With the seasons turned, Esarosa had finally come to explore this part of the territory. Since her arrival in Ivalice, she hadn't come to the mines. It stirred up too many mixed feelings for her. But today, with the season still so young and prey not quite abundant after the winter, she had come to see what this place had to offer. She didn't necessarily have to go inside the unnatural cavern. And with the current state of her hormones, her emotions were already all over the place, and the idea of adding to that by coming to the Northern Mines did not deter her as it normally would. In fact, she felt certain she could face those feelings, if they arose at all. Maybe, just maybe, she was over it all. Yes, she had almost died one fateful day; yes, Miksa had saved her from certain death that day, a memory etched into her mind so strongly she could never forget it, or him. But perhaps she could leave it in the past where it was meant to be. Things were different now. She had friends. She had a home. She had Steel. Aside from all the thoughts and emotions passing by her mind, today was a rather bland day. Clouds hung over the entire sky, with the sun peeking out from time to time, and nothing more. It wasn't too cold out, but it wasn't particularly warm and cozy either. A few young plants were sprouting, reaching toward the scant sunlight. Just another spring day in the North. As the big mouth of the cavern came into sight, familiar and haunting, something else familiar caught her eye. The dark coat and blazing red markings were undeniable. It was Valentina, and it looked like she was really close to the cavern's entrance. Without hesitation, Esarosa bounded over toward her friend, closing any gaps between them as she came to Val's side, her shoulder touching the taller woman's side. "Hey Val," she greeted her friend, but with an obvious sound of urgency in her tone, "You're not going in there, are you?" Since the time that the wall of this mine had collapsed on her, she just couldn't help but feel it was unsafe to go inside. But for all she knew, maybe Val had explored the mines on her own countless times. Or not. It had been a while since she'd spoken to her friend, which she regretted, but she was glad to have found her today. It would be great to catch up. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Dreary. That was probably the best description for today's weather. Olivine gaze stared at the sky beneath furrowed brows as she scowled at the sky above. What was so good about the north? It was cold and barren and...cold! Sure, sometimes it could be pretty. When you weren't trying to keep your tail from freezing to your ass! Maybe that's why she came to the mines, to perhaps try and see if she could find a den or something inside where she could stare at a wall instead of the endless white snow turned slush. At least, it would be slushy the warmer the seasons got she was sure. But how would she know? She was from the Southern continent, not much snow there. So while she had been fascinated for some time after seeing it here, she was downright tired of it now.

As she turned her gaze back to the yawning mouth of the cave, one ear flicked back as she heard foot steps approaching, soon followed by a very familiar voice that caused her inky lips to turn up in a smirk. Especially when she caught the tone in her voice. She turned her head slightly to look at her, a mischievous look in her eyes and a devious smile growing. "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark?" She giggled playfully as her tone was teasing.

As she approached her friend, the look on Valentina's face seemed to say that she had something mischievous on her mind. Esarosa couldn't help but to grin in return. It was never a dull time when she was with Valentina. A playful sneer crossed her face as the brightly marked woman teased that she was afraid of the dark. "No way!" she said in return, shaking her head, "It's not the dark... But I've heard the cave isn't very stable. You know, it could collapse on you." Okay, she hadn't just heard about it. She'd almost been buried alive in there. But if Avalon had claimed the mines as a home for her pack, it must be more stable than before. After all, Esa's own experience that had been years ago. Yet, she still didn't like the idea of going inside, or letting Val go in, either. But she wasn't about to admit that she was a little afraid, and she couldn't stop her friend if she actually did want to go in. After all, it seemed like a pretty interesting place - the unnatural edges of the cave opening, the smells of foreign objects, the thrill of exploring a mysterious place. "So, what are you going to do?" she asked, tilting her head as she wondered how Val would respond. "Speak" "Listen" Think