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]

Caspar blinks at the offered presents. It's a rare thing for him, to get gifts from anyone, and it's with a surprising tentativeness that he reaches out and takes the thick book and bag of runes.

"I--" he begins, in Bulgarian, before knitting his brows and clearing his throat. He doesn't seem to know what to do with his hands full, but eventually sets down the book and bag on the couch so he can take the notebook and pen from Adia.

Thank you. I had thought about asking if someone like me could learn. The corner of his mouth pulls up into a playful smile. You wouldn't happen to have this book in electronic form, would you?

Adia, who had been beaming over Caspar's sincere thanks, frowns a little and nudges his shoulder. Caspar laughs, then yelps when Bucky also pokes at him for good measure, and not nearly as gently. "Ow! αστειευόμουν!" He sighs and says to Hermione in Bulgarian, "I'm kidding. I can come to you if I have a question, okay?"

[mudblood_andproud]

Hermione laughs at the written question. "We are still working on uniting technology with the wizarding world Caspar."

"But why not transfer what you read into an electronic form?" He would be good at it.

[chiron_survivor]

Yeah, why doesn't he? The thought keeps the smile on his face. I'll send you the first copy.

Adia's PINpoint beeps. She looks at it, then at Caspar. She doesn't have to say anything; he knows what that means.

We need to go he writes down. They're expecting us back home.

He trades the notebook for the book and runes, giving the bag a thoughtful heft. Adia gestures to her messenger bag, but he shakes his head. He'll carry them home.

It's Adia's turn to write, after a worried glance at Bucky. The braviary is ruffling its feathers anxiously, sensing that Adia is getting ready to leave. Can you and Crookshanks make sure he gets back to his roost? The translator malfunction is stressing him out.

[mudblood_andproud]

Crookshanks moves so that Adia can leave, and positions himself right by the braviary. He purrs lightly.

"Of course we can." Hermione smiles.

[chiron_survivor]

Crookshanks' purring seems to calm down Bucky enough that he doesn't try to get between Caspar and Adia again. He doesn't understand what's being said, but he's having a similar idea of returning to his roost and waiting it out for Steve, or circling above to look for the other two pokémon. It's not so daunting, now that he knows Adia is heading home and out of trouble.

"Thank you," Adia says in Bulgarian, smiling a little. She learned something! Then she writes, I'll try to check on the Nexus later, to see if the translator is back up. I'm hoping this is is only temporary.

She touches foreheads with Bucky, smoothing down his neck feathers, and then scratches Crookshanks behind the ears. Caspar gives Hermione a nod goodbye. Crookshanks gets another smile. "Thanks for the help, little man. See you soon."

And then the pair teleports away.