Curiosity did what, now?

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold's research cave is coming along nicely, after her previous adventure - the floor carefully flattened (by teleporting stone out) and softened (by teleporting sand in); the permanent portals to Deva and the cavern's exit, currently closed to anyone who doesn't know the passwords, but marked off, with spaces set aside for several more portals; her experimenting supplies tucked away behind further portals in her workspace; a small cache set up for her new translation necklace and any other magical items she might happen to find in her travels.

And, now, another portal, leading to another new world. She double-checks that she has her traveling gear - translation necklace, teleporting ring, twine - completes the spell, and peers through.

Comments

[last_one_out]

He nods. "Thank you, then."

[lurkingkobold]

Grin.

"Other thing..." she kneels by the trap and folds over the edge to indicate the under side, which is made of a slightly different material. "Mine, safe. Other, not safe. Password, same, safe - careful."

[last_one_out]

He nods thoughtfully. "Not safe how?"

[lurkingkobold]

"Magic. Electricity." She touches the underside of the trap and mimes jerking her hand away from a shock.

[last_one_out]

He smiles slightly and nods understanding. "All right then. Thanks. ...Just for my curiosity, can you turn it back on so I can see if I can jump out of it?"

[lurkingkobold]

She nods and repeats the activation tune, more slowly this time, then stands back, grinning.

[last_one_out]

Elarron grins back.

He steps onto the trap, and tries walking and then fast walking and then slow running and then faster running; none of these work, although the fast run gets him pretty far.

Then he lets it drag him back to the middle, crouches, and springs for the edge. That works. He hits the ground just past the edge of the cloth, rolls, and lands in a giggling sprawl safely outside the trap.

[lurkingkobold]

Heeee.

Dusk offers him a hand up, giggling herself.

[last_one_out]

He accepts the help.

"That was fun. Let me see if I've got the password right—"

Whistle?

(He's got the password right.)

[lurkingkobold]

Dusk nods, still grinning, and gathers the trap up again.

"Plans?"

[last_one_out]

"Does 'wander around getting to know the area' count as a plan?"

[lurkingkobold]

She nods, and mounts up once she has the trap stowed. "I'll follow?"

[last_one_out]

"Sure."

Wandering commences, then.

[lurkingkobold]

Yup. Dusk is content to follow him wherever he'd like to go, more or less.

If he's sticking to the main path, and paying sufficient attention, he'll notice a white stone in the middle of one of the paths at the first major fork he comes to.

[last_one_out]

...Well then.

He does his best not to pay extra attention to the white stone - Inlaith is better at that; he's merely all right - and continues trying to figure out which way he came from using other clues, from his slightly sun-dazzled memory. The answer matches. He goes that way.

[lurkingkobold]

Dusk continues following.

Eventually there's another fork, and another white stone.

[last_one_out]

It's much less of a surprise the second time.

And - if this were Inlaith, there wouldn't be a hope in this or any other world that he'd fail to notice the trail markers after the third stone. So on the second one, Elarron pauses to figure out which way he came and then picks the other branch of the path.

"You're right, the forest is nice at night," he comments.

[lurkingkobold]

This gets a grin. Then after a moment, Dusk suggests, "lake?", pointing off in the direction the last two turns have taken them.

[last_one_out]

He smiles. "Sure, all right."

Lakeward they go.

[lurkingkobold]

It's a bit of a hike - this would go much faster if he was also mounted - but eventually there is a lake, and quite a nice one, with a broad sandy beach and the scent of a few night-blooming bushes hanging in the air. Out over the lake, bats chase the last of the evening's mosquitoes.

[last_one_out]

...Elarron likes the lake. He smiles when he sees it.

[lurkingkobold]

Dusk grins, but stays quiet and waits to see what he's going to do.

[last_one_out]

Stand still and admire the lake for half a minute or so, apparently. It is a nice lake, and he likes it. And there is something very simple and calming about not doing anything but admire a pretty lake.

Then he turns to Dusk and says, "It seems like I'm right about this place being easier to find my way around at night. I don't think I'd get lost trying to find my way back to the village by myself if we got separated."

[lurkingkobold]

She nods. "Want privacy?"

Was that a little quick? That might have been a little quick. ...oh well. It's not too dangerous if he gets suspicious.

[last_one_out]

Well, that's... a convenient offer. Hm.

But he smiles, and says, "Yeah, I think so. Thanks for showing me the lake. It's really nice."