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♥ Who: Pyra, Noctis, and Prompto
♥ Where: outside the barrier, mines
♥ When: mid jan
♥ What: exploration log
♥ Rating: Gen/teen! Prolly will be fighting/some action/blood later tho.

[ It's been a long time coming, but one successful petition of the local council later, and she's been approved to manage three excursions. The others, slotted for in the coming months, are not something she'll think about just yet (for she's not even certain she'll be going on all of them herself, or if she'll send others instead). For now, she focuses on the current task: exploring the mines' depths.

At a forking path of the mines, Pyra places another one of the prototype conduit crystals in a metal contraption and activates it. Light pulses briefly within it, and after a few moments, it appears to resonate with other closely-placed conduits laid out in a octagonal pattern around them. The otherworldly denseness of the atmosphere seems to clear within the space they stand, and a thin, shimmering, sheen, reminiscent of the gold of the barrier, veils to the points of the octagon.

Not as quickly as she'd liked, but expected, it dims in power, as if adjusting to conserve what energy each crystal has in relation to the oppressiveness of the atmosphere. ] It... seems to be working. A little, anyway. Maybe if I can-- ah?

[ The sound of rocks turning over and dirt scattering echoes down one of mine shafts. Pyra lifts her head, peering into the darkness. ] ...There's something coming.

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[Noctis crouches beside her to watch the light gleam, surprised to see the shift in the air. He's about to wave Prompto over to take a picture - the configuration is important, apparently, and it seems like they're finally on the right track with that - but Pyra's call for attention draws him away.

He straightens up and stands in front of the crystals, ready to defend in case whatever's approaching is dangerous, but some of his guard drops as the skittering creatures come close enough to be visible in the dim light they bring with them. It's... walking carrots!?]

Oh, come on!

[Pulling up the rear, Prompto, is two parts fascinated and one part hoping nothing creepy comes to try and kill them. Past experience with mines and caves and darkish places says it's not an unreasonable expectation. Despite that, he's excited, his camera in hand and camcorder tucked in a bag slung across his shoulders, eager to put his skills to good use.

The sight of the carroty creatures draws a snort out of him. He makes sure to get a picture of Noct's offence before crouching to catch some shots of the creatures.]

Aww~ They're kinda cute.

[ Just in case, Pyra deactivates the crystals and gathers them up into a bag, turning to face the group of.... vegetables... approaching. ] Are...

Are they hostile?

[ Because. They are cute.

More importantly, it's food. Mutant, living food, yes, but it's food, growing outside of the barrier. Are they begins corrupted from the mysterious toxin in the land, or are they the remnants of an ancient experiment gone wrong? She has no idea, but-- ]

We need to take one of these back to the city.

Uh, not to question your decision-making, but why?

[They're in the ground! Carrots belong in the ground! He doesn't want any part of this, thank you.

...He may be focusing more on the vegetable than the fact that they exist outside the barrier, oops. Carrot bias. For the moment they just seem to be scampering along their way, though, but they're still at enough of a distance that it's hard to gauge aggression.]

Research. [Prompto straightens up and bumps his shoulder against Noct's.] Or snacks.

[He adjusts his camera so it's out of the way so he can properly tap his chin and think about this.]

Maybe we can lure one with food. What do you suppose carrots eat?

[ Her mouth closes, what with Prompto having said the correct answer, and then she looks between the two of them, noting their expressions and their banter...

And she decides to join in. ]

Maybe they like to eat those who don't like to eat vegetables. Like a certain someone in our group.

[He shouldn't rise to the bait, but he totally does, scowling and flexing his hands, as he does when he's on the edge of summoning a weapon, though he never does until immediately before its use.]

Oh, they can try. [He's killed and eaten plenty of things that tried to eat him first, and they haven't gotten him yet.] Gimme a bag, I'll grab one.

[Prompto nods along with Pyra's input, though he can't keep a straight face to save himself.

Not even when tries to act concerned while patting around for a bag.]

Are you sure you wanna get that close to one, Noct? It might be full of nutrients.

[ She shouldn't giggle. That's her boyfriend they're roasting.

But she giggles anyways. ]

Y-you show that scary veggie who's boss!

Ugh, both of you are the worst.

[He snags whatever bag Prompto finds and warps over to the line of... carrots... immediately sweeping it over them and scooping up a couple. The rest begin to panic and scatter, chittering in alarm, and the whole gaggle of them turn tail and begin to hurry back down the path they'd come from.

Noctis blinks after them, watching them go in confusion, then holds the wriggling bag up towards the others.]

Uh... easier than I thought that would be.

[Still gross, though. He gives the bag a meaningful shake; hurry up and take this from him, he doesn't want to hold carrots.]

Yeah. But also the best.

[He watches the quick capture, and all the other critters scatter, and offers polite applause. It's not even sarcastic; it was well-executed, and better than he would have managed.

He's nice enough to take the bag from Noct. Even if the things are also bug-like, they are vegetable enough to not give him the full heebie-jeebies (just some heebies).]

Hope they'll be okay there.

[ She walks over to Prompto, leaning over the bag to see its contents. The carrots stare back up at her, forlorn and trembling of their capture. Oh no.

Oh no-- ]

...They're so cute.

[Oh no, indeed.]

We're not keeping them.

[He will not have a carrot for a pet! He'll hold the line on that one! Not in his house!]

They are actually...really cute...

[He gives Noct his most pleading look. Other people live in that house!]

But what if I've already named one?

[ (Un)Helpfully, ]

Please?

[fuck.]

How do you already have a name?

Easy. It's a carrot. I'd name it Side Dish.

[Don't let him name things.]

[ She can no longer contain her fit of giggles. Pyra bursts out laughing at name. ]

S--Side dish...?!

I was going to suggest... "Yummy".

[ Eh, there's more than one Noctis has caught. They can all name one. ]

[He hates everything about this. (except that they're having fun, that part's okay.)]

I refuse to call it anything but Compost.

[Yummy... He snickers.]

Fine. We can name one of them Compost.

[That means they're keeping them, right?]

Do you hear that, little wiggly ones? [ She leans over the bag, cooing at them. ] We're taking you home, we'll even give you a nice spot in the garden...

[ She looks back to Noctis, mouthing a genuine 'thank you'. ]

[Worst day ever. Noctis huffs a breath, waving a hand dismissively, and starts down the tunnel again, leaving the carrot monster maintenance to them. If it makes them happy, fine... but he's totally gonna say he told them so when they start biting or taking over the city, or something equally sinister. Carrots are evil.

Besides the squeaking bag they're carrying, things seem quiet for the moment. Since he's ahead now though, he's likely the first to hear... more squeaking approaching from beyond their path, making him pause again.]

Are they coming back?

[Best day ever! Prompto gives Pyra a triumphant grin as he carefully adjusts the bag so their new veggie pals won't get hurt while they continue exploring.

Coming up behind Noct, he squints over his friend's shoulder.]

Mm? Maybe they're worried about their buddies.

I think we should follow them-- they could be leading down to more areas to explore.

[ As for her own pack of crystal conduits, she readjust the strap of the back over her shoulder. ]

These mines go further than I'd thought. Maybe we'll get lucky and fine a cart on rails to ride.

[Noctis pauses a moment, then smirks, happy to finally get a little payback.]

Better not hope too hard for that. Someone's liable to eat dirt when one comes rolling by.

[He hasn't forgotten those mine cart goblin shenanigans in the mines they visited back home. A certain someone was easily startled.]

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