Cake & Departures

[kaolinandbone]

The present pile shrinks away to nothing, and as the last gifts are being opened, a massive white cake comes in the double-doors, so large that it takes four of the automatons to carry it and almost loses icing on the top sill of the door.

Lioncourt looks up from her present pile, and blinks.

"Oh, the cake!"

A sudden frown comes over her face, then she closes her eyes...

With a flash of light, an equally-massive cake suddenly occupies most of the present table, its spindly legs groaning under the weight of the platter as well as the unwrapped presents. Notably, this one is chocolate-brown.

With a flick of her hands, streams of porcelain leap up from amid the dirt of the garden, quickly forming into an additional table for the automatons to place their own heavy load onto. Unlike the wooden table for the gifts, it doesn't creak when the cake's deposited onto it.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone: these gifts have been so unexpectedly interesting that I've been delaying your opportunity to have cake! The one my servants just brought in is vanilla, a delicacy on my world: the one occupying the gift table is, ah, whatever wonderful flavour Esthfora's candies are. Both of them are excellent, but I must admit that the Esthfora cake is probably better. While I finish with the last few presents, please feel free to ask the servants for your desired flavor."

Comments

[kaolinandbone]

Lioncourt pats Lurker's head.

"It's no more than I've already been juggling for seventy years, and at last I'll have the chance to change things. I..."

She looks down at her open hands as if they're new to her, gaze tracing the lines in her palms.

"I always wanted to fix things, and now I have a chance, a real chance. It's... scary, yes, but... I'm their best hope."

She intertwines her fingers.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold nods, and takes a few moments to consider her words, leaning against the wall next to Lioncourt while she does so, close enough to make petting convenient.

"Kobold tribe, do of chief is of hard, is of scare; kobold tribe do of think of stress of chief, chief maybe stress, chief usually okay - important of tribe do of think of stress of chief, tribe no do of think, chief no do of okay. Other person kinds tribe..." she scoffs slightly, then nudges Lioncourt. "Am worry; am worry of Lioncourt. Am not of worry of other of vampire - Lioncourt do of worry of other of vampire, other of vampire do of okay. Am worry of Lioncourt."

[kaolinandbone]

Lioncourt smiles, and scratches behind Lurker's ears.

"Thank you. It means a lot to know that you care... But don't worry about me. I can do this."

[lurkingkobold]

Scritches. ^^

The kobold grins, a little self-depricatingly, and shrugs. "Lioncourt... no is tribe, but...", an extended pause. "Am not know of word; Lioncourt nice, Lioncourt good, kobold feel...."

[kaolinandbone]

Lioncourt blushes.

"... Thank you."

She adjusts her crown.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold chuckles and grins warmly, motioning slightly with her snout as if to nudge Lioncourt's forehead with it.

"Am feel of that of person, am think of person, am worry of person. Am kobold, is of do of kobold." She shrugs, slightly. "Am think is of good of do."

[kaolinandbone]

Lioncourt nods.

"We're both healers in our own ways, you and I. But... I think there's someone else who needs you more."

Her gaze shifts to the short, dark-haired man in the crowd.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold follows the vampire's gaze, her grin going soft and fond when she sees its target. "Yes, am do of stay of Miles; Miles do of chief, no do of think of Miles, do of need of person do of think." She returns her attention to Lioncourt, nudging her hand for scritches. "Am maybe do of visit?"

[kaolinandbone]

Lioncourt skritches Lurker more.

"That would be nice, every now and then."

She smiles, not quite leaning against the wall anymore - she's already gotten her dress dirty doing that, how did she forget she was outside - but certainly looking much more relaxed.

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold's grin brightens and she relaxes, too. "Good. Am send of secret message of forum when can do of visit."

[kaolinandbone]

"I'll be sure to look for it. Now, I'm afraid, I have more people to meet."

Lioncourt gives Lurker a parting smile, and then waves goodbye as she walks back off into the crowd.