[ He has adapted fairly well, from a society that was principally magical to one that is technological; but there remain, even so, large gaps in his knowledge. He would have made a point to learn about earphones, had he known they existed; they are, like many things still, an unknown unknown.
He turns it over in his hand, feeling for the hook. He lifts it towards his ear (backwards!) and it doesn't fit, it falls off immediately, he manages to catch it (thank goodness, dropping things is a terrible bother) and fit it in the right way and--
Oh.
A little voice in his ear, a voice that no one can hear but him. And an assistant that is a machine (he thinks of it as some sort of complicated clockwork, cleverly miniaturized), not really helping a person, not in any sort of manner that implies altruism or obligation, but simply performing as per its specifications.
It's a full five seconds before he responds, and then it's only to say: ]
1/2
He turns it over in his hand, feeling for the hook. He lifts it towards his ear (backwards!) and it doesn't fit, it falls off immediately, he manages to catch it (thank goodness, dropping things is a terrible bother) and fit it in the right way and--
Oh.
A little voice in his ear, a voice that no one can hear but him. And an assistant that is a machine (he thinks of it as some sort of complicated clockwork, cleverly miniaturized), not really helping a person, not in any sort of manner that implies altruism or obligation, but simply performing as per its specifications.
It's a full five seconds before he responds, and then it's only to say: ]
Ah--