Working nonstop on the portals, but when Kib mentions needing a minute things reshuffle and Maitimo finds one. Yes?

Got a very tentative guess about how you might find yourself stabbing people.

Go.

So Kib relates the contents of the exchange about it with Findekáno.

He raises an eyebrow. Nods. Yes, that'd do it. And might if the circumstances were constrained enough be the best thing to do, even. I need to talk to my father.

Possibly your mother too. She's been dreaming your father sets your youngest brother on fire. I haven't seen that nor do I have a guess about how or why, but I do have a scene right after everything's all dark in which he's conspicuously missing. Unconstrain. The. Circumstances.

Trust me, I am planning on it. I can talk to him today. Do you have anything beyond 'this is one scenario by which I end up a mass murderer'.

Lots, in frustrating patches. Kib lays out the whole timeline of notes and its accessory comments, though visuals he will save until they're requested.

They aren't, not immediately. Maitimo looks at the mess and frowns. Okay. I think that's sufficiently puzzle-like to at least interest him.

That angle hadn't occurred to me and should have.

He's also likelier to be able to guess what the shiny rocks are and how they'd come to be his and possibly what they can do.

They had fucking better do something other than be shiny, this is already unbelievably out of control and if it is over shiny rocks that do nothing I will scream.

Want to come talk to him with me?

If you don't think I'd get in the way.

I do not. He tends to ignore me if you're in the room, actually, have you noticed, but on this I don't think he will. He starts walking.

Kib follows. I don't track people's attention like that.

My father only pays attention to the most interesting person in the room. He loves me but rarely finds me that.

I think you're interesting.

I am glad to hear it. He thinks when he's charitable that I could be interesting if I put my potential to better use.

Maybe you'll get a boost when you're applying yourself to my world and the politics goes farther.

Maybe? Part of the problem is that well-done politics looks like no politics.

Elaborate?

If Tirion were constantly in paroxysms over which of two competing approaches would win, and then my father's preferred approach always won because of me, I think he'd be impressed. But instead, all approaches that end up getting seriously debated are ones that I approve of, and I tend to smooth out the paroxysms, and so politics just looks like people talking about perfectly reasonable disagreements.

Little too subtle for him given he doesn't start with an appreciation for the subject?

Exactly.