"Don't be scared," Lindë says. "Everything good."

Imrainai looks doubtful of this claim.

"I don't have words but - if they come then everything good. If they no come, Quendi go find them so no one scared 97816 lost. Everything good."

She nods, although she doesn't look very convinced by this. "Many things are very bad. But - thank you."

"Things only bad because masters, Valar not know them. Know now, work everything good."

Yeah, she doesn't understand that at all.

She'll just wait for the master (leader, leader, she really has to correct that at some point) of this planet to come and try not to think about how important this person is and hope that they succeed at getting more words from her.

He shows up a short while after that. He is tall and energetic and extravagantly dressed and beams at her when he sees her. "Hi! I am Fëanáro. I got the words you said while I flying, so you not need say things two. When I say things that no Liar say, can you say me the right words?"

She nods. She looks overwhelmed but willing to help. "My Liars would say 'I got the words you said while I was flying, so you don't need to say things twice. When I say things that no Liar says, can you tell me the right words?' It's slightly awkward but correct then."

Noooot thinking about importance, not thinking about this at all.

"How say good help, glad of the help..."

"Thank you for helping. Is what I'd say. 'Thank you so much for helping', if you're very happy."

"Thank you so much for helping! Thank you so much much for helping? Or thank you so so much for helping. If you're so much happy."

She laughs. "'So so much' is better. It's understandable but informal. You wouldn't use it with important people. But I'm not important, so it's fine."

"Important? Informal?"

"Important... I think you're probably very important? If you have a whole planet? Formal speech is for important people, people you need to be respectful of. Informal speech is for friends, family, people you're closer to - I know you don't know a lot of those words yet, sorry - "

He turns and frowns at the viewscreen and a picture comes up - it's of him with a red-haired woman beaming at him and two children, one nearly an adult and the other still quite young, one with red hair and one with black. "Family?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"Informal is talking with family? What is word for -" the viewscreen changes to him giving a lecture in a crowded auditorium - "what is word for this talking?"

"'Informal is for talking with family'. Yes, and friends, and for when you're not being very serious. 'What is the word for this sort of talking', or 'this sort of speech'. That's probably formal, yes. And also, hmm - I can't tell where it is, but maybe academic? If you're - if it's a place where you're teaching people things?"

Doooon't think about the Alteri, do not think about them at all.

Nodnodnod. "Teaching people things. Formal speech is different than teaching people things speech?"

"Usually if you teach people in a big group like that you're using formal speech, but it's probably also academic speech, which is more - specific, I think? There are types of formal speech that aren't academic. Like, uh, ceremonial speech is different, and, uh - nobody handles anything political in Etra La but if we were talking about Confederate One then I'd say that political speech is usually formal but it's not usually the same as academic speech. But - if you were teaching a small child something it wouldn't be academic speech at all, it'd probably be informal. And they're not hard categories. 'So so much' is definitely informal but sometimes it isn't that obvious, sometimes a thing sound a little different to different people. Sorry if that's all - complicated," she says, before biting her lip.

"Complicated is - many new words?"

"Complicated is - hard to understand, yes, sorry, um - sorry." She takes a deep breath. "Academic speech is formal but not all formal speech is academic."

Nodnodnod. "How formal say thank you so so so so much?"

She presses a hand to her face for a second because she kind of wants to laugh and kind of wants to hide and kind of wants to - do something that will stop the Alteri from killing everyone. But only for a second. "I am extraordinarily grateful for your assistance. And then maybe, like, 'a thousand honors upon your ancestors', or something. For that many 'so's."

"I am extraordinarily grateful for your assistance. A thousand honors upon your ancestors," he declares delightedly. "What means 'ancestors', 'thousand', 'honors'? 'assistance' is formal 'help'? 'extraordinarily' is formal 'so much'?"