Two Worlds (Olive)

"Oh, there are many tribes. Many of us who are similar to me in most ways." He didn't quite know what to make of her leaning in closer to him. But the way she looked and acted, he couldn't quite place it, but he was drawn to her more and more. Though she seemed to cling to the stick she had next to her. Nothing he'd ever seen before. "You carry that around with you. What do you use it for?"

Dhaya had heard of something similar, of an old tribe using poisons of sorts. "Oh." He huddled his coils closer to him, his mind swimming. "I assume that might include an individual who happened to fall on top of you, right?" He had to think of something, and fast. "While I wouldn't blame you, might I ask to show you something to make up for it? I'd hate for this to end in such a way."

Dhaya leaned closer. "Now, don't be alarmed, this is something you've probably never seen before. If you would," he paused, finding himself a couple of feet from her face, flashing three rounds of colors into her eyes. Purple, blue, gold, orange, green passed through before he blinked them to normal, hoping the small dose might give her a pleasant, relaxed feeling if just for a little while. "I hope that wasn't too long, I haven't used this very much."

Dhaya exhaled, a sweet grin growing, speaking calmly. "Much like your trinket there, I use these to comfort and relax things. My tribe doesn't quite understand when I use it on the victims that I hunt." He caught himself, waving his hands in the air in front of him nervously. "Of course I wouldn't hunt you by any means, or view you as a victim." He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I like to end things rather peacefully with everyone I meet. I would show you more, but I wouldn't want to impose, seeing as it does render someone defenseless the longer I use it." She could feel his tail twitch the more nervous he became, twiddling his thumbs as he looked over his shoulders and back to her.

Her laugh was a start to calm him down, and he sighed in relief when she said she was comfortable. He opened his mouth to speak, only to tense differently once more as she patted his tail. Clearing his throat again, he passed it off to answer her question.

"To tell you the truth, Liz.... I don't exactly fit in with my tribe. There's some things about me that don't appeal to the general public." His eyes were on her hand as she patted his tail, and he dared to curl the tip of it into her palm, tracing it lightly. "You're looking at the largest tail of the tribe."

"Well, some might think that. But in my tribe we have a thing about balance. A physically fit tail means an upper human half to match.... and believe it or not this," he pointed to his upper half, "doesn't match this. So, I find myself here, alone not worrying about the difference between others, passing the time. I could say I'm lucky to... bump into you. I must be the first to wander from my camp and find more than my tribe dreamed to find."

The tail curled in her grasp, passing along the back of her hand and then hugged her wrist with an additional loop of scales. "Speaking of alone... you seem to be away from your people. Is that by choice, too?"

"Then it seems we have something in common already." His smile returned, and seeing her visible shiver only peaked his interest. "You know, this may sound rather forward of me to ask, Liz, but do you have anywhere to stay tonight? Perhaps a camp not far from here. I only ask because if you didn't I'd offer a place to rest for a night or so, if you weren't in a rush to get anywhere. It's the least I could do for.... falling on you. And it's a place I made for myself to get away. And there is enough space if you still want your time to yourself." He could feel the growing goosebumps along her arm, gently squeezing her wrist, twisting a little playfully. He'd usually have to fully put an animal under for them to comply, but he had barely given her a dose and she was curious of him.