She glances around. "Of course, it's probably not a surprise that I've not had much interaction with the word tidy."

"I've seen worse."

"Well, I don't think I'm even the worst person here."

"There are three clusters of Elves on Valinor. I live with a different one most of the time but the one I am has a lot of inventor types and scattered notes do not alarm me."

She laughs.

Giggle. "Are there more things I should learn, or am I at the point where it's a matter of practice?"

"Mostly practice."

"Then thank you very much for your help."

"I can help with the practice, if you like."

"...by attempting to turn me blue?"

"For example. The idea is that you approve a list of harmless magical actions, and I and a few colleagues attempt to apply them to you at miscellaneous points, so you get practice catching these things when you're not expecting it."

"Sure. What's on the list?"

She opens a different drawer and pulls out a different piece of paper with a list on it.

-Blue skin

-Cold patches

-Hot patches

-Two inches of hair grown

-Three millimeters of fingernail grown

-One millimeter of fingernail severed

-Finger temporarily magnetized

-Toe temporarily magnetized

"Please don't interact with my hair."

"Okay," she says, and crosses that item off the list. "Any particular reason?"

"Elves have very sensitive scalps."

"Huh. Interesting thing to have. Well, it's off the list."

"Thank you."

"You're very much welcome."

"What precisely are cold and hot patches?"

"Spots of raised or lowered temperature on your skin."

"That should be fine. Although, again, preferably not the scalp."

"We typically limit it to arms and legs anyway but I'll make a note." She does that.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."