Toloth

[inafadingcrown]

[You know what’s not fun? Being the only person from a world which has languages that don’t seem to resemble any others. But Galadriel’s been surprised once today by Crowley, so she’s going to be thorough about this. Just in case she can find any conversation partners who aren't notorious trolls. What follows undoubtedly sounds like very pretty

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[jamesholmes]

[He's taken to exploring the grounds recently, and with the newly imposed language barrier he can't really do other things. So it's on a return trip from the grounds, a notebook in hand and looking slightly winded that he walks into the lobby and see's her and heads towards her smiling.]

Good evening Lady Galadriel. [He then signs it out in both ASL and BSL on the off chance that she knew them. He'll work towards other languages in a bit.]

[inafadingcrown]

[Again, context is her friend. She recognizes a greeting when she hears (or sees) one, even if she doesn't understand it.]

Le suilon, Dr. Watson.

[Literally, "I greet you." She smiles apologetically-she knows she's a linguistic mess here- and gestures for him to sit if he wishes.]

[jamesholmes]

[He figured context would win if nothing else, so he'll just smile back at her and nod, his mind going nuts over her language. It's new okay?]

Lorem ego assumam vos in vestra obtulerint. [Literally "Thank you I will take you up on your offer." In Latin. He'll work from there up, and he does sit down near her, rubbing his knees some.]

[inafadingcrown]

[She shakes her head. He's going to be trying a long time with Earth languages. But she'll make another attempt too, however unlikely success might be. She switches over to Quenya, which is actually functionally akin to Latin- a dead language except preserved in poetry and ceremony- and her native language.]

Are you injured?

[At the very least her look of mild concern and gesture toward his knees should clue him in on what she means.]

[jamesholmes]

[Damn there's one language he speaks fluently. While he appreciates her sharing a different language with him, his ear's good enough for that, he doesn't understand it. But he shakes his head at her with her concerned look, if nothing else she'll get the message with that and he switches to French.]

No, no, just not used to the length of the walk I took is all. [Languages are not his area of expertise.]

[inafadingcrown]

[She does get the gist of it. This is very quickly becoming a game of "how many languages do you speak?" For her anyway. So she switches again, this time to Westron or "Common Tongue." Sadly, not so common here.]

It is a tongue most fair. I would I understood. [She likes the way French flows. Very foreign to her, but lovely.]

[jamesholmes]

[Yes it is, especially with the number of not quite so fluent languages James knows too. Sadly he doesn't understand this one either, but at least he figures he got a positive response so he'll stick to French for now. At least it isn't as harsh sounding as German.]

The language you speak is elegant, I wish I understood it. [He puts his notepad down on his lap for now, thinking.]

[inafadingcrown]

[Well, she's out of languages she's fluent in. The Khuzdûl she knows wouldn't do her much good beyond asking directions or making her a proper guest at a Dwarven dinner party anyway.

She just leans over, places a hand on his arm, and smiles, doing her best to radiate gratitude. Thank you for trying. She really hopes this doesn't last long; there aren't many people she can talk to.]

[jamesholmes]

[He's not out of languages he's fluent in yet, and he's really working his mind on her language. At least it's a good puzzle is all he's got to say.

He just smiles back at her, but he'll be damned if she's going to be left out of the loop in communicating somehow with people. At least he can read body language, so he doesn't misinterpret that.]

I will find a way for you to communicate with others. [Because you can only write, well he wasn't sure what, for so long. Again in French just because he knows she likes it, but now he's doodling absentmindedly on his note pad, almost like a crime scene sketch in the level of detail.]

[inafadingcrown]

[She understands the tone of that and she's not ungrateful. It's very gallant of him, really. She knows one person who can translate because he seems to know every language ever, but he's also a bit of a troublemaker. You can see her dilemma.]

You needn't concern yourself over me. I will manage.

[He won't be able to understand the words, but, again, the tone is clear. And she will manage. She has her ways. For instance, he might feel a gentle nudge at his mind- her way of asking permission before intruding. It won't solve all her communication problems, but it should make things easier.]

[jamesholmes]

[It's what he does, solves problems for those in need. The fact that he likes her is an added bonus. And if he knew that, then he would be working doubly hard to find a way to help her communicate. Sane people should not rely on troublemakers to talk for them.]

I want to help, for as much as it is an intellectual curiosity as it is out of politeness and out of helping someone I respect.

[The tone is clear here too, he's way to stubborn to let her think he's going to drop it. But he doesn't know of these ways so he can't think she'll manage yet.

But that gentle nudge he knows, and he gives her a look of warning, mostly as his mind runs so fast he doesn't want her getting assaulted by things and hurting herself somehow, but he nods and just tries to relax, though his frustration, determination and insatiable curiosity are at the forefront of it all.]

[inafadingcrown]

[You, sir, are almost as stubborn as she is. That's impressive.

But she actually chuckles a little at that look of warning. Thinking sentences at him would do no good, as her telepathy does not, apparently, come with an auto-translate. But she can convey this non-verbally. She starts with an image of her at her Mirror, the vision follows her gaze into the water and the next thing he sees will be Sauron himself. The implication she's making is clear. She's been inside his mind on a regular basis; she can handle yours. She speaks, again in Westron, and her tone has just the slightest hint of smugness.]

I do not think your mind will trouble me overmuch.

[jamesholmes]

[Wait until she see's who he works with, that stubbornness is rather needed. But it's all in the name of good will and all of that.

He sighs at the chuckle, like literally sighs. There are times where his mind even bothers him with its speed, letting in someone unknowingly has never been his favorite thing in the world. But if she thinks she can handle it then she's more then welcome to his mind, but don't think he's not already debating those images in his mind already. What they mean, what she was doing, the impracticalities of that helmet, amongst several images of this man with many conflicting feelings. And some concern about this woman. Amongst many ideas of creatures etc.]

My mind is a mess and is extraordinarily fast, but proceed as you see fit. [Last warning basically, his tone implies it but he's fully open to her now, with his mile a minute, obsessive thoughts.]

[inafadingcrown]

[Trust her, she knows what she's doing. Admittedly, she is taken aback by the speed of his thoughts at first, only now fully comprehending what "enhanced intelligence" means. But speed and complexity is still nicer to deal with than overwhelming evil and malice, so she's not worried. It just takes her a moment to adjust and then she's working past the thoughts and parsing it down to basic emotions and feelings. That she can understand without language.

And, in answer to his question of what she was doing... she will show him a little more. The whole procedure: pouring the stream water into the basin, waiting for it to settle, breathing on it, and observing. What most people would call "scrying."]

It is, if you will, the magic of Galadriel. [Teasing him about his disbelief in magic would be more fun if he could understand.]

[jamesholmes]

[He would if he hadn't all but shocked telepath's back in his own world with the speed of his thoughts and almost made a few faint. But once she gets it down to where she's comfortable he eyes her some to make sure she won't fall over in a dead faint or look in pain, before he just settles back to let her do her thing.

At her showing him a little more, he adds another line of thought. One involving a magnifying glass over a tentacle both before and after, to show it focusing on just one spot. Focus is what he's trying to get across, as "scrying" is not something in his realm of understanding.

And while he may not get the exact translation, he understands that tone of voice, he's been teased before so he just shakes his head.] Of course it is, thank you for sharing it with me.

[inafadingcrown]

[Eight thousand years of practice does help with these things.

And, actually, "focus" is a very apt way of describing what she does. You could look at the Mirror as, in part, a way of channeling her own power- how much comes from her, how much from the Mirror, and how much from Nenya, even she's not sure. So she nods at that. Same principle as the magnifying glass, really- it's to help her see.]

I would I could explain more clearly. You must ask again another time. [Really, the speaking aloud is for his benefit. She would be perfectly comfortable communicating in silence, but not everyone is.]