Small Lurker in Milliways

[lurkingkobold]

Here is a kobold.

To people familiar with the species, it's obviously a young one, not quite three feet tall to the adults' three and a half foot average. Its fur is blueish-grey and relatively dull, a sign that it hasn't been eating properly recently, though it's not thin. It's wearing a simple animal-skin skirt and carrying a stick, not quite long enough to serve as a walking stick, but useful for shielding itself from the worst of the undergrowth at least.

It is moving through the forest at speed, not following any path, and then suddenly it is elsewhere. After a few minutes, it notices the difference in the light; after a few more, it notices that the trees are subtly wrong - wrong species, wrong growth patterns, wrong in subtler ways that defy describing, but that tell the kobold that it is not in the forest where it grew up.

After even more minutes, it stops, having come to a clearing. There is a building, which, despite not being alarmingly large, cannot be traveled around.

The kobold does not have permission to enter the building.

The kobold cannot go back to where it was.

The kobold sits, and waits.

Comments

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold doesn't speak, but does watch the person, not warily, but not quite showing interest, either - she doesn't make eye contact but it seems like perhaps she might want to.

After a short delay - long enough to suggest that this is not entirely a genuine reaction - she tilts her head in an apparent display of curiosity.

[scatteredstars]

Comparing to Morph Database v.5.22.1.3...

No matches found.

(Of course not. Millways, why do you do this to me?)

"Can you talk?" Tyche asks, after a moment longer of silence.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold nods, wide-eyed, and seems to shrink into herself a bit.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche considers this for a moment, and then sits down, still where ze is, a short distance from Lurker. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. It just makes it easier to communicate."

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold looks away for a moment, reaching up to scratch behind the ear nearer Tyche as she does so. When she looks back, she's still not making eye contact, but she is making a face, as if asking, 'what do you think you're doing?'

[scatteredstars]

"I thought you might be lonely, out here on your own," Tyche says, as if this seems a perfectly reasonable reason to zir to attempt to talk to the kobold. "I can stop talking to you if you want. Do you?"

[lurkingkobold]

At the first sentence, the kobold's head jerks up in surprise - she's still not making eye contact, but she is looking Tyche full in the face for the first time, in a complicated mix of confusion and hope, with the confusion taking over as zie continues speaking.

When zie stops, the kobold moves her mouth a bit, as if preparing to speak, but instead she looks away, her eyes tracking back after a moment to see Tyche's reaction.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche looks mildly concerned at this reaction, but is waiting for an indication of whether or not ze should continue speaking. And so ze continues to sit there, waiting for a response, verbal or otherwise.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold goes through a few cycles of trying to figure out what to say, but eventually gives up, gives Tyche a concerned look, and settles into staring off into the middle distance.

[scatteredstars]

...that is not a response.

On the other hand, the longer ze waits, the more sure ze becomes that ze is not going to get a response.

Eventually, ze says, "Are you okay?"

[lurkingkobold]

A subtle change in tension of the kobold's spine is the only indication that she's heard the question, for two or three long seconds. Then she stands, loose and calm, and moves to sit at Tyche's side.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche looks at her in very obvious confusion. "Hey," ze says, after a moment, and then waits hopefully for an answer to zir previous question.

(At least whoever this is is less tense, now)

[lurkingkobold]

No, this is a happy kobold, see? There's no reason to be worried.

She nudges Tyche's arm with her snout, asking to be petted.

[scatteredstars]

The kobold does seem happy, even if Tyche is rather bewildered as to why.

She also seems to want something. Tyche looks between zir arm and the snout, an obvious question on zir face.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold's happy facade cracks for a moment as she considers this reaction; she is confused, and just slightly worried. She nudges Tyche's arm again, from the back this time: lift it, that's what I want you to do.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche lifts zir arm.

(Thing that ze wishes ze had for communication here: Language. Also, someone who was remotely competent at social)

[lurkingkobold]

Ah, yes, there we go, back on script. The kobold repositions herself to nudge the palm of Tyche's hand with the top of her head.

(Tyche can use all the language zie wants; the kobold will listen, like a good kobold.)

[scatteredstars]

Tyche lets zir hand rest on the kobold's head, being careful not to cover her eyes or ears, and continues to look confused. (But in a more comprehending 'oh, it's a weird social thing' way. It seems to be something ze is accustomed to.)

(That does not help Tyche with trying to work out what the kobold wants.)

[lurkingkobold]

That's ... okay. That is definitely just fine.

The kobold will be content to sit like this for rather a while, if Tyche doesn't seem inclined to do anything else.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche will sit there, studying her thoughtfully, for a while. Eventually ze seems to come to some conclusion, and speaks.

"You look," Tyche says, "like you need food. Do you want to go inside and get some?"

[lurkingkobold]

Now Tyche has two datapoints about questions that get unambiguous answers. Progress.

The answer to this question is a nod. The kobold seems genuinely enthusiastic.

[scatteredstars]

Progress!

Tyche stands, and pausing to make sure the kobold is following, heads for the door into the building.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold follows.

She balks, just slightly, at the doorway. Tyche might not even notice.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche catches this with a scrap of her attention. Ze stops, and gives the kobold an inquiring/concerned look.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold freezes.