Don't expect mercy from my government

[poll_the_stars]

One elf is starting to run out of time. The assassins plotting to kill her could show up any day now. She would really rather they didn't.

The irony doesn't escape her. She's still sending messages about her plans to sell off all of her lifespan and die to become a daeva with a lot of OTC currency. If she wanted, she could mint a ton of Ka, then let the assassins kill her. But the idea doesn't appeal. Some form of giving up, of letting them win. She's not often petty, but in this particular instance she thinks she'll indulge herself. Besides, it's not like they're the merciful type. She recalls Aisilian's perfect comprehensioned words. You were in quite a lot of pain...

No. No, she'll - not do that. She'll go spend a little while in Nexus.

She sends Miles a message.

So everything is packed and I have everything I need with me to flee my dimension before I get assassinated. Is now a good time?

Comments

[poll_the_stars]

"There was an - the - something aura-related happening, I don't know what, it's gone now but I am concerned."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I... am not inclined to think there's anything to be concerned about... on the other hand I can see how me just saying that might be less than perfectly reassuring."

[poll_the_stars]

"I can't sense her," murmurs Inavet. "At all. I have no idea where she is. Do you know why she's." She waves a hand helplessly. "Or what she's inclined to do about it?"

[lurkingkobold]

Do, geez, give her a bit to think, get Miles away from the strange elf mage for starters, how about that one. Except apparently she can't move without the strange elf mage's strange elf magic noticing. Augh.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Um, 'nervous about elves', 'hide until you go away' would be my guesses?"

[poll_the_stars]

She looks at Miles for a long moment.

"... Okay." An observant eye might notice she's subtly shaking. "Okay. Uh. I am. Nice? Friendly? Not inclined to do, uh, anything bad? I. Was asked earlier to help figure out how to get you arcany, which. Still. Still willing to do."

[lurkingkobold]

Nnnnnnope.

[thisvorlunatic]

Augh.

[poll_the_stars]

"... Miles, where's my. Room? Or, I don't - actually know if I have one, do I have a room? I won't complain if you put me outside, I have slept in worse places."

[thisvorlunatic]

"There are plenty of rooms, of which only two and a half are in use, you can pick one of the rest. This way."

[poll_the_stars]

"Right."

She follows Miles, edgy but trying to keep it together.

[lurkingkobold]

If you think the kobold is letting Miles and the elf out of her sight, you are wrong.

She does wait 'till they're a reasonable distance away to follow, maybe that will be good enough to avoid the strange elf magic.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles tries to avoid looking too obviously protective of Inavet, but walking around with a highly nervous friend does tend to put him on guard.

[poll_the_stars]

Inavet twitches when she notices the kobold move.

"Are. Are you following us?" she asks, plaintively.

[lurkingkobold]

That is the thing the kobold is doing, yes.

Given the choice of following, with the elf being able to see that fact but not, apparently, where exactly she is, or letting Miles and his suddenly and inexplicably bad judgement be alone with the elf, she is going to do the first thing.

She's not getting any closer right now, though, so the aura starts to fade out again.

[poll_the_stars]

The elf backs backs away from the aura.

"Being scared I can understand, but why are you following us."

[lurkingkobold]

The aura continues to fade; there isn't any other response.

[poll_the_stars]

"Miles," she says, just at the edge of a whimper. "Put me in the room that is furthest away from the kobold. I. Here." A bag (the lightest one) goes Miles-ward. "Put that in the room, I will find it, I. Just. I. Can't."

And then she disappears through a wall and flees.

[thisvorlunatic]

...Miles finds the room that is furthest away from the kobold, and puts the bag in it, and goes to sit at his comconsole and fret.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold follows, still invisible.

When he sits at the comconsole, she settles on the nearby couch, to watch and consider her options.

(The elf can walk through walls? What the hell. How is she even supposed to keep Miles safe from someone who can do that.)

[poll_the_stars]

Eventually (once Inavet has managed to stop crying) Miles gets a message on the forum.

Sorry. About that. Do you want an explanation?

[thisvorlunatic]

Sure.

[poll_the_stars]

Having assassins after me isn't new. There have been people following me, trying to mask their presence from me, then trying to kill me, in that order, for several hundred years now. This has had, uh, after effects. Usually I'm fine, but - sometimes when the right sort of button is pressed, such as a person I don't know who has some kind of obvious problem with me who is invisible, refuses to drop out of invisibility, and won't answer my questions then follows me... I can freak out. Sorry. I would have warned you, but I didn't know this was going to happen.

[thisvorlunatic]

Yeah, well, neither did I.

Miles feels unaccountably reminded of his attempt to explain privacy to Orz.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold, in her alertness, doesn't miss Miles' expression. The elf could be back any moment, so she's not dropping her invisibility, but... she can be selective enough with it. After a moment, there's a quiet 'hi', and the sensation of fur against Miles' arm.