"I didn't say they were."

"No, but you didn't see the look on your face."

"What makes you think all my nervousness is on my own behalf?"

"I suppose. I don't know enough about that world to say but I'd be surprised if the phenomenon was little-known enough that anyone who wouldn't want that kind of thing would have difficulty avoiding dragons."

"I suppose that's something."

"And your own level of not wanting that kind of thing is pretty atypical."

"How do you know?"

"Because when my sister asks someone if she can download their language out of their head, the typical response ranges from 'sure' to 'no.' 'I am not comfortable being in the same room as you' doesn't come up that often."

"I'm not sure that leads to the conclusion you think it does. I might let her have languages, if she can pick them out neatly. I don't mind if she knows that my mind exists. I'm just inclined to be very, very clear about where she is and isn't welcome, and not thrilled about this being seen as just my being uptight even by someone who claims to understand that there are ethical issues in the neighborhood."

"Or better actors. Or afraid to push it in case you got angry. Or didn't believe you were talking about a real thing - I can talk about fantasy novels without discomfort. I might very well be unusual. I'm not sure I'm that unusual."

"I mean, my sister talked to most of these people in their heads. 'Didn't believe we were talking about a real thing' isn't really likely for most of them. Trying to be polite even if they were uncomfortable is...plausible."

"And if she can also, very neatly, just talk - take only what someone's trying to tell her, give back words or concepts no more influential than what people might hear or see just having a conversation - then even I might let her do that."

"She can absolutely do that."

"Maybe most people just aren't as creative as I am about what telepathy could do that isn't these harmless utilities."

"Maybe. I know some of them know what she could do..."

"Or maybe they just trust her as an individual more than I like to trust people I've never met whose powers plus creativity and a lapse of temper could be worse than anything else."

"True enough. Most people haven't witnessed her responding to becoming very very angry by curling up in a little ball until she could trust herself to be rational again."

"A reasonable reaction, if you are a telepath."

"Uh huh. If it makes you feel better, on the extremely rare occasions I have seen her lose her temper enough to do something about it, her reaction was to punch the asshole, not do anything with her mind."

"Well, I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't prefer to be punched over a telepathic lashout, but I am not one of those people, and probably wouldn't be even if I weren't indestructible."

"None of 'em were indestructible, and Edie has a mean right hook."

"Good for her."

"She really did have good reasons, though, she extremely does not just go around punching people."

"You spend a lot of energy defending your sister. I'm not even freaking out about the punching people thing, here."