Comment by Threnodi

Now I'm suddenly wondering weather Tareth is more attuned to her sense of smell as a general heightening of remaining senses from being deaf, or if Xira actually can't smell things properly. It seems sort of a weird handicap to have, but we do sort of have a set going with Sev's hands disabled, i.e. touch, Tareth's hearing, Jonan's mouth i.e. taste, and that kid in the box has some huuuge glasses making him a candidate for being near blind without them. Maybe Xira can't smell, rounding out a five-senses set?
Still, I think I remember something about this being a fun study of barriers in communication more than senses, right? No one really communicates by smell so far, this page is about the closest thing. Whereas the sign language makes Sev's hands a communication barrier, and even if the new kid was blind without glasses, he couldn't read, which would be a potential barrier with Jonan and with sign language as well. With Xira being able to actually read a person's mind, it makes me wonder a) if he can send thoughts to others that are consciously registered instead of subconsciously absorbed, or if the communication is only one way, and b) if he perhaps has some other more extreme communication handicap to balance it...
Loving the pages with them whatever the case, they're both so adorable! And look at Tareth out making friends all on her own!