Mm.

Part of what's going on here is that I don't actually very much mind being scared? Like, it's not my favorite thing, but I also don't do a whole lot to avoid it, when there's a reason to do whatever scary thing.

You seem to be less functional afterwards.

For a while, yeah. I bounce back okay, though, and I think I'm more functional overall than I would be if I tried to avoid it, not that that's the main thing I even care about with that.

As long as it works for you.

Mmhmm.

The thing to know with that is... I mentioned I stayed with the tigerfolk for a summer when I was a kid? That wasn't, uh, people who thought I was a person. They thought I was an animal and they didn't take it well when I acted like I wasn't. And, yeah, it was only a season, but I was only a kid, and it was the first time I'd been in a situation even a little bit like that - I was used to the group consensus around me being, y'know, safe, and I didn't really have an idea yet of how to ignore it or even notice when it wasn't. So that really messed me up, and one of the things it messed me up about was thinking I wasn't allowed to have emotions, or act on them, and another thing it messed me up about was thinking that I wasn't allowed to have goals or act on them. When I got out and got better I had to basically re-learn that, and I probably overshot a little, but I'm fine with that - I'd rather be like this than be more like that.

I can imagine. You have quite ambitious goals at the moment. They span three worlds, if I recall.

She chuckles. That is not even slightly my fault.

When you saw me you decided to grab me and leave. And to find my world again to contact my people.

That, okay, but anybody would have done that in my position.

That does not seem to lessen the good it achieved or the pride you should take in it.

...true. She giggles, just a little, and sits up, smoothing the blanket out underneath her.

He relaxes considerably.

This is the part where if she hadn't already she'd go snuggle with the comforting person. She really needs a different impulse at this juncture. She goes and sits near him, anyway.

So, how'd it go with your siblings? It seemed pretty good but I wasn't getting a whole lot of detail.

We're going to be able to communicate functionally about everything important. 

...okay. Sounds good.

I think I love them but I need space to work that out. The Enemy tried using it to hurt us.

Nod. Did you get any idea of what their priorities are going to be - food, weapons, whatever?

The Sun's new and should let them grow things. The Enemy hasn't attacked them. They may want mobility - if you can open portals from here to other places on the continent -

Sure, assuming they can either get me there or give me enough of the right kind of details.

I bet we can get it by the process that found us the coastline. They have surveyors and things. They'll also want portals to the sites of their mines and quarries.

Nod. That aiming method isn't very good if there are several places that are similar, but it's a good first thing to try at least. Portals to work sites should be straightforward.

Could you find, say, 'a stone quarry' or 'an iron mine' without anything else to aim for?

Maybe. I haven't seen either of those things before, I'd have to know more about what they're like.

So he sends, and explains, and describes, mining and quarrying.

Kobolds really do not do metalworking at all. He has to start from 'iron comes from rocks'.

I'll need to see what iron ore and the other rocks you want look like to my mage-sense, and there's a pretty good chance that that kind of spell would also get caves that are near them sometimes unless I can use 'has people around' as a factor, but I should be able to do that.