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

[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.

[thisvorlunatic]

He sighs, partially comforted and partially troubled further.

[lurkingkobold]

That seems like a fairly reasonable reaction to this situation.

The kobold stays put, invisible and inaudible but touchable.

[thisvorlunatic]

The kobold can have conflicted scritches, then.

[poll_the_stars]

Eventually:

What do you want to do? I can leave, if you'd prefer.

[thisvorlunatic]

Damned if I know. I'd really rather you didn't get assassinated, but I'm not going to insist you stay somewhere you aren't comfortable, and you're clearly not comfortable here.

[poll_the_stars]

I don't. Know where else to go. The friend I'd ask is busy handling the arcany trackers. I could go back to Facet, on the other side of the country, but I don't know if the relevant problem has been taken care of, and ME's busy and Esthfora hasn't answered my earlier question yet. Do I just. Sell my lifespan, suicide, become a demon and spend time in Hell? Chat up Cam, maybe?

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles lets out a despairing giggle.

Hey, just because I'm terrified to chat up Cam doesn't mean I won't get irrationally jealous if all my friends start doing it!

[poll_the_stars]

Inavet manages a slightly sniffly snort.

No chatting up Cam, then. I'd hate to make you jealous.

[thisvorlunatic]

The giggle turns into cry-laughing, which subsides into just plain crying. Miles scrunches defensively in his chair and hides his face in his hands.

[lurkingkobold]

Aw, hell.

Here is a kobold, no longer invisible, and here is Miles getting a hug.

[thisvorlunatic]

It's a minute or so before he's steady enough to unscrunch and hug back.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold is patient.

[thisvorlunatic]

Hug. Sniffle.

"I'm worried for my friend because there are people in her world trying to kill her, and I want to give her a safe place to stay, but she can't stay here if staying here is going to upset her that much, and I don't know what to do."

[lurkingkobold]

She looks confused, at this.

[thisvorlunatic]

Sigh. Sniffle. "What?"

[lurkingkobold]

"I mean... that's an elf. A mage elf. It's nice that you want to help them, but it's definitely not safe to have them here."