light and scream when you touch them, and red-orange ones, which are the dimmest but. Well. They explode when you touch them."

"Oh, that is not normal crystal behavior," he says, "I'll have to ask them what that's about... I can't even think of any chemical explanation for it, there's nothing That unstable which occurs naturally in crystals, at least not that has been recorded..."

His hands start flapping.

"The colors though, that's easy to explain! Most crystals have different color variants based on chemical impurities - rubies and sapphires are actually the same base type of stone, and they come in just about every color of the rainbow, for instance!"

Explorer nods along to his talking, following along as best she can.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's... Not exactly..." They struggle with the words for a moment. "Here, let me show you." They offer their hand to rock.

Ey takes their hand. "Alright! :D"

Explorer pulls em towards a wall, and then the two phase through it. It's a split second of disorienting colors and sensations before the two are standing in a large cavern.

The stone is a deep grey-black, and crystals paint it with shades of yellowish-green. Some kind of liquid flows through the cave, frothing and bright green in color. Jellyfish-like creatures float above them, clear with bright red-orange cores.

"It's kind of not in the same dimension."

"Woa..." rock brushes his fingers against the side of the cavern. "Yeah the stone feels a bit Odd here..." Ey frowns in concentration for a moment. "Has a funny accent too."

Something clicks for Explorer. "Ahh, you have rock magic, that's cool. Is the accent funny in a cool way?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah! I can't quite place it but it sounds cool," he grins. Then rock takes a few more steps and touches one of the smaller crystals to talk to it for a bit.

Explorer covers their ears as rock touches a yellow one- it lets out an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine- almost like a shrieking soprano.

Ey grimaces, and takes his hand away.

"That one didn't want to stop screaming long enough for me to ask what the problem was..."

"Yeah, they do that. I think they just don't like being touched," Explorer shrugs. "At least it wasn't a red one. Don't- touch those. Again, they explode, and they will take your hand if you're not careful. Oh- and don't mess with the jellies. They explode if you hurt them."

"Yeah, I remembered that part... Not the jellies, the red ones," he clarifies. "Either way, I can definitely feel that these crystals have much more of a mind than most rocks."

"Well, that's... Cool? I think? I try not to touch them, but if bits of the green ones break off, they make good emergency lights," Explorer explains.

"I wonder if those would know anything about the others..."

"I'd say so, yeah. There's a tone of 'em around here, so... take your pick."

"I think I will!" rock starts picking some of them up and secreting them away into eyr many pockets. He didn't limit himself to just the crystals, either.

"How did you find this place, anyway?"

Explorer simply watches, wondering what the rocks are telling em.

"Oh- I explore a lot. This place just has an entrance near a place I go a lot, so I found it a while ago."

"That makes sense!" rocks nods, smiling. "You must find a lot of cool places then! :D"

"I do." Explorer smiles at the statement. "I find staying in place... suffocating, really."

"Me too," Mica nods, "That's why I became a field geologist..."

"Understandable. Let me know when you're done, and I'll take you back to the upper floors of OSHA. Oh- and don't touch the 'water' here. It's acid."

"Oh, that's good to know!" He rocks on his feet a little. "How big is this cave system? Is there anything else of note in here or is it all just more of this?"

Explorer idly extends and retracts the metal, spider-like claws on their fingertips. "It's pretty big- I've nbeen in most of it, but a lot of it is behind acid. There's some cracks and openings to other dimensions, different parts of OSHA- some openings you need to have a special ability to see, some you can just walk through."

"That's pretty cool," ey walks around this area a little more, "I wouldn't want to keep you too long though, so I probably shouldn't explore it all..."

"Yeah, exploring it all would probably take a few... weeks? I'd like to say? I have a bad grasp on time though." Explorer shrugs, idling. "I've got a few hours before I need to leave, though, so we could explore for a bit?"

"If you want to!" He grins broadly. "I'd certainly have fun. Just say when we need to leave, okay?"

Explorer gives em a thumbs up. "I wouldn't mind. Who knows, maybe some of the passages have shifted since last time I was there," she muses, sounding happy about the prospect.

"Do they do that?" Eyr eyes widen slightly.

"Occasionally, yeah. It's definitely not as intense an effect here as it is in most parts of OSHA," Explorer says, casually.

"That's still pretty cool," rock says. "And OSHA isn't a cave, mostly. So it's different."

Explorer lets out a snort at the second statement. "What one would consider OSHA and not just a place connected to OSHA is at least 40% cave."

"Which is less than 50%," ey maintains, "So mostly not! And most of the underground parts are more basement than true cave, even after that!"

He starts walking through the cave, being careful not to touch any of the acid.

Explorer huffs good-naturedly, following along with em. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't really consider the basement, I try not to go there if I can help it." They shake their head, looking a tad haunted.

"Yeah, it's a bit strange down there," he agrees. "There's usually enough rocks around I can get on fine, but it's easy to get lost in..." He drags his fingers along the wall as he walks, makings sure to avoid touching any yellow or red crystals.

"Anyway, more wild parts are generally more interesting to me. It's easier to learn from the stone if it hasn't been messed with too much."

Explorer hums in agreement, keeping an eye on the area around them and Mica. "It can definitely be challenging to find your bearings."

"That makes sense. What's your favorite kind of stone, out of curiosity?"

"Well," he says, "You can never go wrong with a good sedimentary. They've got potential for fossils, which is really cool. But pumice is also great cuz it's the only kind that floats in water, which is awesome! And Gneiss is, of course, very nice..." rocks starts flapping eyr hands again.

"Can I even choose? That's like asking someone to choose their favorite child, it's just not fair... They all have very cool and interesting properties and things about them! There are ones that fluoresce, and you can scratch talc with your nail, and jade is actually two types of mineral - jadeite and nephrite, and coprolite is fossilized dung, and there are rocks that break cleanly and ones that don't, and chalk is fossilized microscopic organisms from like, the beginning of life in the ocean, and graphite is almost the same chemical structure as diamond, and and and-"

Ey cuts rockself off. "And. If I really had to choose. Maybe Mica? But only cuz that's my name. I love all of them equally."

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #geologist-osha

Explorer nods along, keeping track of the information with interest.

They chuckle slightly at his last statement, lips upturning in a half-smile. "That makes sense. What's mica like? -The rock, I mean," they quickly elaborate. "Or you- how are you?"

*Utur is... well, idly watering the flower garden near their house. It's peaceful, quiet. They're just... vibing, really. Calm. Definitely not expecting anyone to interact with them, accidentally or otherwise* - oshagroundskeeper

Explorer is exploring the grounds of OSHA, looking around as though they're baffled at how normal this area is. They don't seem to notice Utur, yet.

Something about them feels... off to Utur.

*Utur looks up, and notices Explorer, immediately recognising them as a kid that accidentally ran into Utur one time before quickly running off. A very distressed-seeming kid. There's something oddly familiar about them though. Utur can't tell what it is... and if the kid is as stressed out as they were last time Utur interacted with them, Utur might not find out.

Idly, they check their pockets for something that may make the kid at least slow down so they can make sure the kid is alright, is safe.

... they have a jar of homemade jam?

That might work. Maybe.

Utur isn't going to call out to the kid or anything, and just keeps watering their plants. They don't want to terrify the poor soul*

Explorer seems... Not okay, but a lot better than they were doing last time Utur saw her.

They look around, placidly, freezing when they catch sight of Utur. They glance around, wondering if she still had time to escape before they noticed her.

*Utur sighs, and looks up, giving a weary but hopefully genuine-looking smile*

uh. hi. didnt think id see you again anytime soon. uh. you look less stressed this time. that's good. less stress is always good

*Wow. Great dialogue Utur! Really nailing it here! Utur sighs internally, and continues trying to appear nonthreatening and less likely to freak the kid out*

Explorer tenses as they look at her, but takes a breath and tries to stay calm. They seem... afraid of Utur, for some reason?

"That's. Fine. I'm not as stressed." They dip their head in gratitude, taking a small step away from Utur.

that's uh. that's good! less stress is. a good thing. health-wise.

*They're clearly floundering, way too focused on trying to figure out what part of them is stressing the kid out*

uh. would you like some jam. i made way too much so i just have. a ton of jars of it now.

*They offer the jar, awkwardly. Jam. Jam will help*

"It. Is."

Explorer seems caught between panic and... the odd feeling of safety? That Utur seems to emit.

"... What." They lose their fear for a moment in favor of intense confusion.

i uh. i like... making things? like. jam. sometimes preserves. i don't usually make drinks, since they don't store well, but jam and preserves can be stored for a while. i have some dried herbs and stuff as well, if those are more your thing? i uh. i use most of those so i dont have any on hand but i can always get them for you?

*Confusion is... at least better than outright panic and fear.*

i keep most of them for myself, to eat when things are out of season, but i have enough to share too. i think they taste pretty good? some of them might not be your preferred flavour though. i only have that flavour right now

Explorer blinks owlishly as Utur speaks, completely baffled.

"I. I'm fine with jam?" They ask, rolling their shoulders and trying to ground themself. They slowly walk towards Utur and gingerly take the jar of jam.

"... What, flavor is it?" she asks, unsure. They should leave, right? That's what they did last time, but at the same time, there's just. Something about being near Utur that steadies them, in a way they can't explain.

it, uh, its strawberry jam. i have a few others but the strawberries came in really well this season so i made a lot of jam.

*Utur has no idea how to make this interaction less awkward. They're trying! It's not. Working. At least they're trying?*

uh. i think it tastes pretty nice. the jam. my kids like it too, if. uh. you needed some reviews? of the jam?

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #oshagroundskeeper

"... I do. Like strawberries. I'm thankful for this gift," Explorer carefully says- they're not entirely sure what rules beings like Utur go off of, but she's going to use the same set she does when they interact with Fae.

A flicker of a smile shows on Explorer's face as Utur says the second bit, but they stifle it and glance up at them- she doesn't want them to think that they're being mocked.

Well, hey, you look more approachable than most of whatever the fuck everyone else seems to be. I'm Jax, nice to meet you

@two-halves-dragon

Explorer blinks at Jax, dipping their head in greeting. "I'm... glad I seem approachable? I'm Explorer, it's nice to meet you as well."

Most of the other people here have looked both incredibly willing and very able to kill me, so this is a nice change.

"Well, I'm happy I can help. Did you need assistance with anything?"

I was really just looking for a conversation with someone, though finding out what this place actually is and how it works would definitely be helpful too. I am very lost and would rather not die here if I can help it.

Explorer blinks, surprised. "Oh- you're new here? I can help you leave, if you want, or give you a crash course in all things OSHA. OSHA being vaguely where we are right now."

I came here for answers, and I'm not leaving until I get them.

"That's fair. Well, this is OSHA- it's a multidimensional hellhole that seems to attract the supernatural. It's almost always non-linear, and that gets more noticeable the deeper into it you go."

The attraction of the supernatural is primarily why I came here, there should be at least one person with the answers I need. The non-linearity has definitely made navigation more difficult though.

Explorer nods, idly sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "That's fair enough. I have a way to get around, but it's not really something I can share. Is there anywhere specific you're trying to go right now?"

Anyone who knows a lot about innate magic and won't kill me would be great.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #two-halves-dragon

Explorer considers the conditions Jax gave her. "I don't know a lot about innate magic, I'm afraid. I don't know a lot of people this close to the surface, and nobody who deals with innate magic versus relic-granted magic..." They trail off, still thinking.

A normal-looking human approaches and signs a greeting.

Hello, you look like you're new around here.

Explorer looks surprised at the use of sign language, but responds in kind by using it. 'Hello. I'm not new. I just don't usually wander this close to the surface.'

Isn't the surface usually safer than the deeper levels of this place?

'Well, that depends on which level you're on. The basement is... Not. Fun,' Explorer shivers, as though remembering something awful, 'but below that there's plenty of safe spots.'

I have been to the basement. It is certainly not pleasant. I have not noticed it getting any more pleasant deeper down though.

'You don't usually get below the basement by going deeper into it- it's. Not exactly the easiest to explain, but things in OSHA tend to not be very linear.'

I've noticed the lack of linearity, but haven't managed to reach below the basement yet. I shall have to try to do that.

'There's a lot down there. I could take you, if you want? It's not too long a treck, if you have the right tools.'

I'm capable enough, I should be able to manage the trek. Are you free to go now?

'I am, yes. Follow me.' Explorer begins to lead the way, humming under their breath.

They follow without comment or sound.

After a while of walking, Explorer silently offers their hand.

They take their hand. Something feels… wrong about their skin.

Explorer just assumes it's a condition. In a step, the two are transported through reality to what appears to be a meadow- though it appears to be a cave, the ceiling is too high up to properly make out.

This place looks very strange. What is it?

"It's a cave, technically. There's a lot of crystals on the ceiling, so it basically just eternally looks like day here," Explorer explains, stretching. "It's not sunlight, though, so creatures who can't be in sunlight can still be here without harm."

That seems very useful. Do a lot of people live here to make use of that?

Explorer shrugs. "I've only ever seen one or two people here, so I'm not sure. I'd assume so, though."

Maybe it would be worth trying to find more people then.

"Maybe. I prefer not to go near people in groups," Explorer admits.

That's something that we share.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #myriad-forms

"Makes sense," Explorer says, rolling their shoulders. "Do you want to go back, or stay here for a while?"

Hi! :D

I'm Mica! Have you seen any cool rocks recently?

@geologist-osha

Explorer blinks, surprised someone came up to her. "Ah, hello. I've seen a few. None that I have on me, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?" They ask, politely.

"I like to collect them," ey grins, "Rocks are nice. And talking about cool rocks can make people happy, sometimes. I also like to look for interesting geologic features."

"Ah. That makes sense. Do you like crystals? I know a cave with some interesting ones, though it's a bit dangerous," Explorer responds to rock.

"Crystals can be fun!" rock nods, "Though, I don't really get why everybody likes them so much better than other rocks. And.. if it's in a cave, I should be fine."

"They're sparkly, I guess."

Explorer nods at the conformation, and rolls their shoulders.

"Alright, follow me then." With a small flash of light in their pupils, they're walking off in what seems to be a random direction, but they seem confident in where she's going.

"Nice, thank you!" He can't quite seem to keep his hands still as they walk.

"What sort of crystals are they? DO you know? Oh, what's the crystal structure - cuboid, hexagonal prism, dodecacedrons? Color? Have you done a streak test on the surrounding rock?"

Explorer blinks at the enthusiasm, smiling faintly. "I'm not familiar with classifying crystals, unfortunately, but I do know that there's three colors they come in- or three different kinds of similar looking crystals. Green ones, which give off a lot of light, yellow ones, which give off less light and scream when you touch them, and red-orange ones, which are the dimmest but. Well. They explode when you touch them."

"Oh, that is not normal crystal behavior," he says, "I'll have to ask them what that's about... I can't even think of any chemical explanation for it, there's nothing That unstable which occurs naturally in crystals, at least not that has been recorded..."

His hands start flapping.

"The colors though, that's easy to explain! Most crystals have different color variants based on chemical impurities - rubies and sapphires are actually the same base type of stone, and they come in just about every color of the rainbow, for instance!"

Explorer nods along to his talking, following along as best she can.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's... Not exactly..." They struggle with the words for a moment. "Here, let me show you." They offer their hand to rock.

Ey takes their hand. "Alright! :D"

Explorer pulls em towards a wall, and then the two phase through it. It's a split second of disorienting colors and sensations before the two are standing in a large cavern.

The stone is a deep grey-black, and crystals paint it with shades of yellowish-green. Some kind of liquid flows through the cave, frothing and bright green in color. Jellyfish-like creatures float above them, clear with bright red-orange cores.

"It's kind of not in the same dimension."

"Woa..." rock brushes his fingers against the side of the cavern. "Yeah the stone feels a bit Odd here..." Ey frowns in concentration for a moment. "Has a funny accent too."

Something clicks for Explorer. "Ahh, you have rock magic, that's cool. Is the accent funny in a cool way?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah! I can't quite place it but it sounds cool," he grins. Then rock takes a few more steps and touches one of the smaller crystals to talk to it for a bit.

Explorer covers their ears as rock touches a yellow one- it lets out an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine- almost like a shrieking soprano.

Ey grimaces, and takes his hand away.

"That one didn't want to stop screaming long enough for me to ask what the problem was..."

"Yeah, they do that. I think they just don't like being touched," Explorer shrugs. "At least it wasn't a red one. Don't- touch those. Again, they explode, and they will take your hand if you're not careful. Oh- and don't mess with the jellies. They explode if you hurt them."

"Yeah, I remembered that part... Not the jellies, the red ones," he clarifies. "Either way, I can definitely feel that these crystals have much more of a mind than most rocks."

"Well, that's... Cool? I think? I try not to touch them, but if bits of the green ones break off, they make good emergency lights," Explorer explains.

"I wonder if those would know anything about the others..."

"I'd say so, yeah. There's a tone of 'em around here, so... take your pick."

"I think I will!" rock starts picking some of them up and secreting them away into eyr many pockets. He didn't limit himself to just the crystals, either.

"How did you find this place, anyway?"

Explorer simply watches, wondering what the rocks are telling em.

"Oh- I explore a lot. This place just has an entrance near a place I go a lot, so I found it a while ago."

"That makes sense!" rocks nods, smiling. "You must find a lot of cool places then! :D"

"I do." Explorer smiles at the statement. "I find staying in place... suffocating, really."

"Me too," Mica nods, "That's why I became a field geologist..."

"Understandable. Let me know when you're done, and I'll take you back to the upper floors of OSHA. Oh- and don't touch the 'water' here. It's acid."

"Oh, that's good to know!" He rocks on his feet a little. "How big is this cave system? Is there anything else of note in here or is it all just more of this?"

Explorer idly extends and retracts the metal, spider-like claws on their fingertips. "It's pretty big- I've nbeen in most of it, but a lot of it is behind acid. There's some cracks and openings to other dimensions, different parts of OSHA- some openings you need to have a special ability to see, some you can just walk through."

"That's pretty cool," ey walks around this area a little more, "I wouldn't want to keep you too long though, so I probably shouldn't explore it all..."

"Yeah, exploring it all would probably take a few... weeks? I'd like to say? I have a bad grasp on time though." Explorer shrugs, idling. "I've got a few hours before I need to leave, though, so we could explore for a bit?"

"If you want to!" He grins broadly. "I'd certainly have fun. Just say when we need to leave, okay?"

Explorer gives em a thumbs up. "I wouldn't mind. Who knows, maybe some of the passages have shifted since last time I was there," she muses, sounding happy about the prospect.

"Do they do that?" Eyr eyes widen slightly.

"Occasionally, yeah. It's definitely not as intense an effect here as it is in most parts of OSHA," Explorer says, casually.

"That's still pretty cool," rock says. "And OSHA isn't a cave, mostly. So it's different."

Explorer lets out a snort at the second statement. "What one would consider OSHA and not just a place connected to OSHA is at least 40% cave."

"Which is less than 50%," ey maintains, "So mostly not! And most of the underground parts are more basement than true cave, even after that!"

He starts walking through the cave, being careful not to touch any of the acid.

Explorer huffs good-naturedly, following along with em. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't really consider the basement, I try not to go there if I can help it." They shake their head, looking a tad haunted.

"Yeah, it's a bit strange down there," he agrees. "There's usually enough rocks around I can get on fine, but it's easy to get lost in..." He drags his fingers along the wall as he walks, makings sure to avoid touching any yellow or red crystals.

"Anyway, more wild parts are generally more interesting to me. It's easier to learn from the stone if it hasn't been messed with too much."

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #geologist-osha

Explorer hums in agreement, keeping an eye on the area around them and Mica. "It can definitely be challenging to find your bearings."

"That makes sense. What's your favorite kind of stone, out of curiosity?"

Hi! :D

I'm Mica! Have you seen any cool rocks recently?

@geologist-osha

Explorer blinks, surprised someone came up to her. "Ah, hello. I've seen a few. None that I have on me, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?" They ask, politely.

"I like to collect them," ey grins, "Rocks are nice. And talking about cool rocks can make people happy, sometimes. I also like to look for interesting geologic features."

"Ah. That makes sense. Do you like crystals? I know a cave with some interesting ones, though it's a bit dangerous," Explorer responds to rock.

"Crystals can be fun!" rock nods, "Though, I don't really get why everybody likes them so much better than other rocks. And.. if it's in a cave, I should be fine."

"They're sparkly, I guess."

Explorer nods at the conformation, and rolls their shoulders.

"Alright, follow me then." With a small flash of light in their pupils, they're walking off in what seems to be a random direction, but they seem confident in where she's going.

"Nice, thank you!" He can't quite seem to keep his hands still as they walk.

"What sort of crystals are they? DO you know? Oh, what's the crystal structure - cuboid, hexagonal prism, dodecacedrons? Color? Have you done a streak test on the surrounding rock?"

Explorer blinks at the enthusiasm, smiling faintly. "I'm not familiar with classifying crystals, unfortunately, but I do know that there's three colors they come in- or three different kinds of similar looking crystals. Green ones, which give off a lot of light, yellow ones, which give off less light and scream when you touch them, and red-orange ones, which are the dimmest but. Well. They explode when you touch them."

"Oh, that is not normal crystal behavior," he says, "I'll have to ask them what that's about... I can't even think of any chemical explanation for it, there's nothing That unstable which occurs naturally in crystals, at least not that has been recorded..."

His hands start flapping.

"The colors though, that's easy to explain! Most crystals have different color variants based on chemical impurities - rubies and sapphires are actually the same base type of stone, and they come in just about every color of the rainbow, for instance!"

Explorer nods along to his talking, following along as best she can.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's... Not exactly..." They struggle with the words for a moment. "Here, let me show you." They offer their hand to rock.

Ey takes their hand. "Alright! :D"

Explorer pulls em towards a wall, and then the two phase through it. It's a split second of disorienting colors and sensations before the two are standing in a large cavern.

The stone is a deep grey-black, and crystals paint it with shades of yellowish-green. Some kind of liquid flows through the cave, frothing and bright green in color. Jellyfish-like creatures float above them, clear with bright red-orange cores.

"It's kind of not in the same dimension."

"Woa..." rock brushes his fingers against the side of the cavern. "Yeah the stone feels a bit Odd here..." Ey frowns in concentration for a moment. "Has a funny accent too."

Something clicks for Explorer. "Ahh, you have rock magic, that's cool. Is the accent funny in a cool way?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah! I can't quite place it but it sounds cool," he grins. Then rock takes a few more steps and touches one of the smaller crystals to talk to it for a bit.

Explorer covers their ears as rock touches a yellow one- it lets out an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine- almost like a shrieking soprano.

Ey grimaces, and takes his hand away.

"That one didn't want to stop screaming long enough for me to ask what the problem was..."

"Yeah, they do that. I think they just don't like being touched," Explorer shrugs. "At least it wasn't a red one. Don't- touch those. Again, they explode, and they will take your hand if you're not careful. Oh- and don't mess with the jellies. They explode if you hurt them."

"Yeah, I remembered that part... Not the jellies, the red ones," he clarifies. "Either way, I can definitely feel that these crystals have much more of a mind than most rocks."

"Well, that's... Cool? I think? I try not to touch them, but if bits of the green ones break off, they make good emergency lights," Explorer explains.

"I wonder if those would know anything about the others..."

"I'd say so, yeah. There's a tone of 'em around here, so... take your pick."

"I think I will!" rock starts picking some of them up and secreting them away into eyr many pockets. He didn't limit himself to just the crystals, either.

"How did you find this place, anyway?"

Explorer simply watches, wondering what the rocks are telling em.

"Oh- I explore a lot. This place just has an entrance near a place I go a lot, so I found it a while ago."

"That makes sense!" rocks nods, smiling. "You must find a lot of cool places then! :D"

"I do." Explorer smiles at the statement. "I find staying in place... suffocating, really."

"Me too," Mica nods, "That's why I became a field geologist..."

"Understandable. Let me know when you're done, and I'll take you back to the upper floors of OSHA. Oh- and don't touch the 'water' here. It's acid."

"Oh, that's good to know!" He rocks on his feet a little. "How big is this cave system? Is there anything else of note in here or is it all just more of this?"

Explorer idly extends and retracts the metal, spider-like claws on their fingertips. "It's pretty big- I've nbeen in most of it, but a lot of it is behind acid. There's some cracks and openings to other dimensions, different parts of OSHA- some openings you need to have a special ability to see, some you can just walk through."

"That's pretty cool," ey walks around this area a little more, "I wouldn't want to keep you too long though, so I probably shouldn't explore it all..."

"Yeah, exploring it all would probably take a few... weeks? I'd like to say? I have a bad grasp on time though." Explorer shrugs, idling. "I've got a few hours before I need to leave, though, so we could explore for a bit?"

"If you want to!" He grins broadly. "I'd certainly have fun. Just say when we need to leave, okay?"

Explorer gives em a thumbs up. "I wouldn't mind. Who knows, maybe some of the passages have shifted since last time I was there," she muses, sounding happy about the prospect.

"Do they do that?" Eyr eyes widen slightly.

"Occasionally, yeah. It's definitely not as intense an effect here as it is in most parts of OSHA," Explorer says, casually.

"That's still pretty cool," rock says. "And OSHA isn't a cave, mostly. So it's different."

Explorer lets out a snort at the second statement. "What one would consider OSHA and not just a place connected to OSHA is at least 40% cave."

"Which is less than 50%," ey maintains, "So mostly not! And most of the underground parts are more basement than true cave, even after that!"

He starts walking through the cave, being careful not to touch any of the acid.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #geologist-osha

Explorer huffs good-naturedly, following along with em. "Yeah, yeah. I didn't really consider the basement, I try not to go there if I can help it." They shake their head, looking a tad haunted.

Hi! :D

I'm Mica! Have you seen any cool rocks recently?

@geologist-osha

Explorer blinks, surprised someone came up to her. "Ah, hello. I've seen a few. None that I have on me, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?" They ask, politely.

"I like to collect them," ey grins, "Rocks are nice. And talking about cool rocks can make people happy, sometimes. I also like to look for interesting geologic features."

"Ah. That makes sense. Do you like crystals? I know a cave with some interesting ones, though it's a bit dangerous," Explorer responds to rock.

"Crystals can be fun!" rock nods, "Though, I don't really get why everybody likes them so much better than other rocks. And.. if it's in a cave, I should be fine."

"They're sparkly, I guess."

Explorer nods at the conformation, and rolls their shoulders.

"Alright, follow me then." With a small flash of light in their pupils, they're walking off in what seems to be a random direction, but they seem confident in where she's going.

"Nice, thank you!" He can't quite seem to keep his hands still as they walk.

"What sort of crystals are they? DO you know? Oh, what's the crystal structure - cuboid, hexagonal prism, dodecacedrons? Color? Have you done a streak test on the surrounding rock?"

Explorer blinks at the enthusiasm, smiling faintly. "I'm not familiar with classifying crystals, unfortunately, but I do know that there's three colors they come in- or three different kinds of similar looking crystals. Green ones, which give off a lot of light, yellow ones, which give off less light and scream when you touch them, and red-orange ones, which are the dimmest but. Well. They explode when you touch them."

"Oh, that is not normal crystal behavior," he says, "I'll have to ask them what that's about... I can't even think of any chemical explanation for it, there's nothing That unstable which occurs naturally in crystals, at least not that has been recorded..."

His hands start flapping.

"The colors though, that's easy to explain! Most crystals have different color variants based on chemical impurities - rubies and sapphires are actually the same base type of stone, and they come in just about every color of the rainbow, for instance!"

Explorer nods along to his talking, following along as best she can.

"Ah, I see. Well, it's... Not exactly..." They struggle with the words for a moment. "Here, let me show you." They offer their hand to rock.

Ey takes their hand. "Alright! :D"

Explorer pulls em towards a wall, and then the two phase through it. It's a split second of disorienting colors and sensations before the two are standing in a large cavern.

The stone is a deep grey-black, and crystals paint it with shades of yellowish-green. Some kind of liquid flows through the cave, frothing and bright green in color. Jellyfish-like creatures float above them, clear with bright red-orange cores.

"It's kind of not in the same dimension."

"Woa..." rock brushes his fingers against the side of the cavern. "Yeah the stone feels a bit Odd here..." Ey frowns in concentration for a moment. "Has a funny accent too."

Something clicks for Explorer. "Ahh, you have rock magic, that's cool. Is the accent funny in a cool way?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah! I can't quite place it but it sounds cool," he grins. Then rock takes a few more steps and touches one of the smaller crystals to talk to it for a bit.

Explorer covers their ears as rock touches a yellow one- it lets out an ear-piercing, high-pitched whine- almost like a shrieking soprano.

Ey grimaces, and takes his hand away.

"That one didn't want to stop screaming long enough for me to ask what the problem was..."

"Yeah, they do that. I think they just don't like being touched," Explorer shrugs. "At least it wasn't a red one. Don't- touch those. Again, they explode, and they will take your hand if you're not careful. Oh- and don't mess with the jellies. They explode if you hurt them."

"Yeah, I remembered that part... Not the jellies, the red ones," he clarifies. "Either way, I can definitely feel that these crystals have much more of a mind than most rocks."

"Well, that's... Cool? I think? I try not to touch them, but if bits of the green ones break off, they make good emergency lights," Explorer explains.

"I wonder if those would know anything about the others..."

"I'd say so, yeah. There's a tone of 'em around here, so... take your pick."

"I think I will!" rock starts picking some of them up and secreting them away into eyr many pockets. He didn't limit himself to just the crystals, either.

"How did you find this place, anyway?"

Explorer simply watches, wondering what the rocks are telling em.

"Oh- I explore a lot. This place just has an entrance near a place I go a lot, so I found it a while ago."

"That makes sense!" rocks nods, smiling. "You must find a lot of cool places then! :D"

"I do." Explorer smiles at the statement. "I find staying in place... suffocating, really."

"Me too," Mica nods, "That's why I became a field geologist..."

"Understandable. Let me know when you're done, and I'll take you back to the upper floors of OSHA. Oh- and don't touch the 'water' here. It's acid."

"Oh, that's good to know!" He rocks on his feet a little. "How big is this cave system? Is there anything else of note in here or is it all just more of this?"

Explorer idly extends and retracts the metal, spider-like claws on their fingertips. "It's pretty big- I've nbeen in most of it, but a lot of it is behind acid. There's some cracks and openings to other dimensions, different parts of OSHA- some openings you need to have a special ability to see, some you can just walk through."

"That's pretty cool," ey walks around this area a little more, "I wouldn't want to keep you too long though, so I probably shouldn't explore it all..."

"Yeah, exploring it all would probably take a few... weeks? I'd like to say? I have a bad grasp on time though." Explorer shrugs, idling. "I've got a few hours before I need to leave, though, so we could explore for a bit?"

"If you want to!" He grins broadly. "I'd certainly have fun. Just say when we need to leave, okay?"

Explorer gives em a thumbs up. "I wouldn't mind. Who knows, maybe some of the passages have shifted since last time I was there," she muses, sounding happy about the prospect.

"Do they do that?" Eyr eyes widen slightly.

"Occasionally, yeah. It's definitely not as intense an effect here as it is in most parts of OSHA," Explorer says, casually.

"That's still pretty cool," rock says. "And OSHA isn't a cave, mostly. So it's different."

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #geologist-osha

Explorer lets out a snort at the second statement. "What one would consider OSHA and not just a place connected to OSHA is at least 40% cave."

*Utur is... well, idly watering the flower garden near their house. It's peaceful, quiet. They're just... vibing, really. Calm. Definitely not expecting anyone to interact with them, accidentally or otherwise* - oshagroundskeeper

Explorer is exploring the grounds of OSHA, looking around as though they're baffled at how normal this area is. They don't seem to notice Utur, yet.

Something about them feels... off to Utur.

*Utur looks up, and notices Explorer, immediately recognising them as a kid that accidentally ran into Utur one time before quickly running off. A very distressed-seeming kid. There's something oddly familiar about them though. Utur can't tell what it is... and if the kid is as stressed out as they were last time Utur interacted with them, Utur might not find out.

Idly, they check their pockets for something that may make the kid at least slow down so they can make sure the kid is alright, is safe.

... they have a jar of homemade jam?

That might work. Maybe.

Utur isn't going to call out to the kid or anything, and just keeps watering their plants. They don't want to terrify the poor soul*

Explorer seems... Not okay, but a lot better than they were doing last time Utur saw her.

They look around, placidly, freezing when they catch sight of Utur. They glance around, wondering if she still had time to escape before they noticed her.

*Utur sighs, and looks up, giving a weary but hopefully genuine-looking smile*

uh. hi. didnt think id see you again anytime soon. uh. you look less stressed this time. that's good. less stress is always good

*Wow. Great dialogue Utur! Really nailing it here! Utur sighs internally, and continues trying to appear nonthreatening and less likely to freak the kid out*

Explorer tenses as they look at her, but takes a breath and tries to stay calm. They seem... afraid of Utur, for some reason?

"That's. Fine. I'm not as stressed." They dip their head in gratitude, taking a small step away from Utur.

that's uh. that's good! less stress is. a good thing. health-wise.

*They're clearly floundering, way too focused on trying to figure out what part of them is stressing the kid out*

uh. would you like some jam. i made way too much so i just have. a ton of jars of it now.

*They offer the jar, awkwardly. Jam. Jam will help*

"It. Is."

Explorer seems caught between panic and... the odd feeling of safety? That Utur seems to emit.

"... What." They lose their fear for a moment in favor of intense confusion.

i uh. i like... making things? like. jam. sometimes preserves. i don't usually make drinks, since they don't store well, but jam and preserves can be stored for a while. i have some dried herbs and stuff as well, if those are more your thing? i uh. i use most of those so i dont have any on hand but i can always get them for you?

*Confusion is... at least better than outright panic and fear.*

i keep most of them for myself, to eat when things are out of season, but i have enough to share too. i think they taste pretty good? some of them might not be your preferred flavour though. i only have that flavour right now

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #groundskeeperosha

Explorer blinks owlishly as Utur speaks, completely baffled.

"I. I'm fine with jam?" They ask, rolling their shoulders and trying to ground themself. They slowly walk towards Utur and gingerly take the jar of jam.

"... What, flavor is it?" she asks, unsure. They should leave, right? That's what they did last time, but at the same time, there's just. Something about being near Utur that steadies them, in a way they can't explain.

A normal-looking human approaches and signs a greeting.

Hello, you look like you're new around here.

Explorer looks surprised at the use of sign language, but responds in kind by using it. 'Hello. I'm not new. I just don't usually wander this close to the surface.'

Isn't the surface usually safer than the deeper levels of this place?

'Well, that depends on which level you're on. The basement is... Not. Fun,' Explorer shivers, as though remembering something awful, 'but below that there's plenty of safe spots.'

I have been to the basement. It is certainly not pleasant. I have not noticed it getting any more pleasant deeper down though.

'You don't usually get below the basement by going deeper into it- it's. Not exactly the easiest to explain, but things in OSHA tend to not be very linear.'

I've noticed the lack of linearity, but haven't managed to reach below the basement yet. I shall have to try to do that.

'There's a lot down there. I could take you, if you want? It's not too long a treck, if you have the right tools.'

I'm capable enough, I should be able to manage the trek. Are you free to go now?

'I am, yes. Follow me.' Explorer begins to lead the way, humming under their breath.

They follow without comment or sound.

After a while of walking, Explorer silently offers their hand.

They take their hand. Something feels… wrong about their skin.

Explorer just assumes it's a condition. In a step, the two are transported through reality to what appears to be a meadow- though it appears to be a cave, the ceiling is too high up to properly make out.

This place looks very strange. What is it?

"It's a cave, technically. There's a lot of crystals on the ceiling, so it basically just eternally looks like day here," Explorer explains, stretching. "It's not sunlight, though, so creatures who can't be in sunlight can still be here without harm."

That seems very useful. Do a lot of people live here to make use of that?

Explorer shrugs. "I've only ever seen one or two people here, so I'm not sure. I'd assume so, though."

Maybe it would be worth trying to find more people then.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #myriad-forms

"Maybe. I prefer not to go near people in groups," Explorer admits.

Well, hey, you look more approachable than most of whatever the fuck everyone else seems to be. I'm Jax, nice to meet you

@two-halves-dragon

Explorer blinks at Jax, dipping their head in greeting. "I'm... glad I seem approachable? I'm Explorer, it's nice to meet you as well."

Most of the other people here have looked both incredibly willing and very able to kill me, so this is a nice change.

"Well, I'm happy I can help. Did you need assistance with anything?"

I was really just looking for a conversation with someone, though finding out what this place actually is and how it works would definitely be helpful too. I am very lost and would rather not die here if I can help it.

Explorer blinks, surprised. "Oh- you're new here? I can help you leave, if you want, or give you a crash course in all things OSHA. OSHA being vaguely where we are right now."

I came here for answers, and I'm not leaving until I get them.

"That's fair. Well, this is OSHA- it's a multidimensional hellhole that seems to attract the supernatural. It's almost always non-linear, and that gets more noticeable the deeper into it you go."

The attraction of the supernatural is primarily why I came here, there should be at least one person with the answers I need. The non-linearity has definitely made navigation more difficult though.

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #two-halves-dragon

Explorer nods, idly sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "That's fair enough. I have a way to get around, but it's not really something I can share. Is there anywhere specific you're trying to go right now?"

"Explorer," the stranger echoes upon being told their nickname.

She smiles, wearily. She's a tall, thin woman, with skin so pale it's almost gray. Her silver hair is long and matted. She pulls ragged clothes around herself, her voice rough as she speaks.

"My name is..." She frowns, distress sparking in her eyes. "Ah. I-I can't remember. I'm sorry to bother, but... could you perhaps guide me to a doctor, if there is one nearby? Or a place to rest."

- @horrorosha

Explorer looks concerned for the woman's health. "It's perfectly fine. Here, we're not too far from the clinic- I can take you."

She begins to lead the way, stepping a bit slower than usual so that the woman won't have to strain to keep up.

horrorosha

Thank you, dear. I appreciate it.

[She limps behind the Explorer, studying them with strange curiosity.]

"Of course. Do you remember how you got here?" Explorer asks, looking over at the person as they walk.

horrorosha

No... [She frowns.] I.. I don't remember a whole lot. I'm sorry...

#shimmering like smoke | explorer #weary eyes | rp #horrorosha

Explorer takes a breath and puts on their most reassuring voice. "It's alright, it's not your fault. What do you remember?"

Well, hey, you look more approachable than most of whatever the fuck everyone else seems to be. I'm Jax, nice to meet you

@two-halves-dragon

Explorer blinks at Jax, dipping their head in greeting. "I'm... glad I seem approachable? I'm Explorer, it's nice to meet you as well."

Most of the other people here have looked both incredibly willing and very able to kill me, so this is a nice change.

"Well, I'm happy I can help. Did you need assistance with anything?"

I was really just looking for a conversation with someone, though finding out what this place actually is and how it works would definitely be helpful too. I am very lost and would rather not die here if I can help it.

Explorer blinks, surprised. "Oh- you're new here? I can help you leave, if you want, or give you a crash course in all things OSHA. OSHA being vaguely where we are right now."

I came here for answers, and I'm not leaving until I get them.