explosion | RUBILYKSKOYE INBOX.

There's that troupe, they do a show occasionally. Not my scene, I haven't acted since we lost the regional Greek theatre competition in high school. That reminds me, though. Your magic items. They need to be stuff you know about? I mean, if I wanted a guide for how to build a piano, could you wiggle your nose and wish it up?

I could.

And if I didn't know it, being a telepath is very handy. It makes sure I don't make any mistakes.

[ Which begs the question from Wanda "Let's Take Shortcuts Because of Trauma" Maximoff: ]

Why would you want a guide to build a piano? I could give you the piano.

I know. But then it would be a gift from you. Besides, I like to keep busy. Learn new things.

I would consider the music you play to be a gift to me.

I could give you a guide to build a piano. But a "How to For Dummies" is not parts.

You have to be very careful when you ask a witch for things. Who do you think inspired the genies to be cheeky?

Oh, I don't play. House does, or I'm pretty sure he does. And I made all the keys, and I traded for a bunch of wood, but I don't know anything about pianos, really, so I don't know how to turn that into something that makes music. What do witches want? I'd offer you my firstborn but she'd probably be pissed.

[ She's glad they're not face-to-face. She knows her expression falls at the mention of taking a firstborn. ]

This witch drives a very, very hard bargain. One that puts fear into every man and woman.

A favor in the future.

Ooh, that is a classic, actually. Do I get a fairy tale clause? You know, if I'm kissed by a princess or I learn your real name...

Hm.

I think so. If a princess kisses you, you will spend your days as a very annoying frog and your nights as a man dressed in very bright, obnoxious pink. No one will be able to look at you. If you speak of this to anyone, I will turn you into a very old, dilapidated carriage no one wishes to use.

I told you. I'm a very mean witch who happens to be very fond of fairy tale clauses.

No kissing princesses, got it.

[ He tentatively sends her a trickle of his deep amusement at this message, since he's tickled by it but can't send laughing emojis and refuses to think "lol". ]

[ She's endeared.

While he doesn't think in emoji, she does: 🤣 ]

This is a very strange way for you to communicate, isn't it?

Honestly, the strangest part is how differently everyone's minds work. When people send pictures it's like being shown shrimp colours. Were you all just seeing things in your head the whole time?

[ You guys were getting paid? ]

[ She can't help but laugh. ]

I hear and see things. I can walk by someone and hear their thoughts and see what they daydream. It's sometimes very distracting if I'm not paying attention.

It can be easy to forget who you are. But the telepathy here is… different.

You were a telepath even before you came here, weren't you. Such a different magical skillset from anything my own world possesses. But the way the curse joins us all, mentally, does that not feel the same? Can you distinguish one kind from another?

I still am one.

[ The use of "were" makes it seem as though that's stopped being true. But Wanda knows her telepathy is different to those in Rubilysk. Incredibly different—dangerous. ]

It's different. It's like swimming in a shallow pool. You can feel the bottom of the pool at your feet. It's softer. Everyone's inexperience is like being gently splashed. But telepathy for me has always felt like an ocean. Sometimes I'm swimming above the Mariana Trench and sometimes I sink to the very bottom.

It's like being an Olympic swimmer in a pool with people learning how to swim. Everyone is wearing floaties. Yours are very cute.

[ She doesn't mean for it to sound so arrogant, but it's the easiest way to describe something that's so intrinsically her. ]

Wow, thanks. Weird, thinking you're probably more powerful than me. I'm not used to that.

[ Like, at all. Like he can feel himself feeling unreasonably stressed by it, just another thing out of his control. At least Wanda's a sweetheart, and it's easy to let it go. ]

For me it's just like... you know the ticker tape underneath news broadcasts where all the headlines scroll past? Like that.

It used to be like that for me, and then it became one of those windows where there were several televisions all running at the same time.

I don't think that will happen here for you.

[ And then it became louder and louder and louder until it became the ocean. But those are boring details, and do nothing to help John navigate his own mind reading capabilities. ]

I'm sure you're still very powerful. There are some things I can't do that I'm sure you could do.

Not sure that's actually true, but my ego thanks you for saying it.

Whenever you're feeling powerless, you can always come by my door and I'll remind you that you are very, very pretty and that I like you despite your power. How does that sound?

Yeah, you know, I mean, couldn't hurt.

[ Don't mind him just preening at being called pretty. John Gaius Will Remember This. ]

You are very, very, very, very pretty.

I'll tell everyone that I have a pretty friend and his name is John.

But then they'll want to be your friend rather than mine. I don't think we can have that. I might have to tell everyone you're ugly instead.

There's plenty of me to go around, promise. I think I'd like to be everybody's friend.

[ House called it day one: this is a guy who really longs to be liked. ]

I'd tell you you're pretty too but it feels like a criminal understatement.

[ She laughs and blushes. ]

You don't have to flatter me. I already consider you a friend.

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