“Alright, Percy. You can come out now,” Runella calls through the door as I step outside of the storage room yet again — it feels like this is starting to become a recurring theme.

As I shut the door behind me, I see Apple still seated in the same chair as before, Runella sitting next to her. Her eyes are red, but she’s smiling — I can’t help but feel just a twinge of jealousy that I didn’t get to be the one to comfort her, but I understand my place at the moment and I respect it.

“Everything alright?” I casually inquire, not wanting her to feel awkward or on edge.

“We’re good,” Runella answers, “right, Apple?” She smiles at Apple who grins in turn, and gives a gentle but excited nod.

“Well I don’t know what happened in here while I was gone, but I’m just happy everyone seems to be feeling better,” I glance to Apple as I speak delicately, “Whatever was on your mind, I hope you were able to get it all out.”

She seems far more at ease than she was before, evidenced by the big, cheeky grin on her face as she tilts her head up in the air and replies in a sweet, contented voice, “All better!” She glances over to Runella and then back at me before continuing, “T-thank you all for being so kind to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve it,” she blushes as she looks down, fidgeting a bit as she restlessly rubs her feet together, “I can’t say that I feel totally safe or relaxed, a-and it’s nothing you two have done, I-I promise! But I— I’m trying really hard to come out of defensive mode and not jump to conclusions, I swear I am…”

I give her an understanding nod as I casually chat, “Of course — I wouldn’t expect you to be totally fine after just a few hours here. You just do whatever makes you feel safe and comfortable. Till then, I’m happy to keep chatting, or if you just wanna stop and rest for a while, that’s okay too.”

I feel my heart swell as I see her smile, almost beginning to tear up a little bit. I don’t know what it is, but I must have struck close to home for her in some way.

“I— t-thank you, Mister— er, Percy,” she blushes as she nervously grins, “Sorry — I’m trying to sound less formal.”

I giggle, “It doesn’t make a difference to me — you just talk however you feel most comfortable,” I put my hands together on the table as I look over at her softly. I suddenly feel even more draw to her than before, and for the very first time, something happens — we lock eyes, staring back at each other. Not with fear, tension, or anxiety, but in a way that’s just… comfortable.

It feels like it lasts an eternity as I stare intensely into her deep, shimmering, sapphire-blue eyes, and she grows a small, delicate, gentle smile as she looks back at me. It feels like I’m looking out at the furthest horizon where the sky meets the sea on a perfect day at a quiet beach, the shades of blue merging together spectacularly into a beautiful show of swimming colors and lights. And I never want it to end.

But nevertheless, our gaze is finally broken by Runella’s voice, “So Apple, if you don’t mind me asking,” she sits up and rests her arms on the table as she looks to Apple, “do you have a place to go back to after this… or are you all on your own?”

Apple’s expression falls a bit as she looks down at the table, linking her hands together as she thinks of what to say, “I—“ she anxiously fidgets around with her fingers and takes a couple quick glances around the room before she continues, “No. I don’t,” she glances up at us with an apologetic look on her face, “I was just going to lie and say that I did because I didn’t want to be any extra trouble for you guys…” she leans forward on the table as she stares off, crossing her arms and resting her head atop them, “But no, I don’t have a home. I had a… place… kind of… but it was no home…”

As she says that, I watch as she kind of shrinks down in her seat, her eyes staring blankly into nothingness as she becomes lost in her thoughts. Finally, she shakes her head a little bit and sits back up, “It’s not a place I can go back to, at any rate. So yeah, I’m on my own.”

Me and Runella exchange a puzzled glance as she speaks before Runella finally breaks the tension, “Well, if you want to, I was talking to Percy over there and he said he’d be willing to try and find a room for you in his house, just for now until you can get your feet on the ground. Would you be interested in that?”

Her eyes go wide as she trembles ever so slightly, just enough to be barely noticeable, “I— um—“ her tone becomes more frantic as she stumbles over her words, “It’s— I— I don’t know—“ I see her legs begin bouncing as she nervously begins chewing on her nails, “It— it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, really! I just— I just don’t know if I’d— if I—“

As I watch, it’s immediately apparent that something’s set her off — I have to find some way to nip it in the bud before she begins to spiral! Thinking fast, I take a few steps closer as slowly and carefully kneel down to be at her, quietly reaching out a hand, “Hey hey hey, it’s alright. It was just a suggestion; you’re your own person, you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

She pulls her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them as she screws her eyes shut and replies in a high-pitched, desperate voice, “B-but I don’t want you to think I’m selfish— o-or that I don’t appreciate the things you do— I-I promise I do! I promise I appreciate it!”

“Whoa, hey—“ I gently put my hands up as I try to calm her, “I know you appreciate it, but it’s okay to say no if you don’t want to. That’s why it’s an offer, not a demand. We don’t have the right to demand anything of you.”

After a beat, she slowly looks up at me, a bit teary-eyed, “Y-you don’t…?”

I look at her puzzledly as I lower my hands and respond, “No…? Of course not. You’re an adult, nobody has any authority over you.”

She wipes her tears and looks back at me, equally confused, “You— you’re so different than… than the other man that I know— human man, anyway…” her voice is meek and quiet, as though she doesn’t want to be overheard by anyone.

Intrigued but not wanting to pry, I consider my response for a moment before saying a bit awkwardly, “Oh— well, I-I’m sorry you if had to deal with anyone unpleasant. I promise not all humans are like that,” I try my best to reassure her but I don’t want to give her a false sense of security either, so I continue, “Although a lot of people are ignorant and only know what they’ve always been told about kobolds, so I’d still be careful since you never know who’s gonna lump you in with the thieves and raiders that we have to deal with sometimes.”

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She looks around for a moment as she thinks, “Yeah… just like humans, there are some bad kobolds too. I’m sorry if they’ve caused you any trouble.”

I smile down at her as I casually wave it off, “Eh, it isn’t your fault! And I’m also sorry if any humans have tried to harass you just for being a kobold. The only experience that a lot of people have with them is, um—“ my eyes dart around a little nervously as I think of how often I’ve seen kobolds killed in the street without a second thought. Sure, most of them were raiders, but I’m still hit hard by the realization of just how subhuman people seem to see them as, “A lot of people only ever really see them when they try to sneak in to steal things and cause trouble, so that’s their entire image of the species. It’s ignorant and archaic and it certainly doesn’t excuse the bigotry, but I guess it’s hard to change the views you were raised with if they never get challenged through your entire life.”

My eyes go a little wide as I remember one other thing I forgot to mention — the slaves. A lot of captured raiders are sold as slaves to the rich, arrogant landowners and out-of-touch aristocrats who can afford them.

I find it almost funny how hypocritical they are — they try to justify forced labor and horrible crimes by saying that kobolds are all violent and dangerous, and yet nobody bats an eye when they see slave drivers carting these people through the streets and cracking their backs with whips until they break.

I don’t want to bring it up because I don’t want to scare her more if she doesn’t already know, but it makes me start to wonder something. Given how scarred and traumatized she seems to be… was she a slave? But if that’s so, then why have I never seen her out and about doing work on the streets? Everything about this girl just seems to bring up more and more questions.

“I-it’s okay…” she looks down dejectedly, “It’s not your fault. And if they think we’re going to do bad things, I guess I can’t blame them for not liking us,” she sighs just a bit as her face drops, saddened by the whole idea of the situation.

“Well no—“ I chime in, “It’s not okay. Just because it’s what they’ve been told doesn’t mean it justifies harassing and attacking people who haven’t done anything wrong!” I stand up forcefully and throw my hands into the air as I speak. The whole situation makes my blood boil every time I think about it, “It’s not right!”

I catch myself as I notice my voice starting to raise and I see Runella lowering her hand at me, gesturing to quiet down. At this point Apple has narrowed her eyes and lowered her head as she brings her hands up toward her ears before letting out a few timid words, “P-please don’t yell…”

My eyes go wide as I grit my teeth and tense up, kneeling down to meet her level, “Oh, god— I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to! And I swear it didn’t have anything to do with you!” I hastily try to ease her stress, and I watch as she gradually begins to sit up straight again.

“I-it’s okay— I know you weren’t mad at me. I just… I just don’t like yelling,” she gives a faint smile as she looks at me with nervous but understanding eyes.

“So, um— if you don’t mind me asking,” Apple starts again, “you said that a lot of humans have only ever seen kobolds when they’re doing bad things. But if that’s so, then why are you being so nice to me?”

Immediately, memories of my childhood flash in my head. My parents used to work as sellswords and went out on a lot on expeditions to far places before they were killed on one particularly nasty journey a few years ago. From that traveling, they learned a lot about the world that they passed on to me. Among those things was the belief that regardless of race or species, any creature that can think and speak is a person with their own life and their own identity, and they should be treated as such.

“Oh— well, it’s kind of a funny story, actually. Well, I guess it’s not funny, it involves people dying, but it is interesting.”

She chuckles a little bit before catching herself as she frantically begins apologizing, “Oh my god, I’m sorry!” she waves her hands back in forth, “I— I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t laughing at what you said, it was just the way you—“

She’s cut off by the sound of me laughing blithely before looking down at her with a reassuring smile, “It’s okay— I was trying to be funny.”

“Oh…” she awkwardly rubs a hand on the back of her head, her face turning just a teensy bit pink as she fails to hide the grin creeping across her face.

Finally feeling like things have loosened up enough, I slowly and deliberately take a seat at the table that she and Runella sit at and I carefully lay my arms on the table, trying everything I can to come off as friendly and unthreatening, “But yeah — it was actually my parents who are the reason. They used to work as mercenaries before they passed and they went on a lot of expeditions to different parts of the world. Whenever they came back they’d always bring me some little trinket they picked up while they were gone, and they’d tell me stories of the places they say and the people they might while they weren’t at battle.”

“Oh, really?” Apple leans further across the table with excitement and curiosity, “I— I’ve always wanted to learn more about the world! I’ve really never been more than a few miles away from the place where I grew up — and don’t get me wrong, the forest is lovely — but I’ve always wondered what else was out there,” her tone shifts to be slightly more sentimental and contrite as she remarks, “I-I’m sorry for your loss though. They sound like they were wonderful parents.”

I do my best to keep up a casual and cheerful demeanor for her, although in truth thinking about my parents still never fails to hurt like a punch in the gut, “Eh, it’s alright. It was a few years ago anyway, and they went out doing what they loved. I knew that there was a possibility it could happen, and they always did their best to prepare me in case it finally did.”

“Well I’m glad you seem to be doing okay, Mister Percy,” her thoughts seem to drift as she nervously twiddles her fingers. Bashfully, she looks down at the table, and then with a twinge of excitement she glares back up at me, “If its okay… do you remember any of the stories? I’d love to hear them…”

As the moment unfolds, Runella stands up and stretches her arms, “Hey Apple,” she glances down, “I just remembered I’ve got a few plants that I still haven’t watered today, is it alright if I step out for just a minute while you two talk?” To anyone who knows her, it’s obvious what Runella is getting at, but before I do anything I wait to see Apple’s reaction.

“Oh!” Apple fidgets a bit — she’s clearly a bit apprehensive about the idea, but after a moment of contemplation she softly smiles up at Runella, “I— I think I’ll be okay for a few minutes. Go take care of your plants.”

I turn back to Runella as she begins to open the back door, and gratefully beaming, I mouth the words, “Thank you…”

She looks back at me very briefly, and in the half-second before she shuts the door behind her, I catch a sly wink and a smile upon her face. As I hear the door click, I turn back to Apple who waits in her seat a bit anxiously yet eager to hear whatever stories I have to tell. After a beat, she takes a deep breath and begins to speak.

“So— um— about the stories that your parents told you…” her voice bounces with anticipation and eagerness.

“Yeah? I’m happy to tell you as many as I can remember. They went just about everywhere, so just let me know what you wanna hear about first!”

“Well why don’t we start with your favorite first?” She clasps her hands together and pulls them in front of her chest as she looks me in the eyes expectantly. I feel my heart swelling just to see how much she’s opened up in these few short hours. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside as I speak to her, feeling so infinitely grateful that even in spite of her past traumas, she’s willing to sit here with me and share stories for whatever few minutes we have. As we talk and we laugh and we smile, a thought crosses my mind for the first time since I met her. As I put on my best entertainer act and regale her with these tales of action, danger, romance, and adventure, I start to think… maybe… just maybe… I might have a chance.