Language LOL: Translator Malfunction

[rumham]

You know what's cool? Chatting with your pals. Reading the Internet. Navigating the roads because you can understand the Gods-damned street signs. You know what's not cool? Not being able to do any of that. By that metric, one might describe today in the Nexus decidedly uncool.

It's utterly without warning that the multiversal hub goes from automatic to manual translation. Shop signs, radio and television broadcasts, conversations on the streets between vendors and friends and businesspeople are suddenly a jarring cacophony of dissonant languages. Then there's the silence. Then there's the shouting. Turns out people get pissed off when nobody understands them!

Momentary chaos dies down as the average people of the Nexus come to grips with their new situation. Shopkeepers wait outside their stores and stands with expectant expressions, impatiently waiting for the translator to pull itself together and start working again.

Except...

It sort of doesn't.

No, it super doesn't.

Citizens of the Nexus, it would appear you're going to have to adjust...

((The temporary LANGUAGE LOL is now underway! It's freeform fun until you're done and participation is completely optional. Don't feel like this event should stop you from making threads which are unaffected by the LOL in the mean time. If you want your Language LOL'd character to interact with a non-LOL thread, please ask the OP if they want to play that dynamic first. For the OOC and organization post, GO HERE. ))

Comments

[poetwarrior]

K'da may not be able to cry, but Faris has witnessed it from several humans, and witnessed the way that they wipe the water from their faces. It is a strange thing, but they do come from a very wet planet, so perhaps it is not as important to conserve water? In any case, the gesture is better served by human paws.

Josh does not sound certain, though, so Faris attempts another gesture, this time holding a paw against his chest as if it is injured, and sharply inhales as if he is surprised by sudden pain. Then points at Josh again, repeating the same question as before. He does not look hurt, but the way he was sitting before did not appear normal to Faris' admittedly inexperienced eyes.

[brother_alone]

This time Josh nods along. Yes, he was not feeling so great earlier. Not even now, really, but Joshua is relieved that he wasn't the only one suddenly unable to understand the speech all around him.

"I've got...issues." He points to his own head, and then makes several gestures for 'bad'. Thumbs down, a shake of his head "Sick in the head."

[poetwarrior]

His head is hurt? Faris peers at Josh in concern, but cannot see any evidence of injury. There is no blood that he can see. "Aigh tu ne?"

How to ask if the human needs help? He does not understand spoken K'da. Faris ponders this for a moment before recalling the simple symbol that had been on Hunter's medical supplies, on the rare occasion that they were needed. He scratches it out on the ground with a claw, the thick cross shape much easier than the twisting symbol that had been on other parts of the medical supplies.

[brother_alone]

Josh eases himself off of the bench and sits down on the cold ground next to Faris. Watches the lizardman's tail twitch thoughtfully before he starts scratching out the symbol in the ground. It makes him smile, at least a little bit.

"No, I'll be alright." He shakes his head and smiles again a bit wider. Makes a coughing motion and then points to his head. "Sick. In the head. Not hurt."

[poetwarrior]

Faris is not entirely certain that he understands correctly, but Josh does not appear to need proper medical attention, so he tilts his head in acceptance of that answer. Still, humans surely benefit from social interaction also, and a lack of easy communication is not deterrent to the K'da.

He puts his claw to the ground again, this time scratching out the Earth letters O and K, before looking back up at Josh, his lower jaw slightly open in a K'da smile. "Iou-ni. Meh bheu en kois tu." It matters not that Josh cannot understand him. He is more than content to keep the human company while they wait.