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]

That is enough elf for now. The kobold retreats without further comment.

[poll_the_stars]

This time she won't be stopped.

Inavet goes and has her lunch.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold goes and has hers, too, with Miles. (There are probably cuddles, she's a little shaken.)

The day progresses, and eventually dinnertime approaches. The elf seems to be content to stay in the library, so the kobold feels comfortable enough to leave Miles alone while she cooks.

[poll_the_stars]

The elf pokes her head in the kitchen while Lurker is cooking. Mindful of the kobold's treatment of her earlier, she knocks on the wall so as not to cause any sort of surprise.

[lurkingkobold]

That... doesn't really work. The kobold is in the middle of transferring the contents of a skillet into a stock pot, and startles badly enough to drop the whole skillet in. Fortunately, the stock pot was otherwise empty, so there's no water to splash out as a result of this.

The kobold takes a moment to pull herself together, rather than turning to look at the door.

[poll_the_stars]

"Sorry," she winces, sincerely. "Um. I. Can go, if you'd prefer?"

[lurkingkobold]

Augh.

Breathing.

Breathing.

Breathing.

Okay.

Priorities.

Not upsetting the elf.

Is she even still there? Is the kobold calm enough to check without making things worse? She's probably calm enough. She'll try it.

[poll_the_stars]

She is still there, looking guilty and concerned and hovering on the edge of 'flee the room for the sake of the kobold.'

She attempts a little half-hearted apologetic smile.

[lurkingkobold]

Okay.

That's.

Okay.

She doesn't quite trust her voice, but she manages a questioning noise.

[poll_the_stars]

Inavet hesitates as she figures out wording.

"I can help you make dinner," she offers a littly shyly, "or I can leave you alone. Whichever you prefer. I do not want to frighten you."

[lurkingkobold]

That's, um.

Nice?

(Oh gods, why is this her life - )


The stove is big enough for two people to stand at it; the kobold scoots her stool over and indicates with a gesture that Ina can join her.

[poll_the_stars]

Ina looks at Lurker assessingly, checking for, well, comfort levels. Mm. Okay, not great, but not 'liable to explode in fire.' Take the kobold at her word.

She steps up to the stove, careful to not make any sudden movements, and keeping her hands in sight of the kobold.

Once there, she helps with cooking.

[lurkingkobold]

There is plenty of cooking to help with! It seems like the kobold was preparing three or four meals' worth of food, for some reason.

There is a little bit of flinching and freezing, at first, but they eventually settle into an almost companionable rhythm.

[thisvorlunatic]

At a dinnerish sort of time, Miles appears. He observes the elf-kobold interaction.

That... looks like progress? He hopes?

[lurkingkobold]

Well, the kobold is in closer proximity to the elf than she's been willing to get to anyone she was actively afraid of, so, yes, probably.

She's certainly still tending to keep to her own space more than she does with people she likes, though.

[thisvorlunatic]

Yeah. Well. He'll take it.

[lurkingkobold]

That is the goal, here, yes.

[poll_the_stars]

Inavet's completely unaware of this particular dynamic. But she is perfectly happy to go out of her way to not freak the kobold out, either.

Food is distributed to plates, and Ina takes a seat. She leaves the spot next to Miles open.

[lurkingkobold]

Smart elf. Wise elf.

Lurker sits. Well, no, first she cuddles Miles a little, then she sits.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles hugs his kobold friend and eats his dinner.

Miles is uncharacteristically quiet, but seems optimistic in a way he has not been much of these past few days.

[poll_the_stars]

The smart elf is also not feeling super talkative, though she seems reasonably content.

[lurkingkobold]

That makes three of them.

[thisvorlunatic]

An acceptable outcome.

[lurkingkobold]

Yup!

Dinner, nom.

After dinner - what does the elf seem inclined to do? For that matter, what does Miles?

[poll_the_stars]

Inavet would very dearly like to go practice magic.

She is not going to say this out loud.

"Would it be all right if I took a long walk in the woods?" she asks, instead, carefully addressed to no one in particular.