iStone announcement

[catpiper]

[There are [2] very important reasons Ren's speaking to the world at large right now. Number one:]

June 19th is Tim's birthday, so you should smile if you see him and tell him he did a good job getting older. He's very good at that. [Pause, and then-] He has a talent for making birthdays too. If you don't know yours, he can tell you. I think he uses magic for that kind of thing.

But you have to say 'Happy Birthday, Tim' first-that's what you do.

[Nice.

And for the second item on her terrible agenda.]

What sound does a turtle make? It's not 'nya' or 'woof' or 'neigh' and they don't know what bubbles mean.

[They're weird!! Someone help. She needs to tell these animals something very important and she has no idea how to do it.]

Comments

[catpiper]

[She's tried!!! So many times!! Kittu, her special phone friend, she's at a loss for how to proceed.]

They won't talk to me. They don't say 'hello' or 'I'm scared' when I say things to them.

[souldeterminant]

They might be shy. Or can't talk.

[Frisk says this as soothingly as they're able; if they could virtually pat your shoulder, friend, by golly.]

But just because someone doesn't talk doesn't mean they don't like you. I used to be like that.

[catpiper]

[It's hard to imagine this math whiz being unwilling or unable to speak up when they wanted. Fear and the like are easy to understand-shyness is sort of a foreign concept to her and there's a brief pause as she wraps her mind around it.

Shy turtles, okay. That works. It's the best explanation so far.]

Do you like talking now? Are you still 'shy' sometimes?

[Maybe she can unlock the secret of shy turtlemunication through this bean.]

[souldeterminant]

... sometimes.

[It's an answer to both questions, really, and Frisk is quiet for a beat or two afterwards.]

Saying things can be hard. There are other ways to talk. I like those better.

[catpiper]

With your hands? Or with your heart? Or with chalk?

[All of these are impossible to do over Lupnet and that's fine. She has options for the next time they meet and the next turtle adventure she goes on. She can overcome shyness with the power of friendship, sign language and cat drawings.]

I can talk to you that way.