Am I Bugging You?

[GoblinFae]

A sense of freedom shadowed by anxiety dogged her steps as the young botanist strolled through the forest. She hated closing up and leaving her little flower shop but, it was necessary to do if she wanted to collect her supplies personally.

"Will yous relax?" the disgruntled voice of her familiar reverberated in her head. "It's not likes the place is going to spontaneously combusts!"
'But Fern, what if people need my flowers? What if someone really, really needs flowers to say what leaves them tongue-tied?'
"Then they can go finds the cat that stoles their tongues and haves it speaks for thems! Quit fussings, you're disturbings my naps!"

"What a lot of help you are," she growled aloud, lifting the wrist her little snake was curled around. "It's no wonder you can't find yourself a girlfriend."
"Leaves that outs of this."

Ladybird smirked slightly before stroking the blue scales soothingly. Dropping down to a crouch she began digging in the cool earth. Just beneath the surface were the tubers and roots that she would be able to preserve on her journey back home. It was her hope to be able to successfully replant them.

[Anonymous]

She'd been traveling for quite some time, thanks to her habit of avoiding towns and roads.  But Ksarth'aja didn't mind, after all she did enjoy the outdoors, and traveling like this was a good distraction from her loneliness.

A voice up ahead caught the unusual female's attention, her large, feathery antenna perking forward as she paused.  Definitely human, she decided, chittering quietly to herself.  Like most who lived alone for extended times, Ksarth'aja was in the habit of talking to herself... although any who overheard her wouldn't understand a word of her native language.  Tugging her cloak tighter around herself, she resumed her slow walk, now heading for the voice.  She'd learned through sorry experience that it was safer to approach others when they were alone.  The more people there, the more likely it was someone wouldn't like the way she looked...or so it seemed to her.

Coming around a tree, she spotted the source of the voice...a human girl, digging in the dirt.  Ksarth'aja found this intriguing, and with her curiousity piqued, she took a few steps towards the woman, then stopped, still a few feet away.  "What are you digging for, little one?"  Ksarth'aja addressed nearly everyone as 'little one', as she was taller and larger than almost everyone she met.

[GoblinFae]

Hands froze, buried in soft dark earth. Ladybird might not have known the voice she heard was in her head and not in her ears if she had not had Fern as a familiar for years now. 'Fern?' her mind called worriedly.

"I hears it toos," he replied, worrying seeping from him and into her.
'Please tell me that's your girlfriend.'
"Nots likely. Turns around, slowly. Yous needs to sees this."
'Am I going to need to run?'
"Turn!"

Nervously but obediently, Ladybird did as she was told. Her eyes looked from side to side until they rested on the large cloaked figure standing not too far to her left. Brown eyes widened as breath hitched and caught. The botanist's first instinct was to turn tail and run. Whatever this was, it was not likely that Ladybird could overpower it should a fight break out.

Curiosity kept her in place though. Fern remained silent but an ever vigilant presence in her mind. "Greetings," she called, her voice quivering slightly. She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to calm herself. "Was it you who spoke?"

"Reallys! That is whats yous going to asks? Yous ares hopelesses. No wonders yous needs mes!"
'Quit flattering yourself, Fern. It's unbecoming and unsightly. I don't see you coming up with any brilliant suggestions.'
"Runs?"
'A little late for that now, don't you think?'
"Yous never listens to mes," the snake pouted, resting his head down on the top of her hand as if defeated.
'And you never give useful advice. Hush now. If you aren't going to help then at least be still.'

In the back of her mind, she could swear she heard the whisperings of "ungrateful whelp" echo back and forth. It took everything she had to not smile indulgently and pet her familiar. Right now she had bigger things to focus on, literally.

[Anonymous]

She tilted her head to the side as the human spoke to her, her hood sliding off as she moved.  Antenna waving to and fro, it was easy to pick up on not just the quiver in the human's voice, but the movements of the brightly colored reptile curled around the woman's wrist.  Curious.

Ksarth'aja's expressions were virtually impossible to read, thanks to the lack of humanoid features on her face, and so she had learned to exaggerate body language around them.  Folding her legs under her, she sat upon the ground, and uttered a buzzing little chirrup, not unlike the sound crickets make.  At least sitting down, she didn't tower over most of them, and this one certainly had the height advantage now.  

She was doing her level best to appear non-threatening now, trying to put the human at ease.  "Yes.  Greetings Little One.  I apologize for frightening you."

[GoblinFae]

Ladybird stared in wonder at the figure before her. It was truly unlike anything she had ever seen before. 'Or rather it's like an enormous-'
"Bugs?"
'Yeah, a big one!'

Smiling more freely now, she rose to her feet and gave a small bow. "No apology is necessary friend. You're a bit bug-big. I mean big, you're a bit big. You just startled me is all. I wasn't expecting something so-I just wasn't expecting anything. The fault is entirely my own." The botanist blushed crimson as she realized the blunders she was making.

"Is wonders if it's likes a reals bug. Maybes it'll rips your heads off for the insults."
'Fern, you're not helping!'
"Sorrys?"

"Um what brings you to this part of the forest?" She mentally cringed, kicking herself for sounding so pathetic. Fern's acerbic commentary would be necessary this time, she was doing a fine job of it herself.

[Anonymous]

Ksarth'aja was silent for a moment, tilting her head to the other side as she thought over what the woman had said.  Then she uttered a rapid series of buzzing chirps, amused at the other woman's verbal stumbling.  "I am only average sized for one of my kind."  Her mental voice held hints of laughter as she peered across the clearing at the botanist.  "I am exploring."

((OOC:  Blah, so short.))

[GoblinFae]

The buzzing sound coming from the strange bug-like species had Ladybird unknowingly draw closer. 'Interesting, that sounds like well bugs. I wonder if it can talk with insects.'
"I's thinks it's laughing at yous."
'Probably right. But can you believe it Fern? That is average size for the species. I wonder what it is.'
"Whats are yous doing? Quit walkings! Yous gonna gets me kilt!" the panicked voice of her familiar sounded through her head.

"Oh Fern you silly thing," she grumbled aloud. "Get down if you are so afraid."
"Nots on your lifes!"

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged her shoulders before taking a few more tentative steps closer to the other being. "Would you consider it rude of me to ask what you are? I never seen your ilk before. I am a flowershop keeper. I would like to think that I know my fair share of plants and bu-beings. I guess I just don't get out as much into the wild world as I thought," she chuckled nervously.

[Anonymous]

Ksarth'aja watched attentively as the woman stepped closer, her antenna waving back and forth slowly.  Her attention zeroed in on the small snake coiled around the human's wrist for a moment, then she decided that it likely was no threat to her.

Glancing back at the woman once more, she chittered in amusement once more.  "I am part of the Oriota tribe, though...", she paused, her mental tones becoming softer, sadder, "I have not seen another of my kind in many years."

((OOC: Sorry about the wait, had a few busy days IRL))

[GoblinFae]

(OOC: No worries! I'm really relaxed about the time it takes to post. My own life is rather hectic ^.^)

"Oriota," Ladybird repeated, getting a feel for the way it rolled off her tongue. "I am very sorry to hear that. I cannot begin to understand how that must feel for you. Did something happen or you decided to take off and explore the world on your own?"

Her eyes were caught by the moving antennas, momentarily entranced and fascinated by them. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Ladybird and this," she raised her right arm, "is Fern my familiar. Don't mind him though, he's a bit grumpy but otherwise harmless. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[Anonymous]

Those mobile antenna of hers drooped for a moment.  "There used to be lots of us around La'marri every spring.  Less and less showed up every year.  Then, none."  She let out a surprisingly human sounding sigh after that, then seemed to perk back up.  "I am Ksarth'aja.  It is indeed a pleasure, many seem to think I'm going to eat them, and don't stay to chat for long."

[GoblinFae]

The botanist giggled nervously. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth for a moment and collect herself before speaking again. "Forgive me, but I can understand why. Humans are not used to having creatures bigger than them. The rare occassions where we do run into such things usually means our deaths. Although," Ladybird eyed Ksarth'aja up and down, "I'll bet that you could easily outrun me in any footrace. You seem far more suited for this envirnoment than I am."

Ladybird sat down on a small boulder and pulled knees up into her chest. "You said you were exploring. Is La'marri your home then? Fern and I are visitors here ourselves. The interest of some new exotic plants brought us here you see. I own a flowershop in Featherfall."

[Anonymous]

Ksarth'aja chittered in amusement again.  "In a short race, yes.  I'm not so great with long distances."  She carefully pulled off her cloak, keeping her clawed, scythe-like forearms tucked close to her body while she carefully folded the fabric with her other set, and laid it on the ground next to her.  "I was hatched around La'marri, yes.  I have several little dens in the area, but it gets boring always seeing the same scenery after a while.  I like to explore."

[GoblinFae]

"I could understand the boredom I think. Although I admit that I rather enjoy my home roots as it were. I begin to really miss home the longer I am away from it. If it weren't for my passion I would probably never travel."

Ladybird smiled and rested her head on her knees. "You must have seen some interesting things in your travels. Would you mind sharing? I seem to always have my head stuck in a book or a plant and often miss having adventures."

[Anonymous]

"I met a dragon once.  She tried to eat me, and almost succeeded."  She clicked her mandibles together, chittering in amusement at the memories.  "After I outwitted her in the chase, we became good friends, though I haven't seen her in a while."

((OOC:  holy jeebus, i am sorry about the wait.))

[GoblinFae]

Ladybird's eyes widened in amazement. "A dragon!" For a moment she stared at Ksarth'aja, speechless. "I've never seen a dragon before. I wasn't even sure they exist. What did she look like? How did you outwit her? When was the last time you saw her? Wheredid you meet her?"

The young woman fired off a series of questions in her excitement. Her hands clapped together like that of a child as she leaned in to hear more. 'Can you believe it Fern? A dragon!'
"Juss imagine the ssize of its. Big enoughs to eats that. Muss be huge!"
'I would love to meet a dragon!'
"It would eats yous!"
'Oh Fern,' she sighed rubbing her hand across his scales again.