i wasn't looking for this

[from_scratch]

This is a successor to call me maybe and trade my soul for a wish, which were getting crowded.

with Emily (Maggie)

with Alex (ErinFlight)

with Destin (Rockeye)

with Nick (Rockeye)

Comments

[iamnotpolaris]

"Dragons in general are good, which is good because when they bond to someone they get All Of The Magic."

[from_scratch]

"All of it?"

[iamnotpolaris]

"Well, not all the kinds, but a lot of what you have. I think? It would definitely have been an apocalyptic event if an Endarkened who was not a special snowflake had bonded to one."

[from_scratch]

"But the dragons are good, you said."

[iamnotpolaris]

"Yeah, in general. I don't think they have special being good no matter what powers compared to other sentient beings, they just have a reasonably not-crap culture. And from what I've put together, they don't have a choice about providing their Bonded with magic. Take this all with a grain of salt, I spent less than a full day in that universe, but what I do know for sure is that this dragon and his demon are basically the same person."

[from_scratch]

"That's... weird. What do you mean, basically the same person?"

[iamnotpolaris]

"I mean when we showed up on the island my sister's impression was of one mind in two bodies."

[from_scratch]

"This is atypical for dragons and their - people?"

[iamnotpolaris]

"Yeah, there's apparently telepathy going on no matter what but normally it's more like my sister and me than that."

[from_scratch]

"Oh."

[iamnotpolaris]

"Oh, relax. No one's going to try to bond you to a dragon."

[from_scratch]

"I didn't say they were."

[iamnotpolaris]

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

[from_scratch]

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

[iamnotpolaris]

"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."

[from_scratch]

"I suppose that's something."

[iamnotpolaris]

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

[from_scratch]

"How do you know?"

[iamnotpolaris]

"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."

[from_scratch]

"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."

[iamnotpolaris]

"If I see you as uptight, which I'm not saying yay or nay either way, it's not because of your boundaries, it's because of the rape analogy. I suppose I don't know whether your actual opinions on the subject are typical, I suppose, but your external reaction upon finding out my sister was a telepath was more...visibly negative than usual. Not unprecedented, just uncommon. Most people can hear telepathy being described without making nervous faces about...it..."

She makes a face. "And now I have to consider the possibility that those other people weren't more open about telepathy, just less ethically conscientious about other people."

[from_scratch]

"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."

[iamnotpolaris]

"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."

[from_scratch]

"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."

[iamnotpolaris]

"She can absolutely do that."