Fray-Adjacent

"You didnt happen to see any suspcious-looking trees around, did you?" Xander tries to frown at Ronan but, well, ferret. With WEE BLACK PAWS.

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"I asked it," Ronan said, again smiling because Xander was just so cute with the ferret, and even he can't stand against that. "It said it hadn't done anything, and trees aren't normally known for lying." He paused. "And I've only ever met one being that could lie in the Speech, and it's not exactly our average being."

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"It's just the last time he turned into a ferret, a tree was involved. ...named Xander. No relation."

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Ronan blinked. "... I keep feeling like things here are supposed to surprise me, but nothing so far really has all that much. I'm not sure what that says about where I come from."

He turned to go. "So, uh. I hope he turns back into a human soon?" A thought occured to Ronan. "Oh! I could... try to make it so that you can understand each other?"

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Xander snickers at the first thing Ronan says, but it's the last bit that makes him raise an eyebrow and look hopeful. "Really? 'Cause I don't speak ferret. Some Rat? But really not all that similar."

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Ronan nodded, and checked with the Knowledge for what he needed. "Yeah, I think I can do this. Short-term/targeted end point -- I'd set that for Bridge returning to human form -- telepathic bond with a vocal/subvocal cue? So basically you'd hear the thoughts associated with whatever either of you is saying. Or subvocalising, if you wanted, so that you're not talking out loud to a ferret in public."

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//Works for me,// Bridge gives the ferret version of a shrug.

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Ronan looked at Xander. "He says it works for him."

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"You haven't been in Fandom long enough if you think anybody's gonna be surprised by me talking out loud to a ferret in public," Xander tells him with a nod.

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"You make a very fair point," Ronan said. "So, shall I, then?"

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"Go for it. ...This doesn't require nudity or blood-sacrifice, right?"

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"No," Ronan said. "Just words." And he started structuring the spell right there at the open doorway, weaving the words around the three of them as best as he could. He let their names flow through him from the Knowledge without reading them, without knowing them, just letting the syllables fall one-by-one from his lips. He didn't want to know the things he'd learn if he paid attention.

The familiar sensation of the universe leaning in to listen fell around the three as Ronan got closer and closer to the end of the spell.

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Bridge's powers might not work in quite the same way that they do when he's human-shaped, but he can still *feel* the spell as it begins to work.

//Xander?// he tries. //Can you hear me now?//

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Ronan finally reached the end of the spell, and with a quick word sealed the spell. The world returned to normal. "Try it now?" he said. "It should work now."

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Okay, so apparently he'd ~~pinged~~ spoken too soonas Ronan's spell hadn't finished yet. So he tries again.

//Xander? Can you hear me?//

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"Sorry, what?" Xander cups his hand behind his ear. "No reception. Going through a tunnel."

You know how the fingerwiggling is encoded in Bridge's genetic makeup? Guess what's encoded in Xander's.

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Cue the wee ferret flail. //It didn't work!//

Seriously. He never learns.

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Cue big human nose coming in contact with wee ferret nose. "Hi."

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Ronan rolled his eyes, but smiled. "I'll just leave these here, shall I?" He held up the bundle of Bridge's clothes. "The gloves are rolled into the middle, so don't let them drop out when you're unbundling."

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//Thank you!// Bridge says to Ronan. For possibly like, the tenth time that night. //You are so mean,// he informs Xander with a wee ferrety glare.

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"He sounds just like himself!" Xander? Is a dork. </newsflash>

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"Yes, he should. So I'm happy that's working out." He holds the bundle of clothes out again.

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Xander takes them, careful not to fumble the bundle. "Thanks, seriously. Last time... there were a lot of paw-motions and tiny ferret eyerolls."

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