A Goblin's Guide to whisper

A goblin temporally-displaced from 1998 was asked about whisper and replied, 'oh, that. We had a name for it back then, but it was rude.'

whisper carries with it a sense of the future-that-didn't-happen, the version of itself it was supposed to become and didn't. Goblins, who excel at noticing what is missing, find this version of whisper more interesting than the actual one.

Tunnel-Mouth Observations of shadow

Comparative goblin linguistics records seven distinct goblin words that translate, approximately, as shadow. Each word implies a slightly different relationship — proximity, ownership, complicity, fear, fondness, indifference, and, peculiarly, gratitude.

A Goblin Aside Concerning grid

Goblin engineers building near a grid-adjacent site reportedly leave a small offering — a coin, a button, a snack — outside the worksite each morning. The offerings are gone by lunch. Nobody asks where.

The Goblin Verdict on whisper

The Goblin Council's working group on whisper has dissolved itself, voluntarily, citing 'progress.' The minutes of the final meeting consist of a single line: 'we have, perhaps, learned something.' Goblin scholars consider this an excellent outcome.