(no subject)

[thereisnoedge]

Rochefoucalt? That's such a pretentious name.

Comments

[hamelinic]

Dunna. Still probably looks good emblazoned across things.

[thereisnoedge]

Perhaps. But it also looks sort of stupid. "de la Rochefoucalt"? It looks like someone's compensating for a lack of something else.

[hamelinic]

Oh? How many letters has it got?

[thereisnoedge]

Uh... ((She counts rapidly, keeping track on her fingers, then makes a face and says-)) Sixteen. Just a bit excessive, don't you think?

[hamelinic]

...dunna. How many's mine got?

[Letters, man. How do they work.]

[thereisnoedge]

Six. Ten less. ((A moment, then-)) Don't you know how to write?

[hamelinic]

[He knows the letter 'x' to scrawl on things. And he knows vaguely what the outline of the letters that make his own name are.

...the answer's probably "no," isn't it.]

What for?

[thereisnoedge]

Because... it's good to know how to read? It's so much better to pretend to be illiterate than to... actually be illiterate.

... No problem. I'll teach you.

[hamelinic]

[...oh.

Is... it important to her.

Can he just. Be quiet and accepting and maybe she'll forget.]

[thereisnoedge]

-Or, I mean-- you don't have to learn if you don't want to. ((She goes on to add, biting her lip.)) I mean... nothing to worry about, right?

[hamelinic]

--is it so terribly important? I can read music; shouldn't-- that be enough?

[To not feel... deficient?]

[thereisnoedge]

But it's like... reading. Writing. That's... that's pretty big stuff, Cynric. I don't know how to explain it, but... ((She shrugs simply.)) It's pretty important.

[hamelinic]

And then... what, I'll read things?

[thereisnoedge]

Yeah. Signs, maps, ah... I guess... um. Other things too.

[hamelinic]

[...well, might get all the failing out at once.]

I've-- tried, you know.

[thereisnoedge]

((She stays quiet, confused for a moment, before reaching out and tugging him closer.)) What do you mean?

[hamelinic]

Reading, Mira. [He doesn't like snapping at her or shrugging slightly out of her grip. But he also doesn't particularly like being so much less than perfect.] And it's just-- frustrating.

[thereisnoedge]

((She flinches back when he snaps, crossing her arms.)) There's no need to-- I didn't...

--So if you want to learn, let me help you.

[hamelinic]

[Illiterate and temperamental. Excellent. He gets better all the time, surely.

A few beats to calm his brooding help.] I just-- don't want you to think I'll be-- a particularly adept student. That's all.

[thereisnoedge]

That's okay. ((She says quietly, still pulling away from him with her arms tight across her chest.)) I just-- I just wanted to offer. Never mind.

[hamelinic]

...but it'll-- make me better, yeah?

[thereisnoedge]

It won't make you... better or worse. Just... it's something you can know. I won't--

Never mind, okay? You can learn if you want to or not learn if you don't want to.

[hamelinic]

It's just-- [A million little things he didn't properly understand, to be honest.] --I don't want you to think less of me.

[thereisnoedge]

-- what?

That... makes no sense, Cynric. I'm not going to-- you're an idiot. ((But now she's actually smiling, at least.))

...that is the smile that will launch a zillion ballads. jsyk.

[hamelinic]

[...well. At least he's not dropped below 'idiot.'] Canna help that. Even if you do teach me letters.