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haruka isumi

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[> accepts it… warily…]

From who?

[Sure, it’s blank, but… the guy delivering the letters is getting them from somewhere, right?]

[cambium]

From somebody whose identity does not wish to be disclosed.

[ Just take it, it's fine, don't worry about it. Haruka opens the letter to find a slip of paper inside: ]

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[Why.]

Does everything here have to be so cryptic?

[That’s more mumbled to himself then at Lark as he squints at the letters.]

Did you look at this?

[Flipping the letter so Lark can see it…]

[cambium]

[ Damn, the one time he doesn't immediately make his escape. Lark leans away a little, as if being flashed something he shouldn't be looking at— his job is to deliver mail, after all, and that job comes with the trust that he neither peeks at or tamper with anything he carries. ]

I... No. [ Despite not wanting to look, however, he has to lean in and squint at the letters himself. ]

...I do not understand this language.

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…You don’t?

[He looks at Lark, disbelieving - but then he’s frowning and scooting closer, folding the letter up because it’s obvious he doesn’t want to look at it.]

What languages do you know? Or - can you read at all?

[cambium]

[ WOW

Lark takes another step back when Haruka moves, frowning a little at the implication that he's illiterate, but he can't be too upset about that. ]

Not too well. I try to learn people's names.

[ That's really all he needs to do his job, names, addresses, simple bits and pieces of language like that. ]

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So you can recognize something once you see it enough…

[It’s not easy, he thinks, but it’s common enough… Or it’s recognizing a word for something like… like “bathroom” when you’re in a foreign country…

Not that Haruka knows anything about that. Obviously.

Haruka’s at least stopped his approach. For now.]

…Did you teach yourself? How to do that, I mean.

[cambium]

[ For now... ]

...not initially. Sparrow taught me a little... how to match sounds and symbols.

[ Sounds are so much easier, though, as they directly convey meaning without having to go through the whole process of deciphering something and translating.

... ]

What does this letter say?

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[For now!! He's not going to chase Lark down and tackle him if he runs... probably...]

Do you want to learn more? N-not that I could teach you, but maybe someone here could... or if anyone else shows up...

[It just seems kinda crummy, to be locked out of another form of communicating...

Ah, but.]

Nothing. Well. There's all the letters but none of them make up a word, so it's probably some stupid puzzle we've all been left to solve.

[sunday...]

[cambium]

[ He's silent at the question, mouth slightly open as if caught between a yes and a no. Yes he would like to learn more, but no... It isn't very important, it's difficult and it frustrates him, he can get along fine without it... Most of the time, words in a book look just like what those letters on the paper must seem like to Haruka. Maybe it's just another language, rather than a puzzle. ]

It would be nice. [ is what he settles on, eventually, turning his attention to the paper in Haruka's possession instead. ]

If you can read, I'm sure you are smart enough to solve the puzzle.

[ Sunday... ]