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

[scatteredstars]

Tyche also seems mildly puzzled by the form the candy took, and watches to see the kobold's reaction. Ze smiles brightly when ze notices that she likes it, and makes an encouraging gesture.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold doesn't need very much encouragement.

Despite its odd composition, the candy bone can be eaten the same way a real one would be. She's obviously familiar with this procedure, and manages to do it rather neatly despite the slight awkwardness of standing with no table handy.

The signs that the kobold enjoys the candy are subtle, but definitely present.

[scatteredstars]

When the kobold finishes, Tyche waits a little bit to see if she will say anything; when nothing is forthcoming, ze asks, "Do you want some more?"

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold freezes at the question, seemingly more out of reflex than out of fear at this point. When the reflex passes, she finds something on the other side of the bar to look at, ignoring Tyche.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche holds carefully still and waits for the kobold to unfreeze. When it becomes clear that she is ignoring zir, ze resettles zirself, and studies the kobold thoughtfully.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold's posture eventually shifts to a more thoughtful one, then guilty, and then she approaches Tyche and hugs one of zir legs.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche is surprised and confused!

Ze is, however, holding still.

[lurkingkobold]

After a little bit, the kobold lets go, and settles in beside Tyche again.

[scatteredstars]

This may result in them staying like that for a while, with Tyche giving the kobold occasional puzzled glances.

[lurkingkobold]

A little while, at least.

The kobold has had a long day, and the adrenaline is finally starting to wear off. She yawns. (My goodness that is quite a lot of teeth.)

[scatteredstars]

Tyche spends a moment recalling what that means, then asks, "Need to sleep?"

[lurkingkobold]

She nods, considers for a moment, and starts heading toward the door they came in through.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche blinks, and follows her.

[lurkingkobold]

Tyche is certainly allowed to do that.

The kobold heads outside, takes stock of the area, and starts poking around the base of the building.

[scatteredstars]

"Looking for something?"

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold ignores Tyche.

A few moments later, she disappears into a bush.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche squints at the bush. After a moment, ze says, "...would you like somewhere more secure -- and comfortable -- to sleep?"

[lurkingkobold]

The bush rustles.

The kobold's face appears, and she squints up at Tyche.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche considers how awake the kobold seems, and then says, "I can get you a safe comfortable place to sleep for tonight. We can talk about longer when you've slept."

[lurkingkobold]

This is not an especially gruntled kobold.

She emerges from the bush and falls in beside Tyche.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche considers this, and then leads her inside. Ze conducts a conversation with the bar, and leaves some more trinkets.

Ze then walks her up to her room, stopping outside its door. "Put your hand here, and it will open," ze says.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold does so.

The door opens to reveal a small cave, with the air inside cool and moist and smelling faintly of smoke and leather and kobolds. The walls are lined with striped flowstone deposits, and a formation of stalagmites hides a nest of leather and cloth blankets. A shallow basket by the door holds three more candy bones.

The kobold goes slightly wide-eyed at this, in wonder, and looks curiously up at Tyche.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche is watching the kobold for her reaction. When it proves positive, ze smiles. "Not what I would have chosen, which just proves how good Millways is at what she does, apparently."

[lurkingkobold]

Tyche is happy. Kobold is sleepy. Tyche is not sleepy. Kobold goes to use the sleep.

She burrows under two heavy leather blankets, the rest of the nest providing padding and insulation from the cool rock below, makes a small noise of contentment, and falls asleep immediately, utterly relaxed.

[scatteredstars]

Tyche closes the door, makes sure it locks, and heads back downstairs.

Ze will be sitting at the Bar when the kobold wakes up.