Yes, that's what Fëanáro said. Um, there's a concept in my world of 'introverts' and 'extroverts' and introverts really don't do well if they have to be accompanied all the time. I'm an introvert, mostly, myself, and I would have... probably wound up outright hating my parents if they would have never left me alone.

I'll suggest it, Rúmil says wearily.

And my world's seriously dangerous, too, I don't mean to discount how worried he'll feel about it, but I had my own room in each house with a door I could close behind me, and notebooks they promised not to read.

The palace has no shortage of rooms, at least. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Are you still nervous about the Valar? Because we should really introduce you to Lórien.

I am still nervous about the Valar but if it's important to introduce me to Lórien now and not later I can probably do that without it being too terrible.

It's polite, since we're in his home.

Okay. Um, what do I do? I was totally guessing the time I met Aulë, just sort of trying to follow my tour guide's lead.

There aren't really rules. Obviously you want to be respectful in their presence, and some people find 'be respectful' hard and confusing and much prefer to have an established social rule about what precisely you should do and say, so they're debating one and trying to get everyone settled, but it hasn't been settled yet.

Who's debating it, the people who want rules or the Valar?

The people who want rules, I don't think the Valar have an opinion at all.

Okay. Um, I'll try to imagine I'm meeting a benign noble dragon or something, that may be the closest approximation.

Good idea, Rúmil says encouragingly. It's this way.

...Do you think we can get my boots off Miriel without waking her up? I don't walk very well without them.

Yes, definitely, says one of her attendants, and extracts and removes the boots.

And Bella puts them on and follows the others.

After they've walked for a while, the air starts to feel different again, and her skin starts to prickle.

Brr. Okay. Friendly noble dragon. That copper in the swamplands maybe, she's supposed to be nice, not like Embries, friendly noble dragon.

And the world bends around them to produce the figure of a smiling, rather serious, rather frail man. Lórien.

Just to be really safe she drops to her knees like with Aulë.

You are not one of the Eldar, child.

I'm, um, I'm a human.

Valinor is not paced for the needs of Men. I would suggest you reside in their civilizations instead, but Men are yet unborn on this world, and cannot live under starlight like the Eldar can. And you've found safety here, and desire to heal the great hurt that taints Valinor; that is good.

Um, thank you, she says, without trying to educate the Vala on gender neutral terminology or cosmopolitan living arrangements even slightly because no.