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

[chiron_survivor]

Well, he's got a point there. This psychic expansion of her mind is very new to her.

"What would you recommend, then? I tried talking about it with Micolash, but..." She looks away and sighs. Whether he deserves the label or not, the Nightmare scholar is the very definition of dangerous. Even she knows that he's not the right sort of person to get help from.

[not_the_question]

"A tutor. Someone to show you the ropes, teach you both uses and defences."

No, he's not offering. She asked for his suggestion, he's giving it to her.

"It's best if you and this person have a mutual level of trust."

[chiron_survivor]

"A tutor..." She thinks about it a little, then seems to relax. "I can think of a couple different people who could help. One of them checked me over right after the Nightmare, actually, when I told her that I had a psychic connection with a Great One."

Don't worry, Doctor, she's not going to ask you. She doesn't even know that you can do that, except with your TARDIS.

"Trust is not something I have trouble with," she says, smiling faintly. "Which you'd probably say is part of my problem. But you don't have to worry about me. Things are good for me now."

[not_the_question]

"Oh yes, good. A phrase I find is usually followed by death."

Sorry, that's his life. It's sometimes unfortunate and sad, but it is what it is.

[chiron_survivor]

She winces a little at his pessimism, then reminds herself that he's speaking from his own experience. Which must be terribly sad, if that's how things work for him -- happiness snatched away at a moment's notice.

"Doesn't that make it all the more reason not to worry, then? To simply enjoy what you have, when you have it?"

[not_the_question]

"Who says you can't enjoy things and respect that some things are dangerous?"

It is his life. He can't have it both ways, but he does try, when he can.

[chiron_survivor]

She smiles a little. "Fair enough. I have a tendency to let my worries get out of control. Just trying to avoid that for once."

Her PINpoint buzzes, and she pulls it out of her pocket to read the message. "Oh. My boyfriend's in the shopping district... sounds like it's pretty bad, there, most of the stores are closed." She bites her lip. "I should go to him. Will you excuse me, Doctor?"

[not_the_question]

"If you want to leave worries aside, make it something you shouldn't worry about, like the translation thing. But guard your mind, lest it come under someone else's control."

He watches as she answers her device. Interesting. Thought she said all things were not translating. But rather than press, he gives a nod of the head.

"Until we meet again."

With that, he turns and starts to walk in a different direction.