[Video]

[swiftlet]

[Swift is, let's be honest, not great with using this thing. It feels clunky and unnecessary, but it's what he's got to work with. Not everyone is a har, so he'll learn to live with it. Maybe eventually he'll even get good at it.

As it is for now, when the video starts he's glaring at the screen and it catches the tail end of a curse before he schools his face into a more neutral, perhaps diplomatic, expression.]

As I understand it, Seel har Parasiel has been here for quite some time...alone, let's say. [Unsupervised. He means unsupervised. He hasn't had a proper babysitter.] I would like to take a moment to apologize personally if he's been incorrigible or stubborn or plain mean. I don't know all of what he said to everyone, but I'm hoping it won't be a problem for much longer. [It will still be a problem for a while until Seel gets used to having Swift around again, and he knows that. He's at least prepared for it. This by itself is going to cause a fight.]

If you are having problems with him, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll make sure it's taken care of. Once again, I am very sorry and I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Comments

[bythewaves]

Ah - rude of me, my apologies! Maglor, at your service.

[swiftlet]

That's alright. I would tell you I'm Swift, but you knew that already.

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor smiles wryly ]

I'm afraid you came to this city with a disadvantage in that regard - Seel has not been shy about speaking of you! So I think more folk will know your name than otherwise.

[swiftlet]

Should I be flattered or worried?

[bythewaves]

Neither. Both! [ He laughs softly ]

It all depends on what you think he has been saying of you, I suppose. But if he has been less than flattering, it was not to me.

[swiftlet]

I'm sure he was very polite. At least as far as I'm concerned.

[bythewaves]

He was. He clearly missed you, also. He fears to lose you, I think, not that I doubt you'll ever get him to admit that!

[swiftlet]

He's said as much to me already. And I'm afraid to lose him too. I doubt as we ever will, but I suppose I'm not so sure about what happens here.

[bythewaves]

This place? Hadriel will play with your emotions, at times, but those times are only passing. So long as you remember that... hurts can be patched, after.

[swiftlet]

What kind of hurts?

[bythewaves]

Anything and everything, depending on what those who brought us here are up to. They feed on emotion, any emotion, the stronger the better.

[swiftlet]

Lovely. And here I thought I might be left alone for a moment. [Not really. He never expects that anymore.] How can anyhar prepare for that?

[bythewaves]

You can't, really.

[ Maglor says sympathetically ]

But you can decide to roll with the punches, as it were. And there are periods of peace in between the trouble.

[swiftlet]

[Damn. That sounds utterly hopeless.]

I suppose there's that, at least, though we should't need one.

[bythewaves]

We should not, but that is how it is - it has proven impossible to predict what the ... "triggering events", if you like, will be, as they do seem very random. The last one, for example, made children of us.

[swiftlet]

That one I remember. It was...odd. And yet somehow enlightening.

[bythewaves]

Ah, you were here then? I don't think I ran into you, but the memories of that time are... a little confusing.

[swiftlet]

That's rather a polite way of putting it. I'm not sure what to make of all of that.

[bythewaves]

I'd rather being made to relive my childhood than made to relive my nightmares, which they have also tried! [ Maglor says wryly ]

[swiftlet]

I suppose that's fair, but for some people that's the same thing.

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor grimaces ]

I confess, it horrifies me that so many here had terrible childhoods.

[swiftlet]

Me as well, but...well. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I'm sure there are people who be horrified at mine, and I didn't find it to be entirely dreadful.

[bythewaves]

It shouldn't. [ he says sadly ]

Children really should be protected better.

[swiftlet]

I don't disagree, just... It happens. We can't be everywhere.

[bythewaves]

I know that, objectively but...

[ Maglor shakes his head ]

Amongst my people, children are precious and highly valued. To think of anyone deliberately mistreating a child is grievous indeed.

[ People like you, Makalaure, whispers memory, and it sounds like his brother Celegorm ]