Some things start before other things.

[lurkingkobold]

{{translation of lurkerspeak}}

It's mid-morning, and the forest is still damp from a passing rain shower, with puddles hidden under the leaf cover and a few trees still dripping, here and there, when the wind disturbs them. One of these drips lands next to a kobold, who is lying on her back on a large flat stone, thinking.

Eventually, the kobold sits up, first setting aside the magic mirror that had been laying on her furry stomach, then picking it up again and looking at it, considering, once she's settled into the new position. After a few moments, she speaks a word to it, and it starts speaking back, but she doesn't really listen, and doesn't speak to it again when it stops talking.

She sighs, and sits for a while longer.

"Mirror, do secret message of Leaf."

More sitting, more thinking.

"Am think.... am not of know, before, of do of kobold no of tribe. Tiny of know, know of leave, but, think... kobold no of tribe, do maybe of one of year, maybe of two of year, animal do of eat, elf do of eat, kobold do of no of food, many of danger, kobold not do of many of year of no of tribe. Am go of tribe, am think, safety of small of time, maybe do two of year, no reason of think of more of year."

Pause. Sit. Think.

"Am find of Miles, am think... Miles do many of help, many of many, kobold do of live of many of year, now, daeva, not do of die of any, is... best? Am think is best, am not want of die. But. Am not know of do of kobold no of tribe, of many of year. Am not think any of kobold do of know."

Think. Sit.

"Am think... Am think of summer of tigerperson, kobold small of kobold, do of go of tigerperson, curious, kobold tribe go of meetup, kobold stay of tigerperson of summer. Tigerperson tribe, safe, okay, tigerperson do of play of kobold, do of give of food, kobold learn of many, learn of language, is important, is good. But, kobold only of kobold of tigerperson, tigerperson do of language, kobold no do of language, tigerperson not know of kobold do of think, not know of kobold do of choose, not give of thing of choose. Fall, kobold tribe come, kobold go of tribe, tribe ask of choose, kobold not remember of choose, need of do of learn."

"Am think of, kobold do tigerperson tribe more of time, maybe no learn of do of choose, after; maybe forget is of person."

"...mirror, keep message. Mirror, do of say of secret message of Leaf."

The kobold listens while the mirror repeats her words back to her.

"Am not say of Miles is of tigerperson. Miles not, Miles know of think, know of choose, do of listen. Am no worry of forget is of person, if stay of Miles."

"But."

"Ask of stay of Miles, not think of many of time, think of, maybe two of season, maybe year, after, home, do of kobold of no tribe, do maybe of two of year - stay of Miles is more of time, is better. Worry of safe, worry of food, not worry of forget is of person, silly of worry if not know of safe."

A pause, and the kobold grins to herself as she thinks.

"Go of Miles - Miles is of surprise, is of best, if ask of kobold of tribe of think of best of person, kobold think of person small of best of Miles. Miles do of help, no worry of food, no worry of safe, is... if trouble, is small of trouble? Maybe upset, maybe want of thing of no of do, maybe person is of mean; small of trouble, no big of trouble, no silly of worry of small of trouble. So: Worry of small of trouble. Worry of thing of many of year, worry of thing of maybe. Thing of maybe: Maybe kobold not stay of Miles of many of year. Maybe Miles not do of want, maybe kobold not do of want. Is important of no of trap, is important of know of no of trap, is easy of do of leave, is not need of stay if is of bad. Kobold tribe, do of meetup of summer, any kobold do of other of tribe, any of reason, no of reason; no of trap. Other of season, tribe know of maybe of kobold go of other of tribe, do of good of kobold if want of kobold do of stay - maybe do bad of kobold if reason of do of bad is big of want of kobold of stay; is okay, kobold wait of summer, go of other tribe, not is of trap of tribe of do of bad, tribe no do of bad if is no of reason."

Pause, consider.

"Am want. Am not want of go, am want of stay; am want of know of reason Miles do of good of kobold is want of kobold of stay. Am want of Miles know of reason of stay is of kobold do of want. Am not want of Miles worry of hurt of kobold if do of thing of want, worry of hurt of kobold if do of say of go, choose of hurt of Miles, reason of worry of hurt of kobold. Am want of... Am know Miles do of help of other person, am not want of worry of choose of stay of person do of hurt, go of place do of hurt."

"Mirror, keep message," the kobold flops back down onto the rock, resting the mirror on her stomach again. She stares at the leaves, squinting at the light filtering through both leaves and clouds. After a few minutes, without moving, she speaks again. "Mirror, do more of secret message of Leaf."

"Am stay, if no do of find of way of no worry of trap. Am not need of soon, is okay of do of look of best of way, not do of first of way. But... am want, am think am of need."

The kobold watches the leaves for a few more minutes, shading her eyes with her arm when the sun breaks through the clouds.

"Mirror, send of message of Leaf." She rolls off the rock, landing lightly with the mirror grasped in one hand, and sets off out of the woods.

Comments

[mountains_themselves]

"Very well."

And then Miles is blessed. Twice.

[lurkingkobold]

That is also very magical. "Pretty."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Thank you very much," says Miles. "Want to read your spellbooks and then play Plasma Rain? I also have plenty of zorkmids for you to spend on casting permanency."

[mountains_themselves]

"You're welcome. Spellbooks, permanent haste, and then Plasma Rain, I think. If you will permit me to use your zorkmids."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Of course."

[mountains_themselves]

"Then thank you."

He reads his book. The books are destroyed, and he disintegrates the remains via divine powers.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles shows him to the zorkmids and offers him a rather large bag of them. Permanent haste is expensive.

[mountains_themselves]

Somewhat, yes. But that's what demons are for. Raezenoth casts haste, has a brief few minutes of meditation, and then casts permanency.

"There." Head tilt. "Plasma Rain, now?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"That's the plan!"

Plasma Rain when both participants have permanent haste and a reflex blessing gets... intense.

Miles approves.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold follows along with her book - even if there weren't ridiculous amounts of magic in play, Plasma Rain is not really her thing.

After about twenty minutes, the book dissolves into motes of light. The kobold grins and looks around - wow, those two are really into it, and it's getting late for lunchtime.

[mountains_themselves]

Raezenoth, for his part, doesn't need to eat. Or sleep. He is quite content to play incredibly intense magically enhanced Plasma Rain for a while. Someone might have to remind him that his tiny mortal opponent is not so blessed.

[lurkingkobold]

Fortunately someone is around to do that! The kobold opts to go over the back of he couch so as not to disturb their lines of sight, and waits for the end of a round to step in front of the screen. "Is lunch. Am do of make - Desert God do of eat?"

[mountains_themselves]

"I can, but I do not need to eat."

[lurkingkobold]

She considers for a moment, nods, and heads off to the kitchen.

A short while later she returns with a tray holding three bowls of groats, a bottle of maple syrup, and a selection of spices.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Thank you," says Miles.

Nom nom foods.

[mountains_themselves]

"Thank you," agrees Raezenoth. He looks curiously at the maple syrup. "I've never had this before."

[lurkingkobold]

[thisvorlunatic]

"I hope you like it, then," says Miles.

[mountains_themselves]

"Yes," he agrees. Maple syrup goes onto groats. Nom. Considering face. "Ah. It seems I was close to my mark, when I fulfilled the candy maker's request. Excellent."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Oh?"

[mountains_themselves]

"A long while ago, one of my followers complained of a lack of materials to make candy with. He'd moved to my domain recently, and his daughter missed candy that tasted like maple syrup. I made a cactus that could fulfill a similar function. He and his daughter approved of the result, along with everyone they made candy for, but I was never sure how close I'd gotten. Having never tried any maple syrup myself." Nom. "So I am glad that I managed to get close."

[lurkingkobold]

[thisvorlunatic]

Is that koboldy approval? Miles thinks that might be koboldy approval. Oh look. They're getting along.

"Cactus candy. Who'd've thought. I might like to try that."

[mountains_themselves]

Raezenoth waves a hand, and a small brightly ribboned bag appears and lands in his hand.

"The family still gives me offerings, every now and then," he explains. "You may both try some."

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold opted to claim the spot between Rae and Miles, earlier, and this turns out to have been a good decision. She takes the candy and gives him a quick thank you nudge before opening it, taking a piece, and passing the rest of the bag to Miles.