Nod. "My full name's Dante Maestri – the first part is a given name, latter part is inherited."

"From your parents? Are you very important, then, or - this might be another cultural misstep, I apologize."

"It's from my father – most people have names inherited in the same way, where I'm from."

"Oh. All right. What's it like, there?"

"… I'm not sure how to describe it. Uh, the city I live in is I think the smallest in the country, has a cathedral, quite a few old stone buildings and some more modern ones in the outskirts? It's surrounded by a lot of countryside? – I don't suppose the telepathy thing can do pictures."

"It can, but I haven't been reading you. I can start if you'd like? What's a cathedral?"

"– Uh, yeah, you can read me but I apologize in advance for anything that might slip through? A cathedral's, like a big church? It probably differs in some way, I'm not sure how."

"Sure, let me know when you'd like me to stop. Second question - what's a church?"

He tries to think of pictures of both cathedrals and churches! "A… religious building in which people congregate for prayer? I suppose you probably don't have Christianity if you don't have humans."

She studiously does not make a face at the architecture. Cultural differences: she's aware of them now. "I suppose not, since I don't know what that is either. Pardon me for the constant repetion, but what's Christianity?"

"It's… a large and very popular religion, widespread, um… has a holy book called the Bible… has some controversial views in some denominations like – there are some default views of sexism, 'traditional gender roles' and so on…?"

He really has no idea how to describe Christianity properly. He is trying not to be rude about it, at least not in public thoughts.

"Oh, do you not have Eru or the Valar there?"

"Not that I know of? I don't recognize the terms."

"Eru sang the world into existence with the help of the Ainur, the most powerful of which are called the Valar. But it sounds like someone else made your world, and... gave you strange instructions to follow?"

"Exactly who made the world is up for debate, there being a lot of different religions, and what particular strange instructions are to be obeyed varies." Pause. "A lot of people do not believe in any religion at all, even, and think the world came into existence naturally. Far more than used to."

"Oh. Well. I can walk up and say hello to a god, so that's a bit less up for debate where I come from. It sounds really confusing and probably a bit upsetting to just - be alone in the world with no one to look after you."

He is a little surprised at her being able to walk up and say hello to a god.

"A lot of people are, I think, quite upset by it, yes. And most people don't think we have any sorts of magic, either, so we're stuck with more mundane methods of doing things."

See: machines. They work using fancy stuff called electricity. He has a bit of understanding how that works, but not a ton.

She tilts her head and inspects the machines. They are hideous. The result of different aesthetic tastes, probably. But if she pretends they're like her unfinished songs, all function before form...

"Those look very clever," she says sincerely. "You seem like you do a good job with the resources you have. Do you want me to teach you a few magical songs, or maybe how to write them?"

"I think that'd be very useful! What sorts of things are required for them to work – is it a particular instrument?"

"Just singing! Instrumental accompaniment optional. Are there certain effects that might be more helpful to you? I have a few healing songs, but I don't know what other trials you face."

"Healing would be useful – I don't suppose you have anything for old age, mental illnesses, vaccination against disease…?"

"Mental illnesses, um, would probably require a Maia or Vala, I could write calming songs for people with panic attacks or the like, but that doesn't really solve the problem and is maybe a little bit morally questionable. And, uh. Old age and disease? I don't know what either of those are."

"Uh, maybe Elves don't have it but – my species gradually wastes away as we get older, finds it harder to do things and more easily, uh, breaks bones and so on? Disease is a broad category but severe enough or combined with sufficient old age can result in death."

She looks a bit queasy.

"If you get old enough do you - are you stuck in a body that's failing you forever, that sounds awful, I am so sorry. And, uh. That still doesn't explain what disease is, though I'm now concerned for your re-embodiment situation if you don't have gods to put you back...?"

"… Re-embodiment is not a thing, and 'stuck forever' has never happened – after long enough you are basically guaranteed to die, but it's improving."