interplanar studies | Glowfic Constellation

Maybe we'll reinvent the subtle arts here, too.

subtly_artistic

Maybe. For the one and only subtle artist.

You don't expect anyone else will turn up with inherent ability? Or that children of yours would, should you ever choose to have children?

subtly_artistic

It's not strongly heritable, I could easily have a bunch of kids who didn't have it, neither of my parents does, closest relative who did was a maternal great-aunt. I guess it's possible that someone else could just be born with it here, but if it hasn't happened yet and the Valar don't decide it's the next big thing...

Fair enough. Whereas wizardry doesn't require some rare innate ability?

subtly_artistic

You have to be pretty smart for any of it to make sense, a bunch of people in my high school just flunked the first test for that class and took home economics or something instead, it's not even like math where you can compensate a little if you beat your head against it long enough. But anyone at home can do it. I'm not sure why it wouldn't have been discovered here, although come to think of it I guess maybe sorcerers came first at home, they do the same thing but innately and they supposedly have dragon ancestors which nobody here would have? So maybe it hasn't been invented because there aren't sorcerers to copy.

And we don't have writing, would it be hard to learn without that?

subtly_artistic

Yyyyeah, it would, I think there are ways to do it without but they're really weird and obscure...

So we'd probably have invented it after writing, he says, but we've only just arrived in Valinor and were busy with songs and dances and building things, and now we'll have a head start.

subtly_artistic

Yeah.

They can wander through Tirion until the lights change, if they're so inclined.

subtly_artistic

At that point she wanders houseplotward and sticks her head in her bag.

Good lack of night, she says.

He laughs. I'll be at the palace. Though really we should trade, since I won't notice.

subtly_artistic

I figure when I wake up I will deal with this ridiculous heap of presents and get started on making there be a house here.

Very wise!

subtly_artistic

Thank you. Later.

And she tips over and goes to sleep.

In the morning the pile of presents is extravagant indeed, and the streets are full of even more dancing and singing people than usual.

subtly_artistic

Maybe it's a holiday?

Bella starts dismantling her present pile.

Tinted glasses! Three sets! Porcelain plates, food of various varieties, bulbs presumably for flowers, more hair adornments, more jewelry, more clothing, two pairs of shoes.

subtly_artistic

Glasses! Huzzah! She tries them all on and leaves her favorites perched on her nose. She rebraids her hair and readorns it. She... can't really do anything with the shoes if she wants to walk in them. She will have to find out if regifting is acceptable. She decides she's okay changing into new clothes, though, lack of walls notwithstanding - nobody cares, she's a level-headed cosmopolitan sort of human - and puts on some jewelry too.

And then she goes on an architectural tour of Tirion.

Houses that are built entirely around elaborate water features, with cascading waterfall-walls! Houses in sombre stone, houses that seem to have grown out of the ground, glittering crystal palaces, houses that are plated with gold, houses that are built into the ground. People are being fairly creative.

subtly_artistic

Hmmm. Getting a sense of how elaborate it is in vogue to be Bella might want a mosaic facade, where can she find mosaics to compliment?

She sends someone a mental picture and gets whisked around to see a dozen. No mosaic facades, but doorsteps and rooftops.

subtly_artistic

Eee.

She might design her own floorplan to make it easily navigable, but she's picking up all kinds of aesthetic ideas! She dispenses compliments as her tour guide instructed.