Secret of the Mines of Oor (Mollisol and Zaxs)

[Zaxs]

Shihanna immediately took her hands of Noli's as if she a spider or some bug crawled on her hand and she had to quickly back away. She seemed to be thinking, as her finger tips tapped the concrete rhythmically. She seemed to continue to talk with her hand instead of just getting out of her little blob fort she made.

She stuttered a bit and spoke with her hand, pointing at Noli and herself. "Y-you like me...me of all people in this crater? Have you never had a boyfriend?" Her hand tried to make a heart and it turned out to be half a heart when she said 'like me', and when she said crater she made a kind of bowl with her hand. Once she finished her sentence she began to tap her fingers on the concrete again. "Why w-would you want to go on a date with me? I shot at you??!!" making a finger gun and softly saying "pew pew" as she aimed it at Noli.


She paused when Noli said is Shihanna wanted to see her again, her face a little red. She didn't know what to say, so she gave a thumbs up after some thought.
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[Quincunx]

Noli blushed harder at the hand grab. This... She'd expected Shihanna to tell her to fuck off, maybe in a best case scenario tell her to come back tomorrow morning. She had not expected this.

She felt her heart skip a beat when Shihanna looked up at her, and she laughed at the pew-pew noises. "I don't know... you're just so... so..." Her addled brain fought the urge to say "beautiful". "You're such a fighter. If young blood like you can stay strong under a fate like this, maybe I can... never mind. I'm not ready to talk about that yet. I... I've had boyfriends, I guess. But you were right about me being too much of a hardass," she laughed, remembering the few men she'd taken under her wing. "Everything is a project to me, and people don't like that I'm a workaholic. But that was before I met you. You're not a project. You're... a bright, sarcastic, terrible flirt of a spark."




She smiled at the thumbs-up the girl gave her. "I'll definitely see you again, then. And I'll definitely get you out of here. Somehow." She flipped her hand over in Shihanna's grasp and entwined their fingers together. The stillness felt familiar to her, yet totally alien at the same time. It was better than holding hands with any of her boyfriends, she thought, for sure.


Finally, after the moment was over, Noli lifted Shihanna's hand to her mouth and gave it a soft kiss. Her skin felt warm. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shihanna."




She released their hands and left, before she could embarrass herself any further. Using the clinging boots she'd brought with her, she climbed around the side of the house and into her window.
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna thought the finger gun was a nice added touch, but didn't expect her flirting to go well with Noli. She can only imagine the blush Noli had compared to her. Maybe not, she seemed calm enough to not completely break down in a fluster of emotion like Shihanna was currently. She liked being called a fighter, but knew that was just to replace another word, but what was she going to say?

Shihanna wanted to grab Noli's hand and tell her that she could tell her what happened, what was she not ready to speak of? When she changed the subject to how Noli never had a boyfriend, Shihanna exclaimed. "I knew it!" Shihanna just listened to Noli as she continued and blushed when Noli started talking about her.


She felt the warmth of Noli's hand as the interlocked their fingers together for a little, and soon Shihanna felt a kiss on top her hand. Her lips were soft, was she wearing a kind of lip stick or lip balm? "I will see you tomorrow, Sweets." She said as Noli left.


She tried hard to fall back to sleep, but after that her head was a jumbled mess of how she felt. But she got some sleep in, before she heard the door open again and she covered her head and curled up on her mattress.
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[Quincunx]

The windowless room flooded with light as Kou opened the door. "Good morning," he said. His partner followed him in with a small stack of clothes in his hands. Kou himself was holding a tray of cornbread, thin slices of ham, fresh fruit, and juice.




"I wouldn't get used to us bringing gifts, but our daughter said this is the least she could do," said Midoli. He set the clothing down next to Shihanna's bed. "Shihanna? You've got to get up. Kores needs extra people today. He says there's a particularly big project he's starting." Not comfortable touching her directly, he prodded her with his hand inside the bell of some big-sleeved garment. "We'll knock on the door again in half an hour, when it'll be time to turn you over to Kores."




With that, the two left the room. Kou looked behind him and set down the tray before he left.
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[Zaxs]

After those two had finally left, Shihanna sat up from her slumber and rubbed her eyes. She was not going to be much help today, and can't even imagine what special project that Corn guy, what was his name? Whatever plan he had for her, she would had with a burning passion. She yawned and got her feet out of the covers and off the mattress.

She immediately went to the tray of food and snarfed all the food down in under a few minutes. She then looked at the clothes they provided and went to the restroom, taking off her original rags. Being left in her white underwear, with a little blue finesse, she turned on the shower and washed up.

She then came out the restroom with shorts and a decently big top, at least it was big in the front. Who's where these? Didn't matter, she began to stretch and lay back in bed until someone came for her.​

 

[Quincunx]

The day would be the first of many repetitive days like it. Kou and Midoli came back into the room to escort her out, where they handed her off to Kores. Kores led her into the mines and put her in isolation in what must've been the darkest area of the mine - apparently something was wrong with her that she wouldn't be privy to the project. He watched her, occasionally going to check on the other miners, and these were the only moments of freedom she had until lunch, where she was push-escorted back to her cell.

Fortunately, Kou and Midoli were in charge of lunch, not Kores, so while she was still in isolation, she had a hell of a toasted sandwich. Kou also offered her a choice of juice and tea.

There was no contact with the outside world except for what she could glimpse from her fleeting time on the shoulder, but there seemed to be some sort of folded-up paper under her plate. How it got there would remain a mystery.​

 

[Zaxs]

Shihanna ached through out the day, and only wish time would speed up or just end already. She had things in her room that she wanted to do, like....mess with scrap, and...that's it? She wondered what this so called project Corn man was doing and why she couldn't be a part of it? She was actually starting to get scared of the random noises that she heard in the dark.

When lunch rolled around she was happy to have such amazing food and was able to talk to a few of the other miners, also hit on one or two of them. But she looked at her plate and picked up the note that was mysteriously placed there. "Who left this here?" She slowly opened it up and looked at the writing inside.
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[Quincunx]

One of the miners she'd hit on winked at her and said, "Open it up and see... well, it's not from me, but it'd would've been pretty to think so, eh?"




A large section of the corner was visible beneath the simple plate. The note was written on light green stationery with some complex pattern on the edges, and black cursive ink bled through the layers.


A few of the other miners eyed her curiously, while others hung back. One could notice that while the miners all seemed to share the same mutual hatred of Kores, and most of them held the Xings in low regard, opinion was quite split on Shihanna. Some of them welcomed the way she flirted. A few even flirted back. Others had contemptuous looks in their eyes whenever her name was mentioned - did they think she got special treatment or something? A handful even seemed to be scared of her.




Shihanna,





My parents won't be there to "tuck you in", so maybe we can go somewhere tonight.





Isn't this town a terrible hospital?





xoxo,


N.
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[Zaxs]

She looked at the note and thought it was cute that Noli would send this, but the last sentence she didn't if Noli wanted a reply back or something? Her house was pretty close by, so she kind of loudly screamed, "Yes it is!" she tucked the note into her panties as if they would pat her down and take it away from her there.


She returned to her meal as if nothing happened and a few of the miners were confused why she suddenly screamed. It wasn't long till they were back to work, so Shihanna quickly finished her lunch and went back to her long shift. Talking amongst the miners before she left to her dark and lonesome cave for another couple hours slaving away.


Finally! The day was over, she could go home, shower and lay down. But something was making her underwear ride up, and she remember the note. So she hurried home like a school girl who had her friend coming over. getting in the shower and putting on the dress that she was given last night.



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[Quincunx]

That night, not an hour later, there was a knock at the door. A look through the peephole would reveal Noli, wearing her black sheath dress and shawl. Her right eye was missing its apparatus, instead hidden by her white sideswept bangs. She appeared to be holding something in her hands - maybe a ring or trinket she was clasping, maybe a gift.

"You're not asleep, are you? Sorry if I woke you," Noli said softly. She wasn't sure how to stop apologizing, but she did know that spending time with the woman she liked would help.


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[Zaxs]

Shihanna was so excited to have Noli come over, even though where she lived was a prison with almost nothing to entertain her or Shihanna. She guessed they have to just rely on talking to each other, she blushed as her mind began to travel. But her day dream was interrupted by a knock at her door, and she rushed to look through the peep hole.

She saw the beautiful and lovely Noli, it took Shihanna a while to take her eye off from the peep hole and actually open the door for her guest. "You made it, come in come in." She lead Noli into her room and turned to face her room with her arms spread out, "Let me give you a tour, this is....everything. Good?" Shihanna giggled and gazed up at Noli, "Aww you covered your eye? I kind of want to see it." Shihanna said a bit sadly.




"Well what would you like to do? I don't really have anything fun in this room, unless you want to play I spy?" Shihanna would've laughed if it wasn;t the case, but it was true. She looked Noli up and down admiring her dress before looking at her hands in excitement for what was in them.
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[Quincunx]

Noli laughed at Shihanna's joke. At the remark about her bad "eye", she rolled her good one, but with an affectionate smile. For the briefest sense of a second, she brushed her bangs away, revealing a red eye almost identical to her good eye at first glance. At second glance, it didn't move the way her other eye did, and it seemed to stare right through Shihanna, or at least, not at her.

"I have a plan, although we'll have to be quiet. But first, let me give you something," Noli said. She stretched her arm over to Shihanna and opened her hand, revealing something angular and silver. "It's a tool. This end is a wrench and that end's a screwdriver, perfect for unsealing batteries. You must get bored in here with nothing but computer scraps."




She smoothed her dress down. "Anyways, I know the perfect place for us to hang out. Maybe talk or something, maybe something else, maybe eat these." She pulled a few more plastic-wrapped cakes from her shawl. "Follow me." She led Shihanna out onto the shoulder, and pointed to the waterfall, lit only by the moon and stars. "Behind that." After they were off the shoulder, Noli beckoned her towards the river, and they followed it until they came to a wall of water against the backdrop of the canyon, crashing down into a dark pool.
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna looked at Noli's eye, she thought it was cute that she hid it from her. She liked that she was different in a way that wasn't just in personality, but that she wasn't perfect and she knew that, but she embraced it. Shihanna didn't really feel like that, she would often just blurt out and be insensitive, but Noli like her for that. Liked her for being unique.

"What is this? It looks like a messed up army knife." She looked at the weird tool before Noli explained what is was to her, she smiled, "Thanks I can finally use the batteries and maybe make something I can use and play with. Thank you sweets." She put it under her mattress to hide it.




"What is this perfect place? S-something else? W-what do you mean?" Shihanna saw the cakes and immediately followed like a dog hungry for food. She wanted the cakes near the bottom because in the bag, if it got warm sometimes the other cakes melt onto the bottom. "I am glad you didn't bring me any heels otherwise I would fall back down this crater." She followed close behind as she was led to the wall of water.
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[Quincunx]

"Here we are," Noli said. "Unfortunately we can't go behind it, or we'll come back all wet, but the ambiance is pretty, isn't it? It's the perfect spot to cuddle and talk. If you want. It's just a waterfall; there's nothing to be scared of."




The night was warm, and small clouds rolled over the moon and onto the stars. Noli set her shawl down like a picnic blanket, with the pockets full of sweets on top, and kneeled on it. "So... how was today? Wait, that's a bad question. Today was probably bad. Anything you'd actually enjoy telling me?"
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna looked at Noli under the moon light, as it made her seem to glow in a way. Shihanna blushed as soon as she heard the word cuddle, she never really done that with anyone. Maybe she had to hold her enemies tightly in order to capture or assassinate them, but she never cuddled with anyone. "C-cuddle? Right." She giggled at how nervous she was.


She sat down on top the shawl that was laid out, she scooted close to Noli. "Well yeah today was terrible, I had to mine in the dark..didn't find any crystals for almost half the time I was at work. But the lunch that I was provided was nice." She took out some of the cakes that Noli had in the bag. "What about you, what was your day like. Being like the daughter of the sheriff right? Find any other snipers out there?"
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[Quincunx]

Noli shook her head. "It's more like being daughter of the president. You can do anything you want, as long as you put on a pretty face for the town." She bit into a pink snack cake, and swallowed the airy cake, not intending to eat too much so Shihanna could have a larger share. "Like, today, I was supposed to be watching the mines, but I was watching Kores instead. He wants a large area cleared out for some reason... like, a big room made of rock. And of course, it'll be even better if they hit a vein in the process. I think he's kind of a hardass," she said. "And not in the cool way like me. Anyway, I didn't get caught because of my boots and good ol' environment suit."




She pushed the rest of the snacks towards Shihanna, and tentatively put an arm around her, drawing her close.
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna listened in and began to eat the little snack cakes, one by one they flew into her mouth. But there was a lot of them so she tried to pace herself. when eating them. "Well you already got a pretty face, so it shouldn't be to hard being little miss president's daughter." She placed her hand on top of Noli's and light drummed her fingers against it. "That corn guy is making an area? What for and why am I not a part of this operation. I could work more then most of those miner chumps." When Noli talked about being a hard ass, Shihanna gave a look and rolled her eyes. "Right. Because there's a cool way to be a hard ass. Good joke."




Shihanna blushed as she was pulled in closer to Noli, she didn't mind it and she even scooted closer until their hip were touching. Shihanna smiled and move one hand towards Noli's bangs. "Let me see that eye again, there's no reason to hide it from me. We both are broken in a way." Her fingers lightly moved Noli's bangs to reveal her eye, and Shihanna smiled brightly.
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[Quincunx]

Noli flinched a little, but didn't move away. "I'm not... broken. This is just the way I am." She recalled the exact moment she lost her eye - the falling rocks, the rain of red crystal, the darkness that fell over exactly half of her world. "Doing stupid things that hurt me. Walking down the same stupid roads I can't change." She hesitated, and then used her free hand to push the hair out of the way of her glass eye.


It was red, but a hollow red. Nothing piercing or burning - it just seemed to stare off into nothingness. Noli shut her other eye so Shihanna could better focus on it, effectively leaving Noli blind.
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[Zaxs]

"You can say you're not broken. I find that to be true, because you seem more capable then most." Shiahnna smiled and gazed into her red eye, it seemed like it hurt a bit, like it was a constant pain to Noli. Both physically and mentally. So Shihanna took a deep breath and exhaled as she held Noli's hand tightly with hers.


She reached up with her left hand and began to take off her mask, it seemed to come off pretty easy. She lifted it up and set it down besides her gripping it tight, what was seen was Shihanna's bright blue eyes, that were red along the edges and it looked like she had just cried, but she hasn't, it was just how her eyes were. Shihanna's rosey cheeks grew a bit more red when she looked up at Noli, then her lips that seemed to be scared with burn marks. Her breathing was loud but slow and a bit raspy like she had a sore throat and couldn't speak because of it.


She could remember the last time she showed her face, it was when she was fourteen and she thought she met a person that would accept her, but they turned after truly seeing her. She hid that face of hers until today, bshe gripped her mask tightly and was ready to hide her face once more.
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[Quincunx]

Noli heard something gently hitting the ground. She tentatively opened her eye, and there, in her half-field of vision, was Shihanna's whole face. Not just her lips, scarred like a sigil. Her rosy cheeks. Her red-rimmed eyes. There was something obviously hurt and vulnerable about her, just like Noli. But also, there was something... strong. After all, it took more than a little courage to take off the mask you needed to live, didn't it?

"Don't be holding your mask too tight," Noli said, still holding her hair out of her eye. She let it fall and placed her hand on Shihanna's. "I wanna kiss you, ya brat."
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna looked and gazed into Noli's eyes she liked seeing this side of Noli it was better then Noli being a hard ass when she was trying to capture her, but not quite as fun. "You're...not scared..or something? I look like a..mess..don't I?" She let go of her mask and switched her gaze from Noli to the ground. "it's hard...being scared..to show..my face all.. the time."




She felt Noli's warm hand grab hers and she looked back at Noli's eyes, "Okay..I guess...I am the brat...Miss President's..daughter." She smiled again "As for...the kiss...That's your choice. I will..can "pretend" if..you don't." Her smile widened and she giggled a bit.
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[Quincunx]

Noli shrugged. "You should've seen before we got the eye commissioned. That was a trip. Hate to say it, but you don't have a monopoly on looking... out of the ordinary." She let her date look at the ground. "At least you're not alone, though."

She moved Shihanna's hand to her waist, pulled her close, and pressed her lips to the other woman's. They were soft, not chapped, from being protected under a mask for so long. And they felt warm.

The waterfall roared and burbled in the background, drowning out the soft chu of the kiss. Noli didn't mind. She'd been wanting to understand what was under the mask since she'd met this woman.​

 

[Zaxs]

Shihanna held the kiss for just a bit longer, her fingers brushing through the back of Noli's hair. Shihanna could feel Noli's heart racing as well as her own. But her breathing was starting to become a problem, as she began to make the kiss a bit awkward with how hard she was breathing.

She pulled away slowly and dawned her mask back on. She sighed of relief and look at Noli. "That was wonderful, I haven't felt a kiss like before." She Ate a few more of the cakes and stood up. "It's starting to get a little late, shall I escort you to your home. Or shall i be arrested again if I do." She laughed and held her arm out for Noli to take.
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[Quincunx]

Noli got up, put her shawl back on, and took Shihanna's arm. Not feeling the need to say anything except with a gentle smile, she walked her back to the shoulders. However, the further away from the waterfall they got, the louder a certain noise became. It was rhythmic and... vocal. A chant being repeated, over and over again. And it was not lost on Noli that it also became louder as they neared the shoulder.

A crowd of people that could be seen from a distance had gathered on the shoulder bridges, carrying signs and lanterns and chanting at quite the volume. Some of its faces were recognizable as miners, while others were simply people from around the city. But one familiar man stood in front, a bow on his back. He led them, shouting, "Justice for Maralie! Water for Oor! JUSTICE FOR MARALIE! WATER FOR OOR!"




Noli stopped short. "Oh, shit. This is not good."
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[Zaxs]

Shihanna walked along side Noli down the trail back to the shoulder, and was happy to feel Noli so close by, but her thoughts soon faded once she heard the chanting in the distance. The crowd was of people she recognized from the mines and also a few others she saw were people she aimed at when she frist got here.

One face stood out like a sore thumb, and that bow..it was that man that shot at her hand, she turned to Noli. "What is he doing here, and why is he with that group. I thought Marick was something with you guys, was he not?" Shihanna looked confused and let go of Noli to hide out somewhere, "Waht if they see me with you? I will get in big trouble!"
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