Erin paused in her task of setting the table to listen fully to Larrin's explanation, not wanting anything to distract her on the one hand, and also not wanting him to think she was rude, if she wasn't fully paying heed to him.  She gave Janessa a quick smile to let her know not to worry, that she was all right, then turned to pondering over what Larrin had told them.<br/><br/>"I never knew people's abilities showed up as colors, though that doesn't come as a surprise, seeing as Janessa's the only other person I've come across who can do something... special, or else I just never found out about anyone else," she said when he'd finished.  "And it's good to know we're safe from nightmares, at least if your dream self happens to go roaming about," she grinned, and then flushed, sincerely hoping she wouldn't have any dreams involving him and his lack of clothes, or just as good as, with only the towel about his waist.  She did her best to think of something else, realizing he could probably tell what she was thinking and not used to being the one under scrutiny, as unintensional as it might be, feeling more than a little disconcerted by the revelation.<br/><br/>"Shielding would be a good thing, although I thought I was just getting good at ignoring people's thoughts, or at least trying to.  Usually it works easier with simple feelings, like if someone's just having a good day and they're happy for no real reason, I can overlook it, but it gets harder with more... complex things, like if someone's really mad or upset.  I try not to pry, because everyone deserves to have privacy in their own mind, but sometimes things come through anyway."  She wasn't sure if her abilities had any range to them, never having actively tried to spot people's thoughts and feelings from far away, but simply picking up on people who were close to her, though she tried to avoid it when she could manage it.<br/><br/>A slight smile curved her lips as she registered his curiosity and that he was thirsty, and suddenly feeling thirsty herself, though whether it was in response to what he was feeling, or a genuine feeling of her own, she wasn't sure.  "Cups are in that cupboard to the left of the stove," she said, pointing to the right one, ignoring the urge to get a cup for herself, curious to see whether what she felt would go away, after he'd drank something.  She supposed it was important for her to learn how to tell the difference in simple emotional or physical reactions, as well as the larger ones.  It was easy for her to tell if someone else was angry, because the emotion was a strong one, but less so if they were just bored.  She could never be sure if it was the person themselves who were bored, or whether it was her, though she could tell the difference later, if she took time to think about it.  Definitely, learning how to shield themselves was a good idea, she thought again, going after the steak knives and carefully setting them out while she waited to see what Larrin would do, with her acceptance of his mental push, as it were, glad he was relaxing somewhat around them, though she could tell his shields were still mostly up.  Still, it was a start, at least.