FSE

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Senan hangs suspended from slime and other bindings, dangling over a dark hole in a dark chamber. The clicks of clawed feet upon stone echo throughout the room as the older man opens his eyes, grumbling at the sight of the pink-scaled lizard standing before him.

She holds a large book in her hand and makes a show of licking her fingers before she turns the page. When she speaks, it is subtly broken but passable language.

"You not like normal gnome," she comments, pressing a clawed finger to her book. "You fair folk of different kind, yes?"

"As are you, I'd wager," Senan responds in that same language, his voice far more melodious than the harsh grumblings he shares in the trade tongue.

"Maybe somewhere in the family tree," the wizard admits, "but that was so long ago, it no matter, yes? What matter is you broke Tik Tik's tower, but why?"

"I had to get your attention somehow. You spell-slinging types usually aren't all that interested in hearing the plights of the normal folk."

She flicks her wrist, and his short sword unsheathes itself and flies through the air, landing upon her palm. "You came here ready to fight. This magic sword. Old magic. Could hurt, but not good enough beat Tik Tik on its own."

He shifts in his bindings. "I expected a fight but didn't expect it to be with you."

"Then, what were you expecting?"

"I want my shoes back."

Tik Tik chirps, clicking her tongue.

"Ah, I don't mean shoes that I would wear. I'm talking about the shoes that I made for a," he hesitates, thinking of the appropriate word in the tongue of the forest folk. What he chose approximates the common term for "friend." Still, with much subtler nuance than the term could ever convey, based on how one says it and the hesitation and inflection with which they say it.

Just learning the language, Tik Tik can only partially sure of the intention, but she smiles at the ambiguity. "Well, be this friend a hobgoblin?" she asks.

"Aye, that she is."

"Tik Tik caught girl spying," the kobold says, swinging the sword. It sings as the blade cuts the air. She snaps her fingers and whistles, playing with the blade more before a green ooze emerges from the doorway.

"You called Miss Tik?"

"Pick up magic shoes and bring them," she says.

"Right away," the slime girl responds, slurping back into the hall.

"You have me captured, and you'd give back what I came for?" Senan asks.

Tik Tik approaches the suspended man, golden light appearing at her footfalls when she steps over the pit. She delicately lifts the sword and lines it up to the sheathe, staring at him directly as she slowly inserts the thin blade back where it belongs. "Tik Tik like learn things. Leprechaun is interesting, and Tik Tik rather make new friend than fight."

"I don't know if I like the tone of your voice, lass, or if your intentions are so pure."

Tik Tik giggles, fluttering her big blue eyes. "Oh, Tik Tik not pure, not one bit. Let's share!" With that, she claps her hands, and the bonds that hold Senan dissolve into nothingness. The leprechaun falls, yelping loud enough to echo through the room before he lands upon the golden light over the hole.

"Trust Tik Tik not hurt friend though," she says, holding a hand out.

Senan stands and taps the toe of his boot on the luminescent ground. "Don't feel hurt if I don't trust you immediately. After all, you're the first to call me a leprechaun in a long time."

"Funny," Tik Tik says, stepping back. The slime girl returns with the pair of spying soles and deposits them in Tik Tik's hand with a glorping squish. "Because Robin say these leprechaun made."

He freezes, his gaze going from those shoes to his host. He reaches into his pouch and pulls out his pipe. "Oh, of course, she'd fuckin' spill the secret," he mumbles back in his common speech.

"So," Tik Tik says, bouncing on her toes, holding the heels of the shoes between her fingers, dangling the pair in front of Senan. "You make these, and the footwraps that let spy on me? Outstanding work. Tik Tik wonder how you measured well enough."

"It's a flexible material, and I didn't need to measure."

"These fit perfectly on hers. You measure hers?"

"It's my job."

"Is it something more?"

He puffs his pipe and steps past her off the floating nothingness and back onto solid ground. "This isn't a place to say."

"You have kink, Mr. Leprechaun."

"Call me Shorty," he says, puffing out some smoke. "Everyone does. "And no. No, I don't. I can just tell a lot from someone by how they handle their walkers, is all."

The slime forms into a small stool, and Tik Tik kicks her leg up, resting her heel upon her subordinate and leaning forward, hand on her toes. "What can tell about Tik Tik?"

"Are you going to pay me to make you some shoes?"

"Keeping you alive not payment? Dropping charges not payment? Not forcing pay for damages to wall not payment?"

"I get your message, but you're supposed to start with the least harsh one. Now, let me see."

The slime morphs an additional appendage to make a small seat for him. Shorty climbs onto it, bouncing slightly to test the firmness. Quite firm, surprisingly. He unclasps the kobold's buttons, unwrapping the leather wraps and placing them neatly aside.

"Different creatures have different methods of movement," he says, pressing his thumbs to the balls of the kobold's foot.

Tik Tik squeals.

"Don't be cute with me, lass. I know these aren't as sensitive as you let on."

"Hey! Tik Tik clean all the time!"

"It's not about being clean. It's about the wear you put on your body and the defenses it puts up. See here." He says, poking her with the hot end of his pipe just quickly. "You've developed a thick outer layer from all your working and traveling. This life locked away in a tower isn't for you. Yet, here you are, causing trouble for the people living in and around Anteronia.

"You'd rather Tik Tik stay away."

"I'd rather you help people if you want to be friends with them."

Tik Tik smirks.