I See You || Rosalind & Bode
[Bode just gives her a short nod. Packed off to 16. Interesting way to phrase it. There’s definitely something that she’s not saying on her feelings toward being moved around to a colony. It’s strange that for someone who’s said so much, she’s really shared so little about her own thoughts and feelings. Not that he really cares about what she thinks or how her experiences with getting sent all over the globe were. But she’s definitely chosen some interesting ways to describe things so far. Very neutral. But he wonders if she really feels that way.
He does let out a short chuckle though.] I was going to say, if you really enjoyed such a trip, I’d think this conversation would have to be over, [He says it a little more lightly than he normally would. Just so she knows he’s joking around with her now.] I found my boat ride hellish, and I definitely witnessed enough sea-sickness to fill an entire life time. [He’s honestly still just impressed she managed to make it all the way across the ocean.
And then she’s asking him about all the languages he speaks and just more questions than he had the energy to really answer. But at least they were talking about a subject he prided himself on: his own intellect. Might as well brag a little if she’s going to talk so much, he decides.] Thank you, it is quite an accomplishment. I speak around eight? [He thinks over the ones he knew. Technically more if he counted all the different types of sign language he’d learned. But he won’t go into that.] Four fluently. I would say I’ve gotten to be pretty fluent in a couple others, but I’ve never taken any sort of test to prove that. [He does commend her for even trying to learn French as a necessity. Some people would have just committed to not speaking to anyone. Or they’d search out only people they could communicate with. Well, he commends her, but doesn’t actually say anything like that. He doesn’t want the comment to sound patronizing, but he also doesn’t need her getting a big head because she learned one new language.
Another short nod.] No, I understood what you meant by “damage.” [He says. then there’s a wry laugh, more to himself than to her. Because if the Reformists here heard you could force someone to have to spell out their Infections every time you introduced yourself, they’d definitely make that a law. He’s surprised it’s not printed out across their foreheads sometimes.] Sounds like you’re at an AA meeting when you introduce yourself in that way.
[He almost wants to tell her that she is being nosy and then say nothing else. But then again, she did use the term expertise. And also maybe if he answers her questions, she won’t keep asking them.] I suppose I never really thought of it. I learned Swedish and English at the same time growing up, so I suppose it can fluctuate between those two when I’m thinking. And when I hear others’ thoughts, I think I must hear it in the language they think it in, since around here a lot of those thoughts come through as English–unless of course they’re sending the thoughts over in a different language. [Because he normally got replies in Swedish from Espen. It’s a strange thing to think about. It’s something he’s never really considered. How different languages translate into his head.] This isn’t something I’ve spent much time thinking about, but I have to imagine that they’ll only get it in the language I send it, and vice versa. I don’t believe if I were to hear the thoughts of someone thinking in, say, Japanese that I would understand what they were saying, much like if they were speaking. [This is all very interesting to consider, and he thinks that maybe he’ll look into it more. He was, after all, an Infection trainer. It wouldn’t hurt to know more about the way languages interacted with telepathy.] You have some very interesting thoughts on the Infections, [he says. Not really a compliment, but not something negative. Just sort of… a statement to see what she might say.]
[[ It took until right that moment for Rosalind to realize exactly how prying she was being. Her awkwardness had made her ramble, and her curiosity had gotten the better of her. The man was obviously taciturn, and yet she didn’t seem to be able to just shut up. Trying to salvage the situation, she made an effort to say less while making the same points. She could totally do this. ]]
Ah, well, if you’re fluent in ONLY four of the eight languages you know, I suppose that’s a bit less impressive. [[ The sarcasm dripped from her tongue like molasses. It was practically impossible for anyone to think she was serious. It was slightly intentional, but mostly just the way she was. The intention was to amp it up slightly so that he would know that she wasn’t actually insulting his intelligence or dedication. ]]
I said the same thing, trust me. Actually, I got into trouble once for no reason other than that the present Elite had already heard me mention it at least three other times. I’m honestly still surprised that it took that long for them to say anything about it. [[ It was clear that she was making the tone as lighthearted as possible. It could be useful to have a telepathic Elite as a friend. She was very careful not to think about it, though. There was no way of knowing his range, or whether or not he respected boundaries. Knowing who the telepaths were was practically a necessity. Regardless, she’d learned to mask the majority of her thoughts long ago. It was part of her ‘training’ within the NWRF. ]]
That’s pretty interesting. I figured as much with that. I’m sorry, I had trouble phrasing my thought. I more meant what you think in your own mind. Like, in my head I only have English, unless I need to use the French. Though, sometimes there are specific colloquialisms that are strictly French and don’t translate well enough. Does that make sense?
[[ His last comment pulled up one side of her mouth in an amused smile. ]] I have very interesting thoughts on a lot of things.
