Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Observing Trifles on 10-02-2015, 23:46:14</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>10-02-2015, 23:46:14</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/4pPIffC.jpg)</div>The rainforest of Kyyr was a quiet place. With a sprawling landscape of greenery, stretching for miles in every direction, Kyyr was one of the few areas that remained unclaimed by bipeds in the Strassal region. Over the years, nature had lost more and more of her land to annexation, developed into new cities - primarily for elves and their ilk. Their reach lengthened by the day, and as their numbers grew, so too did their lands, claimed in blood and without mercy. Yet Kyyr remained. In all its untouched beauty, the rainforest was home to all manners of creatures, but of all the lifeforms that existed in the luscious green labyrinth, none thrived quite so well as the naga.<br><br>Lioth's people had lived in Kyrr for centuries, unbothered by and unconcerned with the outside world. They made their villages near running water, whether in small camps near shore or, like Lioth, in sturdy huts built into the trees. Nestled comfortably above the water, high enough to account for the rise and fall of the water levels during rainy seasons, the dark-haired naga's home had all of two rooms, but really, it was all he needed. As it was, he spent most of his time outside. He even tended to sleep on the wrap-around terrace above the hut, where he could wake warmed by the sun.<br><br>That afternoon, Lioth had much to do. The winds from the night before had damaged the thatching on his roof and while the repair would only take a few hours, he required supplies. To that end, he strapped a large bag over his slightly broad, bare shoulders, packing away the tools he would need to snip and prepare branches. Quickly checking that his canteen was filled with fresh water, Lioth made his way out of the hut, the back side of his ebony tail glinting beneath the sunlight, while the crimson scales at his front, beginning just beneath his navel, clung to the branches as he descended to ground level.<br><br>He intended for the trip to be a quick one. An overgrown little grove stood just north of his village, which seemed the most logical place to forage for the necessary supplies. It needed a bit of trimming anyway. On the way, he calculated just how many branches he would need, how many twigs, and how much grass, but all thoughts of repairing his roof quickly faded when he spotted something out of the ordinary.<br><br>From the corner of a green eye, Lioth spotted an unusual shape near the main path. Dark hair, pale skin... A person. No tail. Not a naga. At first, he thought it to be a faun, a humanoid creature that wasn't terribly common to this part of the forest, but not unheard of either. Curiosity piqued, Lioth pushed his long, partially braided hair away from his face, his strong tail taking him closer to the unmoving figure. Only then, when he got a closer look at the stranger, did he realize what he was dealing with.<br><br>Long legs, angled ears... <em>An elf.</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>11-02-2015, 08:20:28</strong>
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				Aofred Considine had never expected to end up in the Kyyr. Never in his years - yet here he was. Flat on his back, delirious, his fine expedition suit torn and stained, spectacles lost, and the rest of his party? Gone, gone... leaving him for dead. He could feel his skin crawling, uncertain if it was an actual sensation, if ants really were making a survey of his body, or if he was simply hallucinating. <br><br>Had it really been only a week since his party had entered the green cathedral that was this rainforest? A month since he had begged the money for travel from his father? It was an unprecedented opportunity, he had said. An expedition into the wilds, a chance to further his studies into the flora and fauna of the region. Or at least, that was what Aofred had thought would happen, when he signed on. Things had quickly changed once they were in the forest proper however, as his fellows soon revealed themselves to be the greedy sort the young elf detested, looking not to explore and expand their knowledge of the Kyyr, but to exploit it instead, to cut down her trees and rape her lands.<br><br>By the end, things had become tense. Aofred often found himself on one side of the fire, making his notes on a particularly exciting find, a rare iridescent beetle perhaps, or a strange plant, while the others flicked their ears in annoyance, whispering to one another on the other side of the fire, no doubt discussing how to present their findings to some lumber baron or miner for their own profit. He could have lived with it, as he was not without his own influence, and if he published in time, and leveraged his family's connections, certainly he could forestall such a tragedy from happening. They could work with a forest devoid of sentient life, the scion of the Considines in uneasy allegiance with common prospectors, but after discovering that there were fauns in the wood (after Fanch took a shot at one, no less) things had come to a head. <br><br>And a jaw. And a rib. In point of fact, he'd been simply bludgeoned with his former friends' rifle butts until he was too weak to stand, and left for dead. Hence the current predicament, left with no food, no water, each breath bringing with it shooting pains. His normally pale skin had gone even paler, dried blood sure to draw flies soon if it hadn't already, everything spinning and fading. And with a strange rustling coming closer. Aofred's eyes fluttered closed, his breathing shallow. He didn't want to see what manner of beast would be feasting on him, there had already been midges and creeping, crawling things enough marring his skin. But as the creature drew closer, he couldn't help but peek.<br><br>A snake. A gigantic snake would eat him! In pain, likely sick with some jungle ailment, and without his spectacles, he could see little else beyond the massive red-black tail of the naga. Aofred gave a stifled yelp, imagining a painful death of commingled constriction and being eaten alive, shortly before his body finally gave out, dropping him back into the dark fog of unconsciousness. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>11-02-2015, 18:20:54</strong>
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				Lioth's first instinct was to leave the elf to rot. Although his kind had yet to receive firsthand experience with the elves' greed, stories of their misdeeds had reached their villages. They had no regard for the land. They would plunder and pillage as they liked, raiding the forests for lumber, emptying the caves of ore, hunting the wildlife for sport rather than food.<br><br>Best to let him die. One less elf to worry about. Lioth turned away, but he didn't get far before his conscience attacked him full-force. Although he could be a bit of a brute, he wasn't entirely heartless, and he simply didn't have it in him to let another creature die in that manner. That kind of ignorance was decidedly more elvish than anything else.<br><br>Face twisted into a frown, the naga growled a curse under his breath and swiftly turned back for the weakened elf. Bending down, his mighty tail coiled beneath him, Lioth swept an arm underneath the unconscious figure, hoisting him over a tanned shoulder. Before he had time to second-guess his own decision, he took off down the path, bound once more for his village. In the interest of avoiding prying eyes, he took a secondary route that led up into the trees, using a free arm and a dextrous tail to travel between the boughs.<br><br>Upon reaching his home, he made quick work of sliding the elfling off his shoulders and into the nest of large cushions that served as his bed. From there, it was only a matter of finding enough bandages to tie over his wounds. And there were many. Now that he had a good look, he could view the full extent of the damage - bruises here, cuts there. He might have had broken bones, but it was hard to tell. Whatever the case, the elf would be laid up for some time...<br><br>Well, so much for fixing the roof.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 05:42:05</strong>
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				There was a short time on the trip back to Lioth's home when Aofred regained consciousness, the world around him fuzzy and strange. Green, bobbing, moving. Had the snake been a hallucination? Was he dreaming? He almost spoke but thought better of it, and was soon lulled back down into darkness. <br><br>It was a while then before the elf came to, his storm gray eyes fluttering open and showing something that looked like a structure. Had the bastards come back for him? No, they wouldn't have. But maybe another expedition found him and patched him up - he could already breathe easier, his chest bound by his unknown benefactor, though moving was still an exercise in how to hurt the least. Choosing the path of least resistance, Aofred called out. <br><br>"Hello?" His voice sounded tremulous, scratchy, his normally warm tenor too damnably weak. "I say, hello? Is anyone there?" <br><br>He hoped to the gods above and below that there was. The memory of that gigantic snake from before was still fresh and entirely terrifying, and if there were creatures like that around he could only assume that they were anywhere, and on the lookout for easy prey like him. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 07:24:15</strong>
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				It took some time to patch the elf back together. Cleaning his wounds, applying a disinfecting salve, wrapping the worst of it. The job took most of the bandages in his medicinal kit, and he made a note to procure more by day's end. If he hadn't kicked the elf out, anyway.<br><br>The entire time he tended to the stranger, he entertained a great many regrets. Everything in him said it was a bad idea. Saving one of the elf's kind was bad enough... but their presence here in Kyyr was worse. They had found their way to the rainforest at long last, and he wondered how long it would be until they attempted to strip the land bare as they had with other regions.<br><br>With the elf asleep, Lioth found the time to approach the grove once more. Whether he liked it or not, he needed to focus on roof repairs, and while he was at it, he found more than enough wild herbs for tea. The stranger asleep in his hut would need it once he awoke. Slowed by the weight of branches and long grass on his back, the naga returned to his village, scaling the tree leading up to his hut just in time to hear a voice calling out.<br><br>The elf was awake.<br><br>Setting his bag down outside, near his bundle of tools, Lioth slithered in through the open door, his gaze both tentative and inquisitive as he looked upon the stranger. Awake, he realized, but weak. No danger to him yet. "You are a stranger to these lands," he remarked, making use of his native dialect. Perhaps the elf wouldn't understand; language varied greatly between regions. "For what reason did you come?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 08:38:58</strong>
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				Having expected an elf to enter, perhaps a fellow naturalist, Aofred was more than a little startled by the apparition that slithered through the doorway. He wasn't sure what to do or say, but his wide, unfocused eyes betrayed his fear, partly realized, of the massive snake he had seen earlier. A humanoid snake... a naga? <br><br>It spoke. He spoke, rather, his torso flat, his voice deeper than he would have expected a female naga to be. And the fact that it spoke! That there was even more intelligent life! It was enough to give Aofred some small pleasure, as he had been proved right. This jungle was inhabited, and no place for their search after resources. Of course, it would be a moot point if he didn't make it out, and he had no idea what the naga was saying. <br><br>"I am sorry, I don't understand." Aofred reached for his spectacles, likely long lost, and stilled his hand. It was just a nervous gesture. What would he do if he couldn't communicate? And what if the others encountered the naga? He was certain that they would shoot first, and not bother talking. His ears twitched in agitation, and he tried to draw himself up without moving, to give his thin frame more bulk. "Ah. Erm."<br><br>Well. At least he could nod his head respectfully. "Thank you." Perhaps that would translate? Aofred knew next to nothing about naga, so he wasn't even sure if they spoke anything beyond their own language. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 22:01:23</strong>
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				Of course the elfling didn't understand his language. As if he wasn't frustrated enough with having one of <em>his</em> kind in his home, now they had a language barrier as well. The gods were angry with him, he decided; it was the only way he could explain the predicament he had gotten himself into.<br><br>Even though his houseguest was in no shape to present a threat, Lioth didn't expect anything in the way of gratitude. As such, when the biped offered a thank you - which the naga only barely understood - it softened his stony expression for a few moments. It wasn't enough to change Lioth's expectations of course, but if nothing else the man had manners, at least.<br><br>"You are... eh, welcome." Lioth tried a more commonplace language, one generally understood throughout the continent. He hadn't spoken it in ages, however, and so he expected his sentence-building to break apart in places. Hopefully it was enough for the elf to understand him.<br><br>"Why you are here?" he attempted, hoping the elf would understand. Most other species did, but he had never encountered an elf to see if it reached their ears as well. "Your kind are not..." <em>What is the blasted word?</em> "... normal, in Kyyr."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>12-02-2015, 23:08:21</strong>
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				Though his world was a blur, Aofred could tell that the naga was upset, annoyed perhaps at the presence of another in his home, at the lack of a common language. However, the next words made sense. Barely. He perked up slightly when the snake-man used the High Tongue, though it was broken and barely intelligible. <br><br>"<em>Oh, good, you can understand me a little</em>. I come... came. For learning?" In his current state, dredging up memories of the correct grammar of the High Tongue was sketchy at best. "Learning of plants, animals. To see new things." Simple words and grammar, but potentially intelligible. <br><br>Another twitch of Aofred's ears, and he took a breath before he moved his hand, placing it on his chest. "I am Aofred. Your name?" Was that right? He suddenly worried that the introduction would sound like a demand, that he would be seen as presumptuous. That was the furthest thing from his mind, as he knew he wouldn't have been able to survive in the Kyyr on his own. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 01:22:21</strong>
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				That the elf spoke a bit of High Tongue was a relief. Lioth had no way of knowing just how much he understood, but he hoped not to be around him long enough to find out. Once the stranger was healed - Aofred, he learned - he would be gone. Hopefully he wouldn't make Lioth regret saving his stupid life. Aofred claimed that he was there to learn, but he wasn't yet swayed. It would take more than a few carefully chosen words to convince him of that.<br><br>"... Lioth." Loosely translated as <em>sturdy</em>, just like he was.<br><br>Moving forward, the weighty muscles in his tail propelling him closer to where Aofred laid, the naga gave him a quick once over. From the way he had sat up straight, then moved his arms, it seemed that he was at least capable of basic motion. But could he walk? It seemed too soon to try.<br><br>Silent for now, Lioth pulled his canteen from its spot on his belt, tethered there by a strap of leather, which he removed to offer to Aofred. "How? The damage." He gestured broadly at the elf's many injuries. Bruises to his face, his chest, possibly other places as well. The naga had pulled open his clothes down to his waist, where he had stopped out of respect to his privacy. His kind had no need for clothes, but he had encountered enough bipeds in his time, during his travels, to know that they valued those ornamental scraps of cloth. Something about modesty.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 03:52:56</strong>
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				The canteen was taken eagerly, Aofred only then realizing how desperately thirsty he was. He couldn't have even said how long he had been lying in the jungle on his own. A day, perhaps? More? He drank, moaning softly as he took in what he could - but a little too quickly, as he felt ill after draining half of the canteen. <br><br>"Oh. Thank you." Aofred belched softly, then groaned. "<em>I needed that. So terribly.</em> Ah... I thirst? Did thirst. Make sick now." Gingerly laying back, the elf closed his eyes against the rising gorge in his throat, trying not to waste the precious liquid. It took a bit for the nausea to subside and his pulse to stop rushing in his ears, after which Aofred opened his eyes again, silent. <br><br>In truth he didn't want to answer the question that the naga Lioth had asked. It was embarrassing to have misjudged his companions so badly, and he knew that the naga would not be at all happy with the other elves' intent. Perhaps unhappy enough to set him back out to die. <br><br>Then again, he would have to tell the naga eventually. Why delay the inevitable? With a sigh, Aofred pointed to his ears. "Other elves. Bad. We fight." So much was lost, trying to speak in the High Tongue. It embarrassed Aofred that he hadn't made better study of linguistics,but it couldn't be helped. He just hoped it was enough. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 04:13:26</strong>
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				Communicating with Aofred was going to be awkward, of that he was certain. Lioth had a decent grip on the language, but he was rusty; it would take a bit more practice to get back into the swing of it. As far as he remembered, he hadn't used High Tongue since he had wandered out of the jungle some years ago.<br><br>For the moment, Lioth left the canteen with the elf, giving him a while to rest as he went about preparing tea from the fresh herbs. Aofred seemed to have a hard time keeping the water down, but the tea would help him to heal. And in so doing, help him to leave faster. The last thing he needed was for his brethren to discover he had taken in an elf.<br><br>At last, Aofred offered a bit of insight into his predicament, which prompted a surprised expression from the naga. "Other elves?" he echoed. He didn't understand. His first instinct told him that Aofred had done something terrible to warrant the beating he had received, but the broken bits of language he gleaned from Aofred's explanation told a slightly different story. Either the elf meant that the other elves had beaten him badly... or that they themselves were bad.<br><br>Settling against the tiny stove, made of rock and fueled by a crude, contained fire beneath, Lioth coiled his tail beneath him, sinking down to rest closer to the heat. Living in the trees meant taking great care when operating stoves; one stray ember was all it took. "The elves bring trouble," he muttered, brows furrowed. "They take, not give. <em>You are likely no different, so why in blazes did I bring you here?</em>"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 05:00:04</strong>
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				Aofred was starting to drift. Or maybe it was the naga's accent. He heard Lioth say "elves" and "trouble," but the full meaning was lost to him. Particularly as Lioth followed the statement with words in his own dialect as he started a small fire. <br><br>"Some elves." Aofred frowned, coming up with the right words. "Take. Shoot... shoot person." Aofred moved one hand up to his forehead, trying to show the horns of a faun. Is wrong. I say no. Elves leave me."<br><br>A sigh, and Aofred groaned. Oh, oh! Such a travesty. Left to die, and his notebook gone. His glasses. He would be reported dead, and how would he get home? If Lioth even let him leave. But did he want to think of that? Oh no, not yet. <br><br>"Lioth?" Aofred let his head turn toward the naga. "Why? Why help?" 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 05:25:54</strong>
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				So the elves had claimed unnecessary blood. Something with horns, perhaps? But the species didn't particularly matter. To his great disdain, Aofred confirmed just what he had feared, that the elves had begun to move in and would take whatever life was necessary to achieve their goals.<br><br>Lioth uttered a quiet, brisk string of curses, busying himself with filling an iron pot for the tea. His kind had lived peacefully for many years, undisturbed by outsiders. Quietly. He couldn't help but to think the worst, and already he contemplated going to the council of elders to discuss a course of action. To warn them that elves had found their way into Kyyr.<br><br>He paused, however, and glanced over his shoulder as Aofred asked why he had saved his life. In truth, the naga was still determining that himself. And so, with a sigh, he turned back to the stove, adding a bit more kindling to the stone pocket beneath to hasten boiling. "Not like the elves. Not wanting blood... and death."<br><br>Perhaps Aofred didn't either. If his group had indeed killed an innocent and beaten him for standing against the violence, then it stood to reason that he was different... right?
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>13-02-2015, 07:10:50</strong>
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				"<em>Not all elves are like that</em>," Aofred insisted, having slipped back into his native tongue, perhaps unaware that he was speaking to nobody but himself. "<em>Most of us are gentle and kind, and we value knowledge. The men I was with were just evil. I am sure that you would see that, if you saw them. Not all of us - not most of us.</em>"<br><br>By the end, Aofred's voice had taken on a rather faint tone, breathy almost,as he disavowed his more rapacious brethren. He was naive, he didn't know just how much his race had affected others... and he was swiftly slipping away into a warm, comfortable darkness. <br><br>Eventually, Aofred began to dream. Or rather, he thought he was dreaming, as once again he felt itchy and uncomfortable, as if he was crawling with spiders or ants. Or was it snakes? Small snakes, crawling all over him, black and red and whispering terrible things to him. One large snake started to wrap around his chest, squeezing, constricting, and he couldn't breathe, couldn't move, and it hurt, it hurt...<br><br>Nothing of this was evident, however, other than a small increase in the number of ants in the hut and a little unease in Aofred's sleep. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>16-02-2015, 07:28:39</strong>
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				Perhaps it was the elf's exhaustion, but he had slipped back into his own language, and Lioth could no longer understand him. Although even if he had spoken the language, he might not have understood, simply due to the breathy nature of his voice, how it dwindled until unconsciousness claimed him. For all intents and purposes, the elf was dead to the world.<br><br>The naga sighed, a bit of tension melting out of his shoulders. It was difficult to look at Aofred with hostility when he appeared so fragile. Batting away thoughts of sympathy, he checked on the kettle, then tied together a bundle of the wild herbs to let them brew. The elf would likely be out for a while, but the longer it steeped, the better.<br><br>Eventually the fire died, the kettle kept warm over what remained of the stove's heat. Lioth took care to smother the embers, before once again setting out for the grove while he still had daylight. By the time Aofred woke, the naga was working on the small veranda, tying together twigs and branches to make a patch for the roof.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>16-02-2015, 18:04:06</strong>
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				This time when he came to, Aofred lay quiet for a while. He wasn't exactly sure that he was feeling better, but he wasn't as thirsty - and that reminded him of the canteen the naga had given him. Lioth. He <em>had</em> to remember to think of the naga by his name. Reaching out, careful, he felt it where he'd left it, and brought it up for another drink, more a careful sip this time. It stayed down much easier, and he sighed, momentarily content. <br><br>Though he was still muzzy-headed, the elf felt somewhat better, perhaps just because he knew he was safe for the time being, his initial panic over and done with. He'd been given water, bandaged... so he probably had nothing to fear. Not him personally, anyway, unless there was some kind of disagreement. The "bad elf" perception was something he would have to overcome, but in time, when he could do more than lie there, he would try to pitch in as he could to do... whatever it was that nagas did. A glance over at the snake-man revealed something that looked suspiciously like weaving. <br><br>"<em>What are you - damn.</em> What... doing there? With sticks." Those were sticks, weren't they? "Help? Need help? Can, um. Hold sticks."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>16-02-2015, 23:00:14</strong>
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				Although the work was tedious, Lioth didn't mind it. Working with his hands helped to calm him, giving him something to focus on besides the elf in his home. At some point, he would have to address the issue fully, to bring all of it to the attention of the village leaders, but now was not the time. He needed a day or so to think, to decide if he intended to let Aofred stay while he healed - or kick him back out into the jungle to fend for himself. The latter was tempting.<br><br>Lioth turned at the sound of rustling inside the hut, taking a moment to gauge the elf's well-being. He didn't seem ready to get up and move around very much, but he was conscious. That was something. Hopefully his ribs were only bruised, not broken, otherwise he would be laid up for a while longer.<br><br>"The roof." The naga gestured up. If Aofred looked, he would see a few tears in the thatching, which simply wouldn't do. "Fixing it."<br><br>Whether due to his perception of elves, or just Aofred's injured state, Lioth's expression betrayed a sense of surprise at his offer to help. There wasn't much he could do, but that he had even offered was... nice. "No," he replied, securing a twig bundle with knots and making use of his prehensile tail to grab the next few. "Rest instead, and heal faster. <em>The sooner, the better. The last thing I need is to explain to the others why I have an elf in my bed.</em>"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>16-02-2015, 23:22:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh. Yes." Aofred was a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to help, certain that he would probably do more harm than good in his current state - but he had to ask. He was a guest, and he had little else to offer. Or to do. Moving was still something he didn't relish doing, and that left him lying on his back, mostly helpless. His High Tongue would get a workout, but beyond that... <br><br>He reached down to his pants, checking his pockets. He was hoping that he had his smaller notebook, the one he used on the fly in the field, and he did smile when he found the small, leather-bound book. At least all wasn't for naught. There were still sketches, still notes, and that was what he needed, not the polish of his larger journal. He placed it to one side, not wanting to lay on it, and settled back. <br><br>"Lioth." Aofred turned his head, regarding the naga. "When you found me. You see, ah..." He pointed to his eyes. "<em>Spectacles</em>. Eye glasses. Any things? Want to give you payment. For help. Harder if can't... I can't see well."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 00:05:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With Aofred awake, the naga had a harder time focusing on the patches. They would require more palm fronds anyway, just for better closure, so he knew he wouldn't have it all done in one day. Hopefully by the following evening and no later, to fix the worst of it before the rains returned. He could already taste the moisture in the air; a downpour was coming.<br><br>Setting aside the frames, intending to fill the gaps with grass and fronds when he had the patience for it, Lioth slipped back into the hut, tightly coiling his tail beneath him for the sake of saving space. When completely extended, the hulking mass of black and red scales would have stretched clear across the room and then some.<br><br>"Hm?" Given the nature of his people, their rugged way of life, Lioth had no understanding of eye glasses. Aofred's gestures didn't help much either, although if he understood the elf correctly, he wanted to find the item to better repay him. That too was unexpected, and the naga needed a moment to think it over before he spoke again.<br><br>"I found nothing, only you. Never heard of eye... glasses. How does it look?" He suspected he would have to return to the path in the morning, to see if Aofred's belongings were anywhere to be found.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 03:50:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				How did Aofred's spectacles look? The elf blinked, ears twitching, as he considered. Did naga even know what glass was? Would he completely mangle his explanation? Probably, but it couldn't be helped. "Two glass circles to look through. Metal... metal around the circles, to keep them on." He held up his fingers in loops around his eyes. "I can draw if you have any..." Frowning, Aofred pointed to the fire. "Pencils. Pens. Ash sticks."<br><br>A sigh, and he put his hand on his forehead, prodding at his skull. The throbbing in his head was a little less, and he was trying to examine the rest of himself now, making a catalog of his hurts. His head, probably a concussion; split lip, bruises all over his arms, his chest, his face. His stomach hurt, but not more than he would expect after getting a rifle butt rammed into it, and his ribs hurt, though only one made him yelp when he pressed down. And then there were his legs... He struggled upright, and then stopped, his skin flushing.<br><br>Would a naga understand the need for privacy? That undressing would be undignified? Lioth was half snake, he certainly had no need for pants. Hands poised, he cleared his throat. "Ah. Can you go away?" Aofred pointed to his pants. "Check legs."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 07:31:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Although his kind had the technology to fashion glass, it simply wasn't practical in their environment. Very early on, they had learned that it fractured too easily. Instead, they turned to clay and pottery, so while Lioth understood what glass was, he couldn't imagine putting pieces in front of one's eyes. How in the world did that help anyone to see better?<br><br>A drawing would help. Aofred's request for privacy seemed as good a time as any to see if he had any drawing implements, but Lioth's first reaction was one of confusion. Were bipeds truly so sensitive about that sort of thing? Naga had little need for clothing, save for the occasional ceremonial robe or kilt worn on special occasions, and even then, it was just for vanity, not to preserve modesty.<br><br>All the same, he supposed it wouldn't hurt. Aofred was clearly in no position to do any harm while he wasn't looking. And so, with a silent nod, the red-tailed naga turned and slithered into the small neighboring room, using what light remained to search a bureau for pencils or pieces of charcoal. Something for the elf to draw with.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 07:49:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was a struggle for Aofred to stand upright, and by the end he was winded and the room spun. He leaned against the wall, gingerly in case it would give way - but the construction of the building seemed sturdy enough to support his slight frame. He quickly undid his pants then, hopping from one foot to the other as the circulation returned to portions of his anatomy that had previously been numb and ignored in favor of the ones that complained the most of their hurts, and he whimpered a little as he dislodged a good portion of loam and creepy-crawlies with his trousers. <br><br>Still, once his pants had been cleared, Aofred was easily able to tell that there wasn't much wrong with his legs, as most of the attention had been paid to his head and stomach. Small blessings. His clothing was thoroughly soiled of course, but right now, until he could wash and clean his clothes, it was all he had - so Aofred carefully stepped back into the pants, grunting and grimacing every time a movement jolted his ribcage or made him move his head too suddenly. <br><br>For a moment, Aofred had thoughts of going to find Lioth in the next room, but he decided against it. The light was too bright, his gait too unsteady, and with his luck he'd run straight into the fire. Sinking to his knees instead, Aofred sighed, lay down, and closed his eyes.<br><br>"All done. Thank you. No more hurt."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 08:13:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The rustling and presumably pained grunting from the other room instinctively made Lioth want to return and help. But for one thing, he wasn't sure what assistance he could provide, and for another, Aofred had seemed intent on privacy. For now, the naga respected his need for a few minutes alone, and in the meantime he managed to find a few sticks of charcoal. Crude, but they would do.<br><br>A short while later, the elf called him back in, at which Lioth slipped through the wide doorframe and reentered the main area, where he approached the makeshift bed. He extended the charcoal to Aofred. "Show me the eye... glasses."<br><br>The naga leaned away, but the great length of his body ensured that at least a fraction of his tail remained near the bed as he poured a bit of warm tea into a clay tumbler. This he brought to Aofred as well, settling near the nest of pillows so that he could reach. "Fresh herbs," he said. "Helps to heal."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 19:04:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"Oh, tea! Civilized after all,"</em> beamed Aofred, who was now happily opening his little notebook, one replete with sketches of various flora and fauna of the Kyyr, looking for an empty page so he could make his sketch. A good artist when he had his glasses, he was able to draw something as simple as a pair of spectacles without really needing to look, adding just a bit of shading to show off. "Eye glasses," he said, tapping the page with the charcoal. "For seeing. Lost when other elves hurt me." Just in case Lioth hadn't gotten that, insistent as he'd been on the point. <br><br>Now that the drawing had been finished, the tea was likely cool enough to drink, so he reached for the clay tumbler, taking a casual sip - and turning a bit red. He'd been expecting tea, for some reason. Even though Lioth said that the brew was actually a tisane, and that it was good for him, which was really the kiss of death as far as flavor was concerned. Aofred swallowed it down, ears lying flat, and then gulped the rest as quickly as he could, discreetly belching a bit as he'd swallowed air in his hurry to down the stuff. <br><br>"Very... strong. <em>Bloody awful.</em> Thank you." He managed a smile.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>17-02-2015, 22:43:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Leaning over, perhaps a bit too close due to his inability to recognize personal space, Lioth looked over the sketch. So these were glasses. He still didn't understand how they could help a person to see better, but they seemed important. The naga was not without a heart, and so he nodded, settling back for the moment. "I will go to look," he said. "In the, ah... morning? When light rises."<br><br>With night creeping in, it wasn't a good idea to go traveling. Lioth was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but until he knew whether Aofred's former companions still lurked in the jungle, he had no desire to go out in the dark.<br><br>The elf's reaction to the tea amused him. Enough so that, despite himself, he gave a quiet chuckle. "Bad taste, I know," he replied. Although he appreciated Aofred's attempt to pretend that it had tasted even remotely pleasant. "But will help. Another cup before you sleep." <br><br>Lioth wondered if perhaps he should simply allow Aofred to rest and bother him with questions in the morning... but he couldn't in good conscience ignore the potential danger. And so, coiling his tail beneath him, taking himself down to Aofred's level, he waited a moment before daring to ask. "The elves," he began. "The others. Still here?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 00:07:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was a question. Aofred couldn't have been alone in the Kyyr for too long, and he knew that the itinerary for the expedition had them in the jungle exploring for another week before they had to return. So, reluctantly, he nodded. "Somewhere. More days... six, seven, before home. Different now, maybe." Now that they didn't have Aofred holding them back, and his extra portion of food to sustain them. "Dangerous," he added, pantomiming shooting a rifle. "Hide until gone. Or find bad elves." <br><br>The set of Aofred's lips was grim. He'd just suggested to the naga that he should consider hunting and killing his old traveling companions, and he felt a stab of guilt at even <em>thinking</em> it, let alone saying it aloud, obliquely or otherwise. But, to keep the other sentient creatures of the Kyyr safe...<br><br>"Just Lioth? Or more?" he asked, almost an afterthought. If it <em>was</em> just Lioth, sending him off alone would be a bad idea. But if there were many - well, Aofred wasn't sure that would be good for him, but at least Lioth would be less vulnerable.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 07:46:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				So this hadn't been a chance visit to the jungle, with their party simply passing through on their way to another territory. From the sound of things, if the elves had indeed planned to stay for an entire week, they were scouting the area. The very notion had Lioth cursing in his own tongue, concern welling in his chest. It was as he had feared.<br><br>More surprising, however, was Aofred's suggestion that he should <em>find</em> the bad ones. And if he understood correctly, that they should be killed as well. This gave Lioth pause, and he stared silently at Aofred for a few long moments. Was this a trick to gain his trust? Or was he sincerely well-meaning?<br><br>"More," he said at last, heaving a sigh and anxiously raking his hands back through his hair, flitting through the handful of braids among the other freely hanging strands. "Many others. Like me. We are, uh... <em>By gods, this language...</em> Peaceable? Peaceful. And unused to others. Not prepared for this."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 08:47:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred frowned, not really sure what to say. He was well-meaning, almost innocently so, and this situation he now found himself in was far beyond anything he'd expected even mere days ago. So, instead, he simply lay back. He was getting a bit tired anyway, weak as he was, and his head was starting to throb again.<br><br>"Tell others," Aofred said, emphatic. "Be safe. Do it tonight." Even if Lioth couldn't tell <em>all</em> of the naga, Aofred was certain that they could talk amongst each other somehow, spreading the word and hopefully staying out of the way of the other elves. It was what he hoped, and it was his hope that the naga would see it that way as well. <br><br>And then, there was little else for him to do but sigh, and point to the little clay cup he had been given. "More? Sleep soon."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 08:53:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elf's insistence on spreading word of his kind's arrival was startling. Lioth had come to expect nothing from his sort. Nothing save for violence and death. This one was... different. The naga wasn't about to blindly trust him, simpy due to his cautious nature, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt to warn the others now. The sooner they could prepare the village, the better. Just in case. "I will."<br><br>At Aofred's request, Lioth refilled the cup. The brew was chilled now, and likely less tasty for it, but the healing properties wouldn't fade with the temperature. Had Aofred not been so exhausted, Lioth would have insisted that he drink the whole pot. But two cups would do.<br><br>"Better herbs tomorrow," he promised as he handed him the cooling liquid. His demeanor wasn't quite friendly, but he appeared remarkably less prickly than he had been only a few minutes before. Aofred was no threat to him; it would simply take him a while longer to fully accept it. "Sleep now, Aofred. Need rest."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 19:17:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Downing the second cup of the vile brew, Aofred smiled weakly. "Yes. Thank you. Will rest." He flicked his ears, and closed his eyes. Sleep wouldn't come for a few minutes yet, but he wanted the time to himself, a little time to think and to not have to look at the world through imperfect eyes. "Wake me if you need more from me."<br><br>Soon, sooner than he would have thought, the elf slipped into dreams again. These were fuzzy and formless, much less itchy; vague and unsettling, but the sort of thing that could never be remembered after waking. And wake he did, eventually; in the middle of the night, when all was dark and the Kyrr had come to life. He listened to the calls and cries of the various creatures, then sat up. He just remembered something, or rather it made itself known...<br><br>"Lioth?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>18-02-2015, 20:23:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With Aofred nodding off, Lioth moved out of the hut. His puttering about would only wake the elf, and he had work to do. The roof could wait. Maneuvering down to ground level, the naga took off for the village center, where the maze of huts and shacks had begun to glow with lantern light.<br><br>He barely knew where to begin, or what needed to be done. They had plenty of able-bodied villagers capable of defending themselves if need be, but for the moment, they simply had no idea how many elves they would need to fend off. Aofred had mentioned a small group; a scouting party, no doubt. More would follow later. The village council agreed to a need for caution and an intent to spread the word - after which Lioth endured a lengthy lecture about keeping a watchful eye on Aofred. One could never tell with elves, after all.<br><br>It was nightfall when the red-tailed naga returned to the hut, whereupon he took the opportunity to curl up on the small veranda, resting beneath the moonlight. The night brought a chill, waking the fauna in the trees, creating a perpetual rustle in the leaves, but so far no sign of Aofred's group. All the better.<br><br>Some time later, he heard the elf calling for him. At that, he ducked back into the hut, seeking Aofred in the dim moonlight bouncing off the river's surface. "Feeling better?" he asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>19-02-2015, 01:37:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes," Aofred said, blinking at the dark patch that he assumed was Lioth. "But too much drink. Need to..." What was the word? He knew how to ask for a water closet or toilet, but in the Kyyr that was less likely. "Make water go away?" <br><br>He carefully rolled to one side, finding it a bit difficult to get out of the naga's nest-like bed. Much easier to roll out of one if it was a proper Elvish bed. "Show me where?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>23-02-2015, 00:44:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The naga raised his brows, confused for a moment. It took him a few extra beats to realize what Aofred needed, at which point he nodded, letting down a hand to help the elf out of the plush nest. "In the ground," he said. "Away from the river." Latrines had to stand as far from running water as possible, without being too far out to be inconvenient.<br><br>Slithering toward the door, Lioth gestured down to ground level, moving the largest portion of his tail out onto the veranda to give Aofred room to walk out. "Help down?" His hut sat a little ways from the forest floor; easily ten feet. The height protected his home against the tide as it rose during rainfall, not to mention the occasional critter. He had no doubt that Aofred would need assistance getting down, unless he intended to worsen his injuries by climbing himself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>23-02-2015, 04:03:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred took the hand with an embarrassed smile; though he was obviously injured enough to need rescuing, he still felt silly needing help out of the bed. And when he was told he would have to descend to the ground, he straightened up, shaking his head, even though he was obviously in no shape to go it alone. "Ahh..." He blinked, barely able to make out anything. "Point where I need to go." <br><br>He knew he was being foolish, of course. Aofred ached, he was a bit dizzy, and the pressure in his bladder was becoming more insistent. However, he also didn't want to make Lioth do more than he needed. And so he took a step, then another, and then...<br><br>"Maybe help." The thought of breaking his leg on the way down had occurred to the elf, and that would have been even worse than his current condition. "Please."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>24-02-2015, 07:18:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elf would have been terribly foolish to try and climb down by himself. Lioth wouldn't have stopped him, but all the same. Fortunately, after taking a few steps Aofred seemed to realize that it was a mistake, and for his part, Lioth didn't mind helping. Whatever animosity he had initially harbored for the man had faded into simple wariness, and now his only goal was to see him well enough to send him on his way.<br><br>Wordlessly, the naga moved up alongside him, reaching out to sweep him up into a pair of strong, tanned arms. A powerful tail pushed them out of the hut and out onto the veranda, and with ease he slithered down to the next branch down. Carrying the elf this way wasn't working, however, and after a moment he carefully maneuvered him around, urging him to climb onto his back instead. "Hold on."<br><br>With both arms free, Lioth had a considerably easier time navigating down to ground level, arms and tail working in tandem to swing down level by level, until at last his scales touched down on the damp brown earth. The latrine stood a good distance from his hut, marked by a small, crude post made of twigs and covered by large palm fronds. Lioth let Aofred down a few steps away, then slipped away to give him privacy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>25-02-2015, 01:45:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was strange to be carried by Lioth, first lifted in strong arms that carried Aofred as though he weighed nothing, and then on the naga's back, "riding" him to the ground. It was far from comfortable, but his options were limited, and his rib twinged and stabbed as he clung to Lioth's back, head on his shoulder until they reached the ground and he was able to slide off. He couldn't resist touching Lioth's scaled hide, forgetting for a moment that it would potentially be rude - but he'd never met a naga before, and he was curiosity personified. <br><br>The walk was harder than Aofred would have thought it. He was weak, and by the time they reached the latrine he felt as though he'd walked miles - but all was forgotten once he was able to relieve himself. While normally he would have turned up his nose at such crude facilities, Aofred's time in the Kyyr had at least acclimated him to that aspect of jungle life, and he was soon finished, if at a loss as to how to wash up. <br><br>"Er. Water?" Aofred asked as soon as he had returned, cautiously walking in the general direction he thought Lioth was. "For washing. And how was the meeting?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>25-02-2015, 04:19:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If Lioth minded that Aofred had touched the great mass of scales, it didn't show. If anything at all, even after he retreated a short distance, the scales grazed by those small fingers ached with pleasant warmth. He didn't dare to enjoy it too much, but he was a creature who thrived on touch, as naga tended to be very physical. It was nice, even though it shouldn't have been - coming from an elf.<br><br>"River." He gestured back in the direction of the hut, although he didn't suppose that Aofred could see much. The lanterns and torches lining the huts along the riverbank weren't too far off, but it seemed that low light levels didn't agree with the elfling. As such, he reached out for Aofred's hand, intending to guide him back to the water. If his legs wouldn't carry him, the naga would carry him, but he wanted to see how far he got.<br><br>"Leaders are worried," he said at last, his massive tail leaving a shallow path in the soft earth as he passed. An endless chain of interlinking "S" shapes. "Preparing for the worst. If elves come, warriors will be ready, but..." Lioth paused, searching for the words. "<em>How in the world...</em> Ah. Not many." They simply didn't have the equivalent of an army. Lioth chided himself for confiding that much in Aofred, simply on principle, even while knowing that the elf was clearly no threat.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>25-02-2015, 09:29:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"When I go home, I tell not to come," Aofred said, perhaps naive in his belief that he would be allowed to leave. "Smart people live here, your land. Not for taking. They will listen to me." <br><br>The hand offered him was unexpected, but appreciated, though Aofred made certain to give his clean one in return. Much as he hated to admit it, the Kyyr was dark and his eyes, well, terrible. Even though elves traditionally saw well in the dark, compared to other sentient races, it didn't mean that Aofred was really capable of doing much more than tripping over every root and bump on the forest floor. And he did trip a time or two, catching himself quickly, ears twitching in embarrassment. Oh, if they could only find his glasses...<br><br>"River safe at night? No..." A frown, and the Aofred used his free hand to mimic something large, chomping at the air. None of his party had ever gone down to any body of water at night, in case of predators, though he had no idea if that was a good idea or a silly precaution.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>04-03-2015, 18:12:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth wasn't so sure. If Aofred's story was credible, his kin had needlessly slaughtered an innocent faun unlucky enough to cross their path. Gods only knew what they would do to an actual target.<br><br>The naga were strong, and the fittest among them were more than capable of defending their territory. The problem laid in their numbers. Lioth couldn't know just how many elves they would have to face, if indeed the worst came to pass, and that was perhaps more disconcerting than anything else. And deep down, he knew that nothing Aofred could say would sway the others.<br><br>In the dim light filtering down from above the trees, Lioth glanced down at the smaller male with raised brows. It took him a moment to determine what he had tried to mime. And when it finally did make sense, he shook his head no. "None to worry about," he said. "Not many near the village. It is... eh... not safe for them. We would hunt. They learned."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>04-03-2015, 21:22:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Good." Aofred nodded, then regretted the motion. "I would not see anything coming. Bad eyes, spinning head. Washing will help." Not his eyes of course, nor what Aofred was coming to realize was a mild concussion, but the rest - the sweat and dirt, the soreness from his attack, if only for a little while. <br><br>As they traveled, Aofred keeping their pace slow with his weak limbs and flagging pace, he regarded the naga as best he could. There still wasn't much to see, but outside of the hut he could see the full length of the creature's tail, long and powerful. And if he was that long he likely lived alone. It didn't stop Aofred from asking however, filling the silence with nervous chatter. <br><br>"Lioth have family? Wife, son, daughter?" If they even made such distinctions, which he didn't know. "Husband?" her added, in case the naga was female and the snake-people didn't grow breasts. "I am curious. Answer not needed."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 01:48:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth slowed as they approached the river, near enough to the sturdy, ancient tree that housed his modest dwelling. It would take some climbing to get back up, and he imagined that Aofred would need help to get there, but he didn't mind. He found the elf a bit naive, but altogether harmless. Not at all like the elves he had traveled with...<br><br>He had to wonder just what Aofred was doing with their party to begin with, if he was so against scouting for new elvish territory. But that was a question for later when the smaller creature's head wasn't throbbing.<br><br>"No wife," he affirmed, although he was only vaguely familiar with bipeds' terms for that sort of thing. His kind had their own terminology, but as it was, he wasn't especially drawn to those of the female persuasion. But that wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with the elf if it wasn't even relevant. "Only me."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 02:12:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred smiled, his alternative to further movement. "Young naga," he affirmed, assuming that Lioth just hadn't gotten around to it yet. For the elf, he knew marriage was inevitable - but that was in a distant future, and not looked forward to with any joy. "Young elf," added Aofred, trying to be friendly, to carry a conversation that was a bit tiring. <br><br>They traveled a bit further, and Aofred saw the distant water - no, not so distant, really, it was simply wide and overshadowed by the forest. In the moonlight it looked like a silver ribbon, and Aofred blinked at it before smiling, his ears perking slightly. <em>"Oh, if only I had my paints with me. This would be an excellent painting..."</em> <br><br>A trot, a tumble, and Aofred ended up falling into the river, though the portion he found was shallow, the bank pebbled and the current not too strong. He stood, sputtering, but quickly began to splash water over himself, washing what he could before quickly dropping his trousers and crouching in the water to hide his nudity - not that he had anything to fear from Lioth, who was really functionally nude. The thought made him flush, embarrassed, but then again, Lioth only really needed a shirt, because his snake half needed no clothing. <br><br>Once cold, shivering, and clean, Aofred turned back, holding his wet clothing in front of him to preserve his modesty. "Back now?" he asked, blinking into the dark. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 05:22:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The elf actually wanted to talk. He didn't seem afraid, and if anything at all, he treated the entire situation with a sort of reverence. And respect for Lioth's kind. That was unexpected, but not unpleasantly so. It made him actually want to talk with the elf, possibly to get to know him a bit better - damn the High Tongue anyhow.<br><br>Rather than simply wash up, Aofred took a rather ungraceful tumble into the water, at which Lioth blinked slowly, surprised. He supposed Aofred's exhaustion and injuries were to blame for his lack of coordination, and briefly the naga chided himself for not helping him down to the water's edge. The elfling was a sight, drenched and shivering and trying to hide himself in the aftermath. Bipeds were so sensitive about their bodies...<br><br>"Come." Lioth waved him closer, wasting no time in sweeping his soaked frame into his arms, minding his sore ribs. He took a moment to guide Aofred's arms around his neck, silently encouraging him to hold on as he took off for his hut. The climb up took more effort than the descent, and upon reaching his home, he stopped only to light a lantern in the main living area, before at last setting Aofred down. Working quickly, he sought a neatly stacked pile of linens in the adjoining room, from which he procured a plush woven blanket of wildly varying colors. This he took to Aofred, exchanging the warm fabric for his cold, wet clothes.<br><br>"You need warmth. Sick enough from the wounds." Despite himself, the naga offered a small, sympathetic smile, before slinking away to light the stove for tea. "Better leaves this time," he promised as he set the kettle on. "To help you sleep."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 06:43:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Oh, how embarrassing it was to be lifted like a child, and as if he weighed as much! But Lioth was warm, and Aofred knew that he wouldn't be making it back up the tree himself. He clung as before, shivering, damp, and closed his eyes as they left the forest floor behind. He didn't want to watch it recede, powerless to do anything but shiver... <br><br>On the landing, Aofred finally stood, gratefully exchanging his pants for the blanket. It wasn't exactly cold in the Kyyr, not even at night, and he soon warmed up enough that he wasn't actively shivering. "Thank you. Is nice blanket."<br><br>Following, taking care not to mistake the naga's tail for a shadow or vice versa, the elf approached the stove as well. More for the heat than the brew; while the blanket was nice, his hair was wet and needed to dry. He watched as Lioth started the fire, put on water, went about his business. It was calming, like he was a child back in his family kitchen, watching the cook go about her business and hoping for a cookie or other treat. The memory made him a bit homesick, but he blinked it off, pushing some of his wet hair forward so it would dry faster. <br><br>"Do all naga know leaves? Ah... Leaf drink. For health."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 21:26:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth wasn't sure when he had adopted the lifestyle of a caretaker. He certainly didn't look the part, but he was good at it. It gave him some measure of satisfaction knowing he could tend to people if necessary, and it generally came with its own rewards. Good friends, loyal lovers. Admittedly, he wasn't sure what he would take from housing Aofred, but... well, that was a problem for another time.<br><br>"Some," he said. "Father a healer. Mother priestess. I learned." He had considered making a profession out of it, learning from his father to heal, but he greatly preferred to craft. Fixing, building things. It was a useful skill, one that had served him well not only to make a home for himself but also for bartering purposes, as their community didn't use paper or metal currency.<br><br>While the tea brewed, Lioth settled down onto loosely wound coils, mindful enough to keep them out of Aofred's way as he dried in front of the stove. "I build things. Huts, furniture. And you do... Ah. <em>Blast it, I despise this language. Perhaps Mother has a book I can borrow...</em> Your skills?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>05-03-2015, 21:54:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Lioth spoke, Aofred noted unfamiliar words that were similar enough to what he knew to divine the meaning of, or else forgotten in the moment while using the High Tongue. He repeated them low, quiet, nodding. Lioth the maker/mender - it made sense. Later he would ask about the naga religion, when he could take notes, but Lioth had asked him what he did. <br><br>"Ahh..." Ears twitched in agitation as he tried to think of how best to explain that he was a nobleman's son, which meant he wasn't yet expected to do much of anything until he decided between becoming a politician or simply very rich. And would there even be a good word for what he considered himself? "I am a learner of new things. Came to the Kyyr to explore, see new plants and animals. I was going to write a book. Nature? Nature is interesting."<br><br>It was the best Aofred was capable of at the time, and he thought he had done well, all told. If it wasn't understood then the problem would be cultural in nature - or so he assumed. "I also draw, and dance,and ride, ah... Do you know horses?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>06-03-2015, 00:07:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred didn't look like much of a builder. With his slight frame and shorter stature, Lioth gathered that life as a writer - or even an artist, if his earlier sketch was anything to go by - suited him much better. He had a gentle nature, one that Lioth tended to find irresistible in companions, largely as an offset to his own personality, which while not brutish was considerably less delicate than Aofred's.<br><br>"A book on nature?" It sounded as scholarly as anything Lioth could have come up with. Perhaps people in his community weren't aware of all the flora and fauna that thrived in the Kyyr. Although maybe that was for the best. Less for the elves to try and pillage...<br><br>At the mention of horses, Lioth gave pause, searching his vocabulary for a translation and coming up blank. "Not familiar..." Horses simply didn't thrive in the rainforest. There wasn't room enough for them to run, and so they tended not to dwell there. While he poured the tea - two cups this time - the naga gestured at the little notebook lying near his bed. "Show me?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>06-03-2015, 05:04:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Show you?" Aofred blinked, then realized what Lioth was asking. "Oh, yes.<em> I wouldn't be able to do anything well, but I think I can manage to sketch something, if I don't have anything in the beginning of the notebook...</em>" He began to page through the notebook, which was by turns crabbed notes in Elvish and delicate sketches of insects and plants, and on occasion a bird or other creature. <br><br>"No horses in here. I will draw..." Flipping back to the blank pages where Aofred had sketched his glasses, he began to draw a horse from memory, the movement in his mind's eye, his hand steady even if his vision was lacking. He drew a rearing stallion, with an indistinct figure riding it, not unlike his own profile but not entirely distinct either. "Here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>07-03-2015, 02:18:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Aofred busied himself with the sketch, Lioth finished pouring two servings of tea, carrying each toward a small table a short ways from the nest of pillows in the corner. He didn't necessarily need the brew for sleep, merely to calm his nerves. He was only just beginning to process the gravity of the situation; he needed all the calm he could get.<br><br>"Mm?" Extending a hand, the naga perused the page offered to him, brows knitted in thought before he shook his head no. "None here," he said. "They are where you're from?" They were from very different environments, he realized. Some part of him wasn't even sure how long Aofred would last in the rugged Kyyr.<br><br>He took an extra moment to look over the image again, before at last handing the sketchbook back. "You have talent," Lioth added, a small smile turning up his lips. "With drawing."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>07-03-2015, 06:21:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Horses, yes, from where I am from," Aofred agreed, taking back the book and standing awkwardly with it for a moment before he went to put it on the nest-like bed. "Colder, not so many trees. More area to run, to farm. I live in a city. You know cities?" <br><br>The elf totteted over to the table, blanket still clutched around him. <em>"Probably not a proper city, there is no room for a naga tail. Certainly not on the train, I suppose you could take a carriage... Hm. But tea, I suppose that's civilized."</em> Aofred had slipped into his own language for a moment, but he caught himself, sinking down to his knees near Lioth. "I am sorry. I was just thinking by talking. Cities are crowded. Bad for tails."<br><br>Reaching for the tea, Aofred paused. "Tea is ready? Or wait?" Truthfully, he didn't think he needed help sleeping, but he wanted to be polite. Even if the previous concoction was vile.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>09-03-2015, 01:23:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth wasn't familiar with cities in the way that Aofred meant. He understood that it meant a larger civilization, certainly larger than the small communities to which the naga usually kept, but that was the extent of his knowledge. His kind simply needed more room. Aofred seemed to realize that, for he mentioned the length of his tail, at which he nodded thoughtfully.<br><br>"Drink," he affirmed, nodding toward the cup. Illustratively, he took a sip from his own serving of the brew, sinking down low enough into his coils to settle around Aofred's eye level. From the tip of his tail to the top of his head, Lioth was easily over ten feet in length, but his tail was dextrous enough to let him alter his height as was necessary. Elves were small; for the moment, so was he.<br><br>"Tomorrow, we will... Well. Others know you're here. Might not be so welcoming, understand." Just the opposite. Lioth had extended Aofred the benefit of the doubt, but that was only because he had seen traces of humbleness and genuine concern for his impact on the Kyyr. The others would not be so understanding.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>09-03-2015, 10:34:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes." Aofred looked down at his tea, then brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. For a strange tisane it was not bad, herbal but mild, and he sighed as he drank. It was a simple pleasure - but it was entirely possible that it might be one of his last, given Lioth's words. Oh, certainly the naga probably didn't mean it that way, but Aofred knew that they might consider him no better than his erstwhile companions and take their anger out on him - and what a waste of Lioth's efforts that would be. <br><br>Looking up, the elf blinked over at Lioth, seeing the hazy blob of his face at a level close to his own. "Others speak High Tongue?" A mild query, not one that would be particularly important. "If others want to talk. Might just be angry." <br><br>A sip of tea, and Aofred began to comb out his damp hair with his fingers, only wincing a little when he jostled his ribs. "I will talk. Just want to go home."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>10-03-2015, 00:00:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Even Lioth wasn't certain what to expect from his brethren. They were angry, certainly, and wary of an intruder in their midst. It mattered little to them that Aofred had been left to die by the others; the fact remained that he was there, and they had no reason to trust him. Lioth could understand their hesitation. He had his own doubts.<br><br>The problem was that he didn't know what they intended to do with him, and Lioth had no real power over their decision. Perhaps they would imprison him, rather than send him back. He simply had no way of knowing until they came knocking. If they were so polite.<br><br>"Better than me," he noted. None of the naga spoke Aofred's native language, but the older members of the community spoke perfect High Tongue as was necessary for matters of trade. But he wasn't sure how useful the lack of a language barrier would be if they showed up at his door with spears.<br><br>After a sip of tea and a thoughtful pause, Lioth heaved a sigh and nodded his head once. "Will try to bring you there. Home. Once you're better, in shape for travels."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>11-03-2015, 07:22:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You will?" The suggestion that Lioth would take him was met with a bright smile, and just as quickly, a yawn. "I will make certain that my father... <em>rewards</em>... gives gifts for your kindness. For you and all the naga."<br><br>Draining the tea, as Aofred could feel sleep coming on again, he sighed and leaned against the wall of the hurt. "What do naga like? Cloth, tools? Books? Stones...no. Bright? Stones?" Trying to figure out how to say "gems" or "jewels" was quite beyond him just then so he left it at that. "I am sure you will have it."<br><br>It was better to talk about a future that might happen, in a perfect world, one where the possibility of the other naga not letting him leave, or worse, wasn't hovering on the horizon. Though at this rate, Aofred would yawn himself to sleep in a few minutes. <br><br>"Sleep now?" Aofred gestured toward the nest. "I would talk, but I am tired. Won't make sense soon." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-03-2015, 02:16:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not necessary." Lioth didn't want any gifts, no matter how well-meaning. For one thing, he didn't want to be in the elves' debt. And for another... all he really wanted was to get Aofred home. It would be better for all involved if he simply went back to where he had come from, once he was in better shape for traveling there. Lioth still didn't know how he intended to get him there, but that was a problem for another day.<br><br>Finishing with his tea, the naga collected the empty cups and slipped away to dip them into a bucket of water, intending to dry them properly later. He would take the wash down in the morning, to rinse the dishes and replace the bucket with fresh water. All part of a daily routine that didn't entail indoor plumbing.<br><br>"Go, sleep," he said. "Long day when it's light. Will find something for your pain, and your... eh... glass eye? Eye glass." What a silly name for something.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>13-03-2015, 09:17:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Spectacles?" supplied Aofred, attempting to be helpful but likely making the matter more confusing. "Or just glasses. It will be good to see again. I would like to see what you look like besides, ah... fuzzy?" The elf sniffed, his long ears twitching, and he began to slowly crawl to his feet, keeping his torso still as possible. <br><br>It seemed to take an eternity, but Aofred totteted the short distance to the bed, then lowered himself down. It hurt more than he would have liked to admit, and he was vaguely nauseated from the pain of it by the time he had settled in. He sighed, eyes fluttering closed, and turned toward where he thought he saw Lioth washing up. <br><br>"If tomorrow goes badly... thank you again. For your kindness."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>14-03-2015, 04:35:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth still couldn't fathom how cut glass would help anyone to see, or what <em>spectacles</em> were, but he was hopeful that he could find whatever it was that would help Aofred to see. It was the caretaker in him, he supposed. Whether or not he fully trusted Aofred, he wanted to help as best he could, at least until the village leaders reached a consensus about what to do with him.<br><br>But he didn't mention any of that. He only smiled a little at the elf, nodding once, then swept by the space near the nest to collect the wet clothes. "Should dry when light comes," he said, intending to string them over the small veranda. "Sleep now. You need it."<br><br>The naga kept himself busy for a short while after, hanging up Aofred's wet clothes and tidying up. He didn't need much sleep, but when he finally did retire to the upper branches above the hut - he rarely slept inside, greatly preferring to wake with the sun on his scales - he was exhausted enough to nod off in minutes. He woke early, however, to collect fresh fruit for breakfast. The trees around the river were plentiful, providing him with an ample basketful to take back to his home. Lioth left his finds in plain sight for Aofred to find when he woke, then took off into the trees to see about his glasses.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>14-03-2015, 23:53:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Eyes still closed, Aofred made a small noise of assent, then let darkness claim him. It didn't take much, just a few deep breaths, and the elf was out. He dreamed, but not poorly, dreams of dinner parties and balls, of promenades in the park. Normal, save for the large serpentine shadow that seemed to follow him. Not menacing, not noticed by anyone else, but there... <br><br>When morning came, Aofred gently woke, drifting up to wakefulness with a sigh, then a start. Yes; he had been taken in by a naga. Yes, those dreams might have just been dreams, all gone now, depending on the reactions of the rest of the naga. He trusted Lioth to try and get him home, but the others were unknown, potentially hostile. <br><br>"Lioth? Are you there?" Silence. No whispered scrape of scale, no voice hailing him back. In a way that was good, for it let Aofred yowl like a housecat yearning to go outside as he levered himself up and out of the bed, out toward the door. Seeing fruit, he stopped and took a piece, knowing that he needed to eat even if he didn't much feel like it. <br><br>Then out to the balcony. Some sun reached it, and Aofred took a careful seat before&nbsp; beginning to eat. Here, in the sun, the sound of wind through trees soothing, Aofred didn't feel so terrible - until he realized how far from the ground he was. And were those shadows moving? His heart seemed to stop. What if it was his erstwhile companions? Terrified, Aofred froze, watching... 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>15-03-2015, 01:33:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth remembered well enough where he had found the elf, but trying to find his glasses was another matter entirely. Even with his sharp vision, and armed with the notebook containing Aofred's sketches, he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for, or where to begin amongst the endless lines of foliage.<br><br>While he searched, the rest of the village awoke. The oldest among them, leaders of their small community, set forth from the central hub, talking amongst themselves to determine what they intended to do with the intruder. He hadn't yet caused them any harm, but they wanted to be sure of who he was and what had brought him to the Kyyr. Lioth had only been able to tell them that he was injured, that with his slight frame he would be virtually helpless against, well, anyone. But that wasn't quite enough.<br><br>Carried on their mighty tails, ranging in color from blue to green to fiery red, the town elders scaled the tree leading up to Lioth's hut. Outside, they found the elfling - small, wounded, terrified. He didn't look like much, but then again, only one elf <em>wouldn't</em>. Hordes of them, however, were devastating.<br><br>"<em>You</em>," said one of their five, a burly older creature with a braided gray beard. "<em>You are a stranger to the Kyyr. What is your business here?"</em><br><br>"<em>I'm uncertain of how much he understands,"</em> said another, a green-tailed naga with deep-set wrinkles in his tan face. "<em>His kind tend not to speak in our tongue.</em>"<br><br>"<em>In High Tongue, then.</em> Do you understand me now, elfling?" The bearded male's command of the universal language was much stronger than Lioth's.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>16-03-2015, 01:43:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the shadows drew nearer, the number, size, and even color of the moving shapes illustrated that they weren't elves, as Aofred had feared. However, the alternative wasn't much better. The naga swarmed the tree, strong arms and tails easily traveling up the tree to Lioth's hut, surrounding Aofred before he could even stand. He looked up as they spoke in their own tongue, blinking owlishly at the various speakers, trying to divine what they were saying. They sounded angry, disapproving, and he cringed slightly. <br><br>Then one spoke in High Tongue, and Aofred sighed in relief. He would have preferred Lioth to be there, but at least he could communicate... "Yes, I can understand." Carefully, he began to stand, knowing that he would still be shorter, but still feeling that it would be better. He stood, and then he bowed from the waist; then he tried to make out the differences between the naga, the noticeable hair, the colors of their tails. <br><br>"Lioth said you would come," Aofred said, trying his best not to look as rattled as he felt. "I do not know if I should invite you in. He will return soon. He went for herbs."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>21-03-2015, 01:34:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The leaders had a hard time understanding Lioth's decision to take the elf in. Ghir, the bristly naga who had first spoken to Aofred, more than the others. Unlike the vast majority of his kind who had only ever heard stories of the elves taking what wasn't theirs, Ghir had witnessed it firsthand. Aofred's kind, if not his direct kin, had driven Ghir and his ilk from their lands long ago. He didn't plan on making two departures from two homes in one lifetime.<br><br>"I have no interest in where Lioth is," said Ghir, looking Aofred over once. He was a wisp of a thing, certainly not dangerous on his own. "What I do have interest in is <em>you,</em> and what your purpose is in the Kyyr."<br><br>"You came with others," mentioned Rath, his green tail straightened to carry his head up higher, allowing him to look down upon the elf. "Bipeds would not venture into the forest alone. Where are they? Why did they leave you here?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>21-03-2015, 03:47:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The naga reared higher, their questions gruff, abrupt. And they were right to be suspicious. Aofred knew it wasn't good for him, but he was sympathetic, as he wouldn't have liked an incursion of potentially unfriendly beings coming to his home. He also wanted to cower, but he stood tall, ears slightly flattened. <br><br>"I, ah... I came to study. To learn about plants and animals. The others said they did too, but I think now only to use my father's money to fund the... the travel. Trip." Aofred's hands clenched slightly at the misstep, and he wished that he had spent less time doodling in his High Tongue classes. "I have a book of pictures inside."<br><br>The next questions were harder, but they had to be answered. Turning to the green naga, Aofred frowned. "I don't know where the bad ones are. They tried to hurt a faun, and I tried to stop them. They hurt me, and left me to die. They might be looking for metal. Metal and stones. I don't know about those."<br><br>Oh, he must sound like a child! Such stilted speech, and his voice so high in comparison. Aofred looked back toward the forest, now almost hoping to see another dark shadow approach. Not that Lioth would do anything, but at least he had been kind... 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>23-03-2015, 18:38:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Although it seemed unlikely that the other elves would have left him behind had he harbored the same ill intentions, none of the naga were especially convinced that Aofred's presence was entirely benign. It was difficult for them to accept outsiders of any sort, let alone of Aofred's kind. As such, they took his assurances with more than just a few grains of salt.<br><br>"Metal and stones," Ghir echoed. "They would mine our lands for their own purposes. <em>Typical elf behavior. I'm of the mind to do away with this little waif now, and be done with it. To set an example for his brothers, should they return.</em>"<br><br>Fortunately for Aofred, Lioth wasn't terribly far behind. He managed to reach a lower branch just as the others had begun to discuss taking Aofred as a prisoner, and much to his own surprise, his first instinct was to defend the smaller creature. "<em>Leave him be,</em>" he insisted, hoisting himself up onto the patio. "<em>With all due respect, Ghir, he is harmless. As he is now, he can barely walk. I would hardly count him as a threat</em>."<br><br>"<em>Not on his own</em>," said Rath. "<em>But if the others return</em>-"<br><br>"<em>If they are the problem, then we take it up with them. Not with Aofred. You would rather sink to their level by making an example of an innocent?"</em><br><br>The lot of them huffed, observing Lioth with no shortage of scrutiny as the crimson-tailed snake situated himself partly in front of the elf, as though to shield him.<br><br>"He takes your side," Ghir told the outsider, waiting thereafter to hear his reply.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>26-03-2015, 11:42:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the naga became... angry, agitated, Aofred tried not to cringe. He was not used to such harsh words, coming from privilege and well-mannered society, and if anything the naga's anger reminded him of nothing so much as his erstwhile traveling companions turned would-be murderers. If only he knew how close his thoughts were to reality, he might have truly faltered, but instead Aofred merely frowned, looking down at his feet as he tried to think of a rebuttal. <br><br>Before that however, another naga arived, one that Aofred belaltedly realized was Lioth. He stepped out of the way, trying to follow the conversation and failing, but obtaining enough from the tone of voice and Lioth's positioning to make him worry. He was touched, in a way, that Lioth would even bother protecting him; he hoped that Lioth would not suffer for it.<br><br>The grumpy naga addressed Aofred again, as if he had some insight into the conversation that had just occurred. "Oh." He blinked, smiling just a little in spite of himself. It was one thing to guess, another to know. "Lioth is kind to take my side. A good man - naga. He saved me. I will try to help in return."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>27-03-2015, 01:59:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth glanced behind him for a moment, regarding Aofred with some concern. He wondered what the other naga had said to him in his absence, or what they might say to him later when Aofred wasn't around. Provided they didn't simply abscond with the elf and lock him up until they decided what to do with him. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.<br><br>Fortunately, the others backed off. Taking their cue from Ghir, who backed up a bit toward a neighboring branch, the naga began to retreat, but Lioth knew that they wouldn't be gone for long. They would come back. Perhaps in bigger numbers.<br><br>"<em>Watch yourself, Lioth. His kind are dangerous. We will want answers from him when next we come.</em>"<br><br>And then they were gone, colored scales wrapping around this branch and that until they were out of sight. Lioth exhaled, raking his hands back through his mess of hair and braids, settling down a bit lower to look Aofred in the eye. "You are alright?" he asked. "Forgive them. They mean no harm to you, but... they worry. Our lands, they are precious. Mean much to us."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>28-03-2015, 03:22:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred stood tall as the naga left, but once he couldn't see them any more he moved over to the hut and leaned against it, closing his eyes. "<em>By the gods, let those overgrown snakes be gone.</em>" He felt vaguely dizzy and weak-kneed, but he assumed that it was adrenaline, not anything tremendously physical. <br><br>At Lioth's question, however, he opened his eyes, blinking as seemed to be his habit now, trying to force his vision to clear. "I am well. They only talked. Asked why I was here, where the bad elves went." Questions that Lioth had probably already answered, though he understood the urge to ask him directly. <br><br>The second portion, the explanation, only warranted a shrug. Aofred reached out, meaning to give Lioth a cheerful clap on the arm. "I do not think it is wrong to care about your land. It is... understandable? I do not think that I can do anything about it here. Now you. Did you have a good morning?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>29-03-2015, 03:40:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				They wouldn't be happy with what they had gotten from Aofred so far, of that Lioth was sure. Some part of him knew it was stupid to worry for his well being, but he didn't have a shred of maliciousness in his body. Giving him up to the village leaders was an option, but not one that would sit well with his conscience.<br><br>If nothing else, Aofred seemed to understand their worry. It nearly pained Lioth to hear such compassion from someone clearly in over his head. He forced a small smile, though, as a hand fell against his arm, and nodded. "Strange elf," he said, but he meant well.<br><br>Reaching into the small leather pouch at his side, held there by a strap stretched over his torso, Lioth rummaged for a moment before procuring two items for the elf - his notebook and his glasses. The latter were a bit worse for wear, showing signs of minor scuffing, but neither lens was cracked. "Busy morning," he said. "They took time to find."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>01-04-2015, 09:17:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At Lioth's comment about him being strange, Aofred could only laugh, nodding. "Very strange..." He should have been frightened, he knew, he <em>had</em> been when surrounded by the other naga, but Lioth didn't frighten him in the same way. Perhaps because it was Lioth who had saved him and demonstrated compassion, kindness. Though even saving his life paled when the naga gave Aofred two items he would have recognized anywhere. <br><br>The expression on the elf's face said it all. He was ecstatic, disbelieving. "Oh! <em>Thank the gods! Maybe they'll believe me... and I spent so much time on this, I would have hated to lose it.</em>" The glasses were taken first, tried on, bent into something that would at least stay in place as he perched them on the bridge of his nose. Oddly, they almost seemed to complete his face, providing something to balance out the foxiness of his features. <br><br>Plus, there was the whole being able to <em>see</em> angle. Aofred peered at Lioth, then smiled. "So <em>that</em> is what you look like.&nbsp; Thank you. I am glad I could see that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>11-04-2015, 00:31:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				By all accounts, the glasses should have looked strange on the elf. They changed his face entirely, but somehow they did so for the better. In a way, the spectacles completed him. Lioth felt his lips tugging into a half-smile, although he wasn't entirely certain why. Perhaps it had to do with seeing the elf showing some signs of happiness, after a long night of hurt.<br><br>"What you expected?" He gestured at himself. If Aofred's vision was so bad, he had to wonder what the elf had imagined him to look like. No doubt he still looked strange to Aofred, just as the smaller creature did to him.<br><br>"Inside," he said, turning to duck back into the hut. The less exposed Aofred was, whether for fear of wary naga or violent elves, the better. <br><br>"How, eh... <em>I really should work on this.</em> ... do you feeling? Feel. The wounds."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>13-04-2015, 02:50:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When asked if Lioth looked the way Aofred had expected, he just laughed a little. "No. Thought that you would look more like, ah...&nbsp; the rest of you." Then he gestured toward the tail, the thick, scaly body that made up the bulk of the naga. "You are more like me. But without nice ears." <br><br>Following Lioth back in, Aofred remembered to stifle a shrug at the next question. The movement would only aggravate one of the two persistent injuries - his rib, which he hoped was more cracked than actually broken. "Better. Head still wrong, chest, ah, bone hurts. Bad tea worked." And may he never have to drink it again. <br><br>Settling in, carefully leaning against the nest-like bed, Aofred sighed. It felt good to be out of the light, as the steady, creeping dizziness and pain began to recede. Having his glasses back would only help, assuming of course that he was allowed to keep them the next time the other naga returned. <br><br>"What else will you do today, after finding things? Rest?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>14-04-2015, 00:11:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth frowned for a moment. He wondered if Aofred would require any support around his chest, if it still hurt so badly. If he had any broken bones, then certainly. Naga benefited from the sheer lack of density in their skeletons; their bones were highly flexible, very tough to break. As such, he wasn't terribly familiar with how to treat Aofred if he had broken anything.<br><br>"Let me know," he said, "if the pain becomes worse. Can try to help." Although he wasn't sure how.<br><br>As was his habit when returning home from the forest, Lioth set about preparing a pot of tea. Not the bad sort that Aofred so feared, but the sort from herbs he had picked near the elf's dropped glasses. Fragrant leaves with hints of spice.<br><br>"Fix the roof," the naga replied, gesturing up toward a patch of ceiling across the room, where the wooden planks had bent inward and cracked, letting in the daylight. "I was out for supplies when you I... ah. When I found you." The proper order of the words still escaped him. Small sentences. "Heavy winds, branches came down. Some damage. Not very bad."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>16-04-2015, 23:28:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This time, able to see, Aofred watched keenly as Lioth prepared the tea, hands almost itching to draw the naga. He was concerned it might be seen as rude however, and so he simply had to content himself with plotting the composition of a sketch. <br><br>"Ah. The roof. Last night you worked on that." His eyes went up, looking at the unintentional skylight in the planks. "Still can help. Not sure what else can do to... to thank you. Maybe draw something? Before other naga come back." <br><br>The thought, spoken aloud, sobered him, and he began to massage his temples, to stroke along the long lines of his ears. It helped, and after a moment he sighed. "You are not in trouble?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>24-04-2015, 00:25:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Draw if you like," he said, idly flicking the very tip of his tail toward the bit of daylight filtering in from the damaged roof. He wanted nothing more than to go outside, curl up, and bask in the sun, but there was work to be done first. Playing host to the elf, then fixing the thatching.<br><br>Glancing toward his houseguest, catching the look of concern on his delicate face, and it was with a small, easy smile that he shook his head no. "Not yet," Lioth replied. "No worrying about me. The elders will be fair." He hoped.<br><br>The naga's brows rose as he observed Aofred's fidgeting, most notably how he stroked along his ears. "That helps? With your, ah... worry?" He still found Aofred's body to be of a strange shape, with ears far too long to be functional. Lioth's were small, pressed closer against his head, hard to notice beneath the tangle of red hair.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>25-04-2015, 05:11:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At the question, Aofred stopped. Not guiltily, but because he felt it would be rude to keep doing it while he responded. "Yes. It is..." And there words failed him. "It is nice? It helps my head. Feels good." He almost, <em>almost</em> offered to demonstrate - but that would have been too far, to offer something of that nature, and likely easily misinterpreted. Besides, Lioth had said he could draw, though not what, and that would be a better repayment if he could not help with the roof. <br><br>There was a pause of course, Aofred simply resting a bit before stirring. He had to think about what to draw as well as recover, and though he was still much fonder of elven beds, the nest was growing on him. The thought that he might not have much time did finally spur him on however, and he crawled out to get his book and some charcoal with which to draw. Flipping to the end, and its empty pages, he did a few preliminary sketches before starting. The room, the bed, Lioth. It was the last that he eventually began work on, being the most dynamic thing in the room, and soon he was hard at work, scratching away at the paper in the book. <br><br>"Ah, Lioth?" Aofred looked up from his portrait after a while, something occurring to him. "Please do not move much. I am drawing you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>08-05-2015, 05:29:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Some small part of the naga wanted to touch those ears for himself, just to see how they would feel. They looked so bizarre, protruding from Aofred's skull in a way that wasn't natural, but they suited him somehow. Much like those glasses, they seemed to complete the shape of his face.<br><br>It was a nice face, too. Soft, refined, delicate. Lioth would have gone as far as to call the elf pretty, although he wondered if he would have taken offense to that. He had no intention of finding out, however. It seemed inappropriate to even harbor the notion that a biped was attractive - even if he was.<br><br>"Eh?" Lioth broke himself from his thoughts just in time to see Aofred fussing over his sketchbook. "Drawing me?" He couldn't fathom why the elf would want to capture his likeness on paper. Perhaps he intended to show it to the rest of his kind when - <em>if</em> - he returned. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but the sketching seemed to keep Aofred happy.<br><br>"Must look odd to you," he thought aloud, idly flicking the end of his mighty tail. This he used to pluck the pot from the fire, pouring water over the herb bundles inside the clay mugs. "Thought at first you might afraid- eh... fear me."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>09-05-2015, 04:45:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hmm?" Aofred glanced up from his sketch, his gaze much keener behind glass lenses. He'd also have been flushing furiously if he'd had any inkling of the naga's thoughts about him, as minor as they were. To even consider such a thing, or to entertain such thoughts himself! It was much safer to think of Lioth as other, more a creature than anything - and this from an elf from the high strata of society, where even humans (those few who had ventured forth from those distant, barbaric places where they lived) were considered unbearably alien and coarse, with their overlarge stature and stubby ears. Though the warmth of that scaly tail had been comforting, it was like saying that a selkie had a glossy pelt. One would never say more than that. Or think it. <br><br>He became aware that he was staring, something Aofred tended to do when he was engrossed in his work. "<em>Oh, yes.</em> I did fear. Saw your tail. Thought it was a snake, big snake, that you would eat me." To avoid potential embarrassment he turned his gaze down to the page of the notebook where he sketched, lines coming together to form the bones of his portrait. It lacked its full glory of course, black and white would do nothing to capture Lioth's brilliant color, but what could he do? "Then I woke up here. Less fear, except for tea." <br><br>There was a bit of silence, Aofred's charcoal scratching against paper, lips pursed in concentration. Then he hummed to himself, wiping the charcoal from his hands over the side of Lioth's nest-like breath. "I do not want to interrupt, but can you take me down again? Maybe we should get a..." He motioned, trying to pantomime a bucket. And then a ladder. "A thing so you do not have to take me up and down while I recover."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>22-05-2015, 23:10:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At the notion that he would have <em>eaten </em>the elf, Lioth gave a hearty laugh. He understood where Aofred was coming from, but all the same, he found it amusing. he supposed he would have to be careful not to let the smaller creature ever get the impression that he was angry, lest he think him capable of something similarly horrific.<br><br>"Eh?" Down again? Aofred was going to give him a workout, that was for certain,&nbsp; both physically and mentally, for it took him a few extra seconds to determine that he had meant to mime a ladder. Naga had no need for them, after all; even things like stairs were nearly unheard of in their villages.<br><br>Nodding once, Lioth moved to the open doorway, lowering himself down a bit, until Aofred could climb onto his back. "Will have to build something for you tomorrow," he agreed, if only so the elf wouldn't feel entirely helpless. "Roof first. Then for climbing."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>23-05-2015, 00:28:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred seemed a bit embarrassed by Lioth's laughter, but that was nothing compared to the bemusement at his continued need for... <em>facilities.</em> Underneath his polite veneer he was actually mortified. Such things were rarely discussed among the members of his class, and when they had to be spoken of, it was all in allusion, never mentioning directly <em>any</em> of that. Indeed, his ears were reddening slightly, and he laid them flat once he noticed the familiar heat. "I am smaller, there is... less room." He looked down at his picture again, ears now bright red. "And I have had much tea."<br><br>At the mention that they would build a ladder, however, Aofred brightened, though his embarrassment was not lessened. "Oh. Yes. That will be good. Will the others allow it? They do not like me much. Might think it dangerous." A small, huffed laugh followed. "Silly. I can't hurt anyone. Naga children are stronger."<br><br>It was one of the reasons why the elves had developed as quickly and as much as they had. They were technologically advanced, something that had become necessary to compensate for their relative weakness. Other species of sentient beings were larger, able to simply use brute force, but the elves... the elves had longevity and ingenuity, and had crafted weapons for defense that put them on equal footing at the very least. Aofred reflected that perhaps they had overcompensated, that they were now just as bad as the others they had changed their very society to protect themselves from - ah, but now was not the time for such thoughts!<br><br>As Lioth was willing to take him then, Aofred got out of the bed, moving gingerly until the worst of his aches had subsided. Once more he straddled the scaly tail, absently stroking it again. It was fascinating, warm and smooth, and he forgot himself momentarily - before snatching his hand back as if burned. "Excuse me," he murmured, moving to wind his arms around the naga's waist. "I am ready."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-06-2015, 06:14:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aofred knew well enough that naga were stronger, even the younglings, but that wasn't going to help him. The council elders didn't look at him as a threat on his own. What his presence in their midst meant, however, was another story entirely. That worried them more than anything, and Lioth couldn't quite blame them for that, even if he knew better. Aofred couldn't hurt anyone. But it would be hard to convince anyone else that he wasn't a threat.<br><br>For the remainder of the day, and much of the next, Lioth helped Aofred the best he could. He wasn't of a mind to baby the elf, but some things couldn't be helped. Things like taking him down to ground level to bathe, or to use the facilities. Patching the roof took up much of his time in the afternoon, but one night as Aofred slept, the naga busied himself with building a rope ladder. It wasn't especially pretty to look at, but it was sturdy and would hold the elf's weight.<br><br>Once the ladder was built, however, Lioth made a request of the smaller male, a simple request that he refrain from trying to leave. The elders would only hunt him down if he tried, and besides that, Aofred still had some recovering to do from the beating. He wouldn't have made it far, and Lioth had no desire to see him hurt.<br><br>On the fourth day, the elders finally decided what they wanted to do with the elf, at least for the time being. Until they could determine how they wanted to proceed where the other elves were concerned, they would put Aofred to work in the temple a short ways from the village - a grand, glittering structure piled high with polished square boulders, forming a tapered pagoda that reached the treetops. Great serpent heads flanked the entryway, leading into a dim interior lined with primitive tapestries and carvings, all of them stunning, but many defaced by vandals. The council had blamed it on the elves, although they had no proof. But whoever the culprits, Aofred would be cleaning up after them. And for his part in sheltering the elf, Lioth was tasked with ushering him to and from the temple. He was forbidden from assisting, but would have to supervise.<br><br>"Your kind, the elves, did they come here?" he asked as they approached the pathway leading up to the smooth incline that took the place of traditional steps, the likes of which were useless to creatures with tails instead of legs. "The damage is recent. Days, maybe, or a week."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>14-06-2015, 06:18:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The days of rest had been beneficial, although Aofred did hate to rely on Lioth to the extent he did. But he was a prisoner, wasn't he? Or... he had thought he was, up until the rope ladder had made an appearance. He was overjoyed, though all he did was smile and nod, trying not to be exuberant. It really didn't take long for him to realize that the Kyyr itself was a prison, that even if he escaped the naga who guarded the village he would be lost and alone, unable to survive. It was a sobering thought, but at least he no longer had to be carried like an infant. Now, he could be watched like a criminal, but on his own two legs. <br><br>As time passed, he regained his strength and clarity of mind, though at times he felt pangs of an unfamiliar hurt - homesickness. The unending green of the Kyyr was beautiful, but alien, and the sounds. Gods! The the lack of street sounds in no way meant quiet, but it hadn't really registered until now how alien it all was, how bizarre the strange birdsong could be, or the screeching of monkeys that sounded like the screams of women. And the creaks, the hums, the buzzing and... it was enough to drive a man mad. But then, just when Aofred thought he couldn't take it any longer... it ceased to bother him. It became commonplace, and that was almost as disturbing. Would he find his home similarly bizarre upon his return? <em>If</em> he returned?<br><br>The task, then, presented Aofred with an escape from his increasingly frenzied thoughts, a project to focus on. He did feel an obscure guilt at the desecration of a temple, for he could not say that the foul deed had <em>not</em> been done by his erstwhile companions. That, and he was glad of the distraction, and he tried not to let it show in the cant of his ears or the lightness of his tread as he accompanied Lioth to the temple. <br><br>"I do not know." It was all the answer that Aofred could give and be sure of. "We did not come here together. I would not have let them do anything - you can check my <em>sketchbook.</em> My, ah, drawings. But without me? Yes. It is possible. What was done? Was there writing?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-07-2015, 01:21:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was difficult for Lioth to place any blame on Aofred, who at that point had done nothing to prove to him - or indeed the other naga - that he was capable of vandalism. Or any other malicious acts, in fact. Lioth wasn't so naive to place blind trust in the smaller creature, but it seemed beyond the elf to be cruel.<br><br>"Writing. Yes. But cannot read it." Naga knew of paints, although the kind used within the temple seemed crude, even by their standards. If the elves had indeed been responsible for the mess, they had likely fashioned a primitive sort of paint with minerals found throughout the Kyrr, mashed into powder and mixed with water. Easily removed but a largely frustrating task, given the porous nature of the stone lining the temple inside.<br><br>"Some damage... not able to be fixed." Lioth's brow furrowed. "Broken statues. Ancient." He sighed. Naga weren't religious in the traditional sense of the word, but they were highly spiritual creatures who believed in ancient deities, serpents all, each representing a facet of the Kyrr - the earth, the air, and so on. Disrespecting their likenesses in stone was tantamount to disrespecting the forest herself.<br><br>"The task is for you, but..." A tiny smile turned up the corners of the naga's lips. "Can help, if you need it." It was a large job. In a woven basket he had left to rest at the foot of the temple steps, Lioth had brought along enough food and water to sustain the elf during the day's labor, but it wasn't a chore he could complete in one day, no matter how much strength he gained from food.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ouroboros</strong> on <strong>18-07-2015, 03:01:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, no, I should do it, unless there is something that I am not strong enough to do," Aofred said as he ascended the steps, though his ears drooped once he surveyed the damage. It was unmistakably the work of elves, the graffiti bringing a pinkish blush to his pale cheeks. A blush, and a prickle of tears, for he could see the beauty in the temple, now marred by his countrymen. And the statues! Those he went to first, judging them the irreparable damage. <br><br>"I think... I know there is a way to fix this." Aofred picked up a chunk of stone, then moved it to the bottom of the statue that it came from. "I will find it, find a way. For now I will clean and work on the words." The broken stone first, to preserve it - and then the graffiti, and the hours of scrubbing and repainting that would follow. Aofred thought for a moment, then removed his shirt - already dirty and stained, but it would do no good to make it worse. And the naga did not care about such things, so it was rather foolish to preserve modesty from those who likely thought him strange for his clothing.<br><br>After a careful examination and cleaning up of the rubble, Aofred sat to rest for a moment. He looked back to Lioth, tucking some of his hair back and rubbing the tips of his ears. "Will the elders object if I paint? I will clean, but I can make it look, ah. Look better. If I can make paint. Will they allow it?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Eminent Domain [Trifles x Ouroboros]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>30-07-2015, 04:40:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lioth didn't think Aofred capable of fixing all the elves had done. The damage to the statues was beyond repair, at least to his understanding. Although if Aofred knew a way, he wasn't about to complain. If anything, he suspected that it would help the council's perspective of him... if only slightly. Perhaps that was too naive.<br><br>Slithering over to a raised platform between the two largest monuments, a finely polished piece of rectangular stone with the sheen of marble, Lioth settled in to observe the elf's work. By all accounts, he still intended to help Aofred if he could. The elders had instructed him not to, but he wasn't heartless enough to simply watch as the elf exhausted himself.<br><br>"Paint? Ah... Perhaps. If it looks better, cleaner than this." He gestured vaguely. "Just, please... take care in here. Is a sacred place for us. Great respect. You understand."
			</dd>
		</dl>
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