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Akibel Mowar is on his way home from the blacksmith's when he spots it. People are shrieking and fleeing from it, which seems reasonable, as it's a fuckoff huge snake with a mirror for a face. A big mirror.
Kib can't so much flee. He can shriek - he can lurch in the direction of the nearest house and try the door - it's locked. He can amble briskly...
He can break into a run when the snake gains on him and fall flat on his face.
And he can get eaten up.
And it's too bright too bright too bright and he flings his arm over his eyes.
secondchance
It is in fact extremely bright; it's Laurelin's peak and those of Tirion's citizens who sleep every day are sleeping. And those of Tirion's citizens who have trouble understanding that the Ages of Arda aren't about to run out, and who accordingly sleep perhaps twice a week, are up writing speeches and tea invitations and reading about chemistry.
secondchance
Kib sits up slowly. He can't really see yet but this doesn't feel or sound like the inside of a snake.
"Ow," he says, because while he seems unchewed he did recently fall over and his nose is bleeding.
No one saw him fall; Tirion's insomniacs are a minority. A few people do see him on the ground. "Are you all right?" someone says courteously; he might be a Maia who is trying physical forms for the first time or something because his is not a very good Elf but it's reasonably close.
secondchance
"...Say it again in the common?" Kib asks, squinting a little through his fingers in the light.
And there aren't many of the Maiar who would try an Elf form before learning Quenya, but - Are you all right?
She bows slightly and goes and gets him some water, that sounded vaguely like a thirsty distressed noise? Maybe?
secondchance
He blinks at the water. "I'm not thirsty I'm confused - do you not speak the common, am I on the Faraway or something? Why is it so damn bright? Were you talking in my head or do I have a concussion or what...?"
Are you all right? Do you want to come inside somewhere? It's hot out...
What an odd question, it's parsing sort of as 'do you possess a scary and persistent and surprising capacity for reading people' but also as 'do you have osanwë' which is an absurd thing to ask over osanwë and -
Not more than you, presumably? seems like the only answer that sort of addresses both senses of the word?
Not more than you, presumably? seems like the only answer that sort of addresses both senses of the word?
secondchance
Believe me I am completely taken aback and displeased about discovering that anyone is telepathic!
Oh. Well. All people are telepathic. Have you not met people before?
secondchance
I think I'm lost, really really lost. Is there a way to - make sure you only get what I want to say, or something -
You should keep thoughts private if you wouldn't want people hearing them.
secondchance
I don't know how to do that because none of the people I have ever met before and there have been some were telepathic how do I do that please.
I've, ah, never taught it, I don't have kids - I expect someone's written it down, or we could ask people -
secondchance
I'm not going to be able to read your language, I only know the common, but I would like to learn this skill immediately if at all possible.
So she walks across the street to someone who is lying out in the sunlight drawing and says 'do you know how to teach the osanwë distinction to this very confused man I have just met who either doesn't remember it or doesn't know it?" and the person who's been drawing in the sunlight comes over and explains.
secondchance
Okay that's - straightforward, sort of. No obvious analogy comes to mind, maybe he can just do it by brute force, thoughts are private thoughts are private unless he damn well says so. Or he'll make something up, if it needs to hang on a metaphor.
Am I still leaking?
Am I still leaking?
Not things that are word-like, but emotions and mental images, yes.
secondchance
Fuck. Um.
Well, he decided he trusted all his co-prentices not to read his notebooks but if he hadn't he'd have had to make up a cipher? But he doesn't actually have one, it won't be natural to think in it.
He could put private thoughts in Harthanic.
Except he doesn't speak Harthanic he just had a really vivid dream that he could. That she could, rather.
...He will make public thoughts out of shines and private ones out of shades? He tries that, licks blood off his lip and meditates on it for a minute, then: Now?
Well, he decided he trusted all his co-prentices not to read his notebooks but if he hadn't he'd have had to make up a cipher? But he doesn't actually have one, it won't be natural to think in it.
He could put private thoughts in Harthanic.
Except he doesn't speak Harthanic he just had a really vivid dream that he could. That she could, rather.
...He will make public thoughts out of shines and private ones out of shades? He tries that, licks blood off his lip and meditates on it for a minute, then: Now?
Seem fine to me! Practice every day for a few months and it'll be a habit.
secondchance
If I practice several times a day will it come faster? Shines and shades and shines and shades and shines and shades.
Yes, I'd expect so.