[IN PROGRESS] Partly's Honeycomb Hunt

[skinstealer]

"W-well! I don't! Expect anyone to be hunting us!" Partly crackles a little more at that, trying not to entertain the notion. "We should be totally on our own in the caves! And on the way, for that matter."

[knux400]

"You mentioned danger in the job listing, though, so I'm assuming you were referring to the cave itself?" Lumin's moved on to her third claw.

"I brought stuff to deal with both, so it's not an issue either way. I'm mostly just curious."

[skinstealer]

"Mhm! I've heard that it used to be an old mine, but the people who made it abandoned it a long time ago...and that the reason why no one goes there is because stuff is super rickety and broken down."

[Ignispark]

Dia ponders for a moment, taking in the new info, she looks somewhat concerned for a moment, before seeming neutral.

"...well, I. I don't want to sound alarmist...but there is a real possibility, if nobody has explored it properly since its been abandoned then...there could in fact be something calling it home. That isn't 'uncommon' for abandoned places...I'm not saying it's likely, but...one should never let their guard down too much. But then again, far more injuries in the come from structural issues anyway I think...so, I digress..."

[skinstealer]

"...I guess that's...very possible, yes. But surely we'd have heard some kind of rumors, right? Urban legends? Ghost stories?


....actually, there might have been one or two..."

[Pichi2214]

"Well! I'm ready for an adventure! I'm sure any ghosts we find can be reasoned with, I'm honestly more concerned about the state of the cave if it used to be an old mine that's been abandoned..."

[knux400]

"I'm ready when you all are." Lumin's finished all three claws on one hand and is now filing the first claw on the other.

[skinstealer]

"In that case...let us be off!"

The hazydaze bounds ahead into the forest, leaving the rest of them to trail behind.

The forest itself is dense and winding, little birds flitting through the trees occasionally. There's a slight path, but it feels incredibly easy to get lost if you're not careful...

As if the thought crosses Partly's mind, xey pipe up.

"Have any of y'all been through these here woods before? It's a pretty common adventuring destination!"

[Ignispark]

Dia prances about vaguely while following Partly. She winds around trees (directly next to the party) and even goes as far to hop onto a low down branches and back down while following along, full of energy...but careful to still stay next to the party. She would rather not get lost, pathfinding isn't her strongest skill.

"I've been here a few times! It's quite nice to scurry about, make dramatic poses to the sky, and aimlessly monologue in the dead of night...provided you, don't mind watching your step...and occasionally getting a...bit misplaced...life's really about journeys anyways...!" She chuckles and kind of looks vaguely off into the sky and sticks a paw out at the sky before quickly changing the subject..

"Anyhow, it's rather delightful to sneak up on someone else and surprise them here too. A bit hard to find people but...it's fun to get the drop on someone anywhere...I recommend giving them a little gift though so they remember the encounter for longer if you ever try that though. So, if you plan to do that I think you should pack knickknacks. Like a neat rock." She pauses for another short second, thinking of something good to say.

"What do you all think about the woods? And, excellent little pastimes?"

[knux400]

Lumin nonchalantly follows suit, keeping pace with the others. Being a quadruped, it's forced to stow away its file for now, but it makes a note to finish the last two claws later.

"Have any of y'all been through these here woods before? It's a pretty common adventuring destination!"

"I go through here pretty often. Most of the time, I keep to the woods itself, but occasionally I'll have to cut through the woods to get to somewhere else. In fact..." It hesitates, looking around. "If we're going the direction I think we're going, I might have seen this cave before. If it's the one I'm thinking of, I never actually went inside, but I did pass by the entrance on my way back from another job."

"Anyhow, it's rather delightful to sneak up on someone else and surprise them here too. A bit hard to find people but...it's fun to get the drop on someone anywhere...I recommend giving them a little gift though so they remember the encounter for longer if you ever try that though. So, if you plan to do that I think you should pack knickknacks. Like a neat rock."

 
"So you're the one... Jack told me about some Tinystep she saw out here the other day. It's good to hear you're not actually trying to hurt anyone."

"What do you all think about the woods? And, excellent little pastimes?"

It's hard to notice, but Lumin's face shifts slightly at the word 'pastimes'. They're definitely fond of whatever hobbies they might have, but they doesn't seem keen on sharing at the moment, so they choose to only answer the first half of the question.

"The woods are... Fine, I suppose. The air's fresh and the scenery's okay. Not my first choice for exploring, but not bad either."

[Pichi2214]

"Hmm...." They grab their notebook again, flipping a few pages to a little map of the forest. "Well! I've been around the forest before, I occasionally go here to gather stuff, though that's usually more my girlfriend's deal. I tend to do the city errands and she grabs stuff from out here when she can."
They look down at their map now and then, making sure to not lose track of where they are and adding new details when applicable.

[skinstealer]

"Well...at the very least, y'all aren't total newcomers to the great outdoors! I've had adventuring parties where people are looking to get their paws dirty for the first time ever, and I am not a great guide for newbies. I know lots of stuff, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm a great teacher!"

Xey hop over a fallen log with a bit of effort, waiting for everyone to catch up before moving forward.

"They say the tree sap from this part of the woods is unparalleled, but I'm no expert there. I've just heard that it's good for syrups. There's also huge leaves to collect, pebbles smoothed out by the local brook, you name it...


...and as for pastimes, I like to wander around and see what happens. I'm a rambling kinda guy."

[Ignispark]

Dia nods along. "Hehehe, yeah...forests are pretty great."

She follows, pausing for a moment to tap a paw to her head.
"I wonder if one can just, sip raw sap..."

[skinstealer]

"...you can, but it's not as good as when you boil it down."

[knux400]

"Seems like it would be messy to just... Drink it. You'd get your face all sticky."

[Pichi2214]

"I mean... if you use a straw it wouldn't really get on your face."

[knux400]

"I don't know if you could get it through a straw in the first place, considering how thick it is. You'd really have to work for it."

[skinstealer]

"Sap tapped directly from the tree is actually more like water, if you can believe it-"

Partly pauses, holding up the entire party.

"...think I see it over there! Y'all see that!"

Sure enough, there's an open cave mouth just beyond a thicket of thorny brambles.

...it also has a distinct "DO NOT ENTER" sign on it.

[Ignispark]

"I mean...considering how thick it is...why stick your entire face there. Just, lick it or like scoop it up with your tongue or something..."

[Pichi2214]

"...I am mildly concerned about the do not enter sign."