EVENT ★ LOST IN TRANSLATION

[futurologists]

RETURN TO OSKA Upon arrival in Oska, new and returning recruits alike will find that something strange is going on. Any attempts to communicate with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you will be just that -- like you don't speak the same language. Let's hope everyone is good at charades, because you're going to be out of luck for a full day. On the second day, a text comes across -- surprisingly intelligible to everyone. Is it over? Well . . . crowley: Hello, Audentes. We are currently experiencing magitek difficulties, as you may have guessed already. Temporal insects have arrived with our latest arrivals, and as you may imagine, we have had our paws full. cherenkov: We are working out how to mitigate the pest problem for good. For now, please put your unpleasantly huge feet to use and stomp them out. Or other such methods. crowley: We have created a quick patch to facilitate text-based communications, but verbal translation will continue to be down until the insects are exterminated. Thank you for your patience. It's not over. TEMPORAL INSECTS This invasive species has worked its way in through the rifts along with the newest batch of arrivals, and information on them is available in the library (provided you can read the language it's written in!). It seems they behave like locusts, living quietly within the space between rifts for many years until their numbers suddenly balloon and they begin to swarm in search of food. These bugs move fast and pack a nasty bite, but are unarmored and easily squished. Each one is about the size of a football, and leaves a little tell-tale slime trail that makes it easy to track. They can cling to any surface, and won't hesitate to leap onto attackers and bite if they feel threatened. One can take a decently sized but non-lethal bite out of someone, but a number of them together will pose a real danger. If punctured or squished they tend to explode into moderately acidic goo that can cause caustic burns if not immediately washed off. They are attracted to any area of high temporal energy, which can be literally any surface, corner, or point on or within the castle and its grounds. As they begin to feed they cause temporal distortion in the area. This manifests as the immediate area seeming to flicker backwards and forwards through time. An insect gnawing at a table leg in the dining area, for example, might cause the area to stutter between years and years of dinner parties, ghostly attendants of all fashions and species appearing and disappearing as they enter and leave the affected area. An onlooker can't interact with temporal distortions directly, but if the insect is left to its own devices, it will eventually eat through all of the temporal energy and render the immediate area gray, frozen, and completely inert. It's highly recommended you kill or otherwise chase off an insect before it manages this, as it can do irreversible damage to a world. For affected Oska locations, please see this post. OOC NOTES The translation errors will continue through the rest of the month. For more information or to ask questions, please check the plotting post here! New bounties are available in Oska! Please remember to fill out your squidge success form before August 31, 23:59 UTC! Filling the form out is mandatory, even if you do not have the 3 squidge threads. You will not pass AC if you do not fill out the form. Characters who have been accepted on August 20th are exempt. Please direct questions relating to the success form here.

Comments

Chihiro | Japanese, very limited English

[onethousen]

i | on silver platters

Chihiro would have been hard pressed to name why she found the dining room unnerving, even beyond the fact it was filled with prepared food and no apparent chefs handling the preparation. There was no doubt in her mind that yes, those of them currently here were allowed to and encouraged to freely access the area, since food was one of the basic necessities most people required, but she still hesitated. She could almost hear her father telling her not to worry, something about having credit cards and cash. What looked like a roast bird of some kind on a platter had her recollecting her mother biting into a similar feast, telling her it was delicious, that she needed to try some.

Both recollections left her feeling deeply uncomfortable. That hadn't been right, whatever had happened, because it hadn't been meant for them. Yet all the food here was meant for those of them who worked here either by choice or by being pulled in through a rift. If she'd understood properly, that was the case.

Her stomach growled while she continued to hesitate, hands held at the level of her stomach, glancing over her shoulder and shivering at the sight of another of those bugs gnawing at a table leg. They were supposed to do something about those, too, weren't they?

Even as the thought occurred to her, she heard a heavy plop on the countertop. Whipping her head around, Chihiro came near face-to-face with a temporal insect that had crashed down in the middle of the roasted bird tray. She threw her hands up and yelped as she stumbled backward, the insect waving its heavy claws at her in a territorial display of warning as it started to eat. Surprisingly, it didn't appear to be gnawing on the roast bird so much as the platter.

Chihiro's ponytail whipped back and forth as she looked around for anything to use to deal with the insect, shifting her weight from foot to foot while swallowing down the unhappy noises she wanted to make. A silver serving tray cover down the countertop caught her attention. Darting toward it, Chihiro hefted it between both hands and raced back to slam it down over the insect and the roasted bird alike. The insect thrashed around underneath, throwing itself at the tray cover, Chihiro doing her best to keep leverage on the cover to hold it down. It shook and clattered under her hands while she threw an arm over it and clung on, not sure what step two in her master plan of action was at that point.

"Now what am I going to do — gah!" The cover shoved up, scrabbling claws poking out from under the edge. Chihiro batted at them with one hand. "Stop! Get back inside!"

Where was a trash compactor when she needed it?

ii | the help you probably didn't need

[ Once she'd figured out the problem with squishing or stabbing the bugs was the acid-like fluids they splattered everywhere, Chihiro had carefully experimented with how to mitigate this problem.

Her careful experimentation went something like this: scramble for a pitcher of water in the kitchens and pour it on her leg after splattering one of the insects nearly on accident. It'd hurt, but the water and scrubbing with a towel made it stop, and so she searched for a big pot and filled it with water at one of the sinks.

Having already run into the problem of not speaking the same languages as those others she's casually brushed by here... Chihiro threw polite caution to the wind and starts "helping" by dumping water on people splattered by bug-juice when she sees them.

You may not need that water. You may be entirely fine. But she thought she saw something and trying to ask what had happened if they don't both speak Japanese is a hassle, so have a ten year old dowsing some or all of you in cool water and holding up a towel. ]

I'm sorry, but I thought I saw some of the bug juice get on you. Here, this is for wiping it off, okay?

[ She'll shove that towel out after pantomiming wiping down her arm if the person she's just thrown water on doesn't seem to understand her language.

... You're all... so welcome............... ]

wildcard!

[ You can toss me a wildcard or tag in asking for me to randomise a scenario for us! ]

ii, japanese

[regiment]

(the cold splash of water that flattens white hair to his forehead gets a heavy gasp out of him, forcing him out of his seat and into a sharp turn to face the culprit. it's a bit of a rude awakening from his short rest, having zoned out at one of the dining hall tables after fighting a particularly nasty bug with a penchant for snapping at his ankles. chihiro, however, is right in dousing him—because the burns he's gotten on his forearms from brawling with these pests are numerous and getting ugly.

shiro hears the japanese, spots the little girl holding a towel out to him, and slowly eases out of his defensive stance.)

Oh— (smooth, way to possibly scare a child with a glowing right hand, you monster... steam curls from it when droplets of residual water hit his fingers and evaporate on contact.) Hey, thanks for the help. Did you find out how to calm these burns all by yourself?

(there's a fondness to his voice, as there's a mega soft place in his heart for kids, and he speaks back to her in their mother tongue with a smile significantly warmer than the bath he just unceremoniously received. thankfully, the light from his galra prosthesis ebbs away, leaving him able enough to take the towel from her with a small bow of his head.)

That's a genius move. (happily drips, if it means this girl will feel better.) You really saved me.

forgive me this took far too long

[onethousen]

[ It takes her that extra moment at first to process what he's saying, already having straightened up and prepared herself for whatever was coming. What that was she couldn't have said, but she does realise on a level that hasn't stopped her yet that dumping water on strangers might not always be well received.

The light of that hand is surprising, as much as the lighting that her welcomer, Kojuro-san, had manifested as if it were the easiest thing in the world. She's simply glad when it doesn't end up being a lightning ball or anything of the kind lobbed right at her.

She's not so sure she'd have been able to dodge in time.

When he's talking and she understands, her shoulders relax a fraction, eyes flicking between his hand and his face. In the end, she settles on watching his face. Her returning smile is small but present. ]

It isn't really. Thank you for saying so. When I was splashed earlier, I figured it out. Mostly on accident.

[ She'd defaulted to wash it off as a response. She'd been lucky enough that it'd worked. Still, she glances to his left arm, not sure how much worry she needed to have over the arm that'd been glowing in pinkish purples not that long before. ]

If your burns are bad, you'll probably want someone to look at them. To make sure they don't get infected or anything.

[ Burns do that, don't they? She can admit to herself she's not sure. ]

this is still glorious

[regiment]

Some of Earth's great minds discovered things by accident. I guess I'm just happy to have these feeling better. (a motion to her, benign,) We can go get someone to take a look as soon as these gross bugs are taken care of, how's that?

(burns are pretty nasty, if left untreated; the skin on his other forearm is red and sporting a couple of painful-looking welts, but, thankfully, it's nothing serious—and most of the backsplash hit his fire retardant prosthesis. small blessings, despite the looks its getting. that gives him more pause than the actual splash of cold water. inoffensive by all means, but...

the metal hand turns so he can stare down at its palm, cybernetic fingers opening slowly.

no matter.

head tilting with a broader smile, shiro drops into a crouch to even out their height (which is very mismatched when his back and shoulders are straight), he flops the towel onto his head and ruffles his hair with it, drying it as well as he can. which naturally leaves it hanging around his neck soon after.)

Hey, what's your name? (dipping his head in a little show of respect,) I'm Shirogane Takashi, but you can call me Shiro if you'd like. All of my buddies do.

hahaha i'm glad you think so!!!

[onethousen]

[ she allows herself a small frown. it's being dismissive, in her eyes, but it's not as if she can or will dictate what those older than her should be doing. her parents, maybe, but she knows she takes license with them that she doesn't take with others.

she doesn't think the gross bugs will be all taken care of that easily, on the other hand. it's a strong enough feeling that she ventures, quietly, to say as much. ]

Even if it takes days?

[ she's looking at the troubles these insects are causing, how they seem to emerge in numbers that don't make sense and swarm and disappear only to swarm again. so many of them being killed and carted off and still more came, like cicadas waking to their brief freedom after their lives spent underground.

she watches him turn his metal hand around, finding it fascinating in a way she doesn't vocalise. the way it has her attention is easy to see, from the small movement of her head to track shiro's hand as he opens his fingers. she's never seen anything like that; has no confusing almost-memories to say she has. this is television and movie style complicated, and she wonders, for a brief moment, if cosplay could ever produce something so naturally dexterous appearing.

crouching down to her level, she shifts the pot to one side, both hands back on it again. she still hasn't smiled, eyes widening a fraction as she feels a small surge of adrenaline related to introductions. it doesn't make sense, but she trusts the feeling has a purpose, even as she gives him a shallow bow, trying to avoid knocking foreheads or anything of the kind as she moves. ]

I'm Chihiro Ogino. It's nice to meet you, Takashi-san. [ it's as she straightens that she pauses, finding it in her by then to offer a small, pleased smile. since to her, yes, she can feel a sense of indulgence, but it's not offensive. not when the implication tied in with buddies is friends: in her heart, that concept resonates with a fierce importance. ]

My friends call me Chihiro. [ she breathes in. she can do this. SHE'LL CHANCE IT. ] ... Shiro... san.

[ SO CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR ]

i.

[apoptotic]

[ this was new. for a second, anakin could only blink at the strange ( and frankly funny ) sight the girl, rattling cover, and furious insect made. stare too long, however, the sights began to temporally warp. the instability translated to a buzz in the force threatening a headache.

a gloved hand dropped over the cover. the mechanical prosthetic underneath had enough strength on its own to hold the cover down without his needing to lean on it. the scratching noises issued from inside the cover, but the cover itself remained still. anakin spoke in galactic basic, then made a small shooing motion when galactic basic proved…not galactic. smiles needed no translation, however, and he smiled, not wishing to alarm her.

the lightsaber he will pull out will probably do that all on its own. ]

[onethousen]

[ She looks up in surprise when his hand comes down over the cover, not understanding him at first (not an uncommon problem lately, though apparently uncommon in a greater context). It's clear to her he's helping, considering how the struggle she has been facing greatly decreases once he places his hand on the cover. Much as the shooing motion makes sense; back away?

Okay, she can do that. There's a moment where she glances between the cover and his face, then relaxes, pulling her arm away and venturing a small smile in return.

Before he pulls out a lightsaber (registering to her as yet another glowing sort of magic after events earlier on in the day) and she finds her shoulders hunching as she moves up the counter to a safer position. The scrabbling and clashing from under the cover continues, even while the creature itself continues to feast. Another disruption leaves images of hands and meals long since devoured flickering around in the space of the counter where they are, including showing a lack of counter altogether at one point. ]

omg that's so cute???

[apoptotic]

[ smart girl. once she's backed off ( more for her mental wellbeing than any physical danger ), what happens next happens quickly. the blue blade plunges through the cover, unerringly guided by the force to the alien inside. all sounds stop immediately, but for the weapon's plasma hum. it deactivates with a retreating whoosh. anakin doesn't return it to his belt. with the way his day has been going, he will need it when he next turns around. nor does he lift the cover; no one needs to see cooked worm. ]

It's okay, [ he says, and though the words likely do not cross, he trusts the meaning does. he passes the lightsaber to his gloved hand, extending the other to her to help her down. ]

laughs i'm glad you like it! as i draw all the wrong outfits /face in hands

[onethousen]

[ just like that, it's over. she isn't even sure what happened to his sword, making her even more sure it must be magic. she can at least connect that it's related to the hilt left in his hand. the sound cutting out as the light does, and the fact he keeps hold of that physical portion, is telling in her mind.

(even when she has entirely the wrong sort of impression.)

she feels gratitude keenly enough when he speaks, figuring he's saying "all done" or "now that's over" or "we're okay now" or "it must like chicken," unperturbed to not know which. the fact he's extending a hand her way is good enough for her to feel like it's better now than it was a minute earlier. ]

Thank you.

[ she says even as he helps her down, accepting his hand to jump down and settle her feet on the floor again. once there, she gives him a brief, respectful bow. her words might not communicate, but she can hope her actions do.

and that bowing isn't like challenging someone to a duel in his country??? ]

ii

[yaomomo]

[She's so glad that the uniform was practically waterproof, and that she's much taller than her. Still, she does get wet, and some does get in her hair, causing her to let out an embarrassing yelp as she just narrowly manages to block the most of it from her face.

There hadn't been much, not when she's trying to shoot them from afar with a pellet gun (she wants to make sure they can't kill people after all, so she can't create a more dangerous gun), but Chihiro does manage to get some of the acid that gets on her clothes. Not enough to burn through, but...]

No, it's fine. Thanks for your concern. That water was for precaution, wasn't it?

[She says in full Japanese, even offering a smile at her for the towel.]

None of it got on you, did it?

i'm so sorry this took two days /face in hands

[onethousen]

[ Chihiro lets out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in relief when she understands what this young woman says. She knows this is surprising, and she's thankful the most she startled out of her was a yelp and not a physical reaction. Which... might be why Chihiro had been holding the empty pot in front of her like a poor stomach shield and held the towel out with her other arm.

She nods... then shakes her head. ]

Not this time, no. I don't know if everyone's been able to wash it off before it's damaging, and we're not all speaking the same languages, so...

[ Chihiro gives a small shrug of her shoulders. She doesn't feel sheepish. Intrusive to degrees, but never sheepish when she's just gotten into this whole new kind of chaos. ]

I'm sorry to have startled you!

that is so adorable!!

[yaomomo]

True enough, and we don't know how many more of these are still around.

[She hates the fact that she's had to leave a messy trail because of these insects, but cleanup will take a while and she doesn't think they can afford letting these run free while they clean. So... dealing with the mess will have to come later.]

I'm glad you're all right. However, I don't think that's going to protect you forever.

[If anything, it worries her-- does she even know how to fight?]

Would you like to come with me? I can protect the both of us.

i'm glad you like it!

[onethousen]

[ She shakes her head — not to refuse the offer to go with her, but as a response to the idea that the water will protect her at all. ]

The slugs aren't so bad if they don't feel cornered. I haven't been much help in getting rid of them on purpose.

[ Accidentally, she's not been too shabby. Outside of learning the hard way that water helps. ]

So I've been sticking with trying to help people not get burned. Um, though I don't mind going with you, if you're okay stopping by somewhere with a faucet?

[ Holding up the empty pot as a sort of offered explanation to why, her expression remains more solemn and determined than anything else. ]

one

[twinpeak]

[ Meanwhile, the dining hall was nothing short of a familiar place for Dipper; ever since their first return to Oska, he's made all the use of it he could (although, stuffing himself sick on unusual and fancy dishes simply because he could wasn't nearly as fun now that his sister wasn't around anymore, so it's back to the more normal options and portions for him), and it's not at all odd that he comes strolling back in after yet another mission lacking in any decent meals.

No, the odd part is when he wanders in, expecting another quiet day in Oska—language barriers notwithstanding—to a frantic young girl holding down a tray as if it were the only barrier between her and a vicious monster.

Dipper's posture immediately straightens out from his slouch, freezing in place with wide eyes. ]

What the—what's going on?!

im so sorry this took two days /face in hands

[onethousen]

[ Chihiro hears him beyond the clanging and scrabbling of the insect under the cover, frantically looking over her shoulder. English? She thinks that's English!

However, her response is entirely in Japanese. ]

Hey! Do you have tape or anything to hold this down with? It's going to break out!

[ How in the world to pantomime that while holding on to the cover and keeping the lid from popping off? It doesn't help that various insects are snacking on tables and chairs and in one case a lamp in the region. She chances raising a hand and making a scooping, come here motion, making sure as to not be so rude as to point. She needs something to squish this bug or knock it out or — carrying it out won't do much, will it? Angry, she's going to need to solve the problem of making sure it doesn't try to take a chunk out of her before it's rendered relatively harmless. ]

no worries, we're even on the slowness scale :*

[twinpeak]

[ She answers back, but not in a manner Dipper can completely understand. Figures, he thinks, but it doesn't take much to assess the situation after the initial surprise; scrambling underneath that silver cover are little claws and legs fighting to squeeze underneath and free itself from its sudden trap. Ones that belong to... ]



[ It's bad enough they're everywhere else, but now the food isn't safe, either? Dipper scowls, glancing around before he ends up slipping a sneaker off his foot, wielding it in a hand like a weapon. Slowly, he approaches the table, lifting his free hand with one finger raised. ]

Lift on three?

[ Please understand that at least, stranger. ]

UPS THE SCALE also gives us a movie poster montage moment (i pretend.. at least...)

[onethousen]

[ Her eyes flit from the kid around her age to his shoe, then down to the top of the cover she's still holding down. She doesn't fully understand him, but she thinks he's counting, and she thinks he's also pretty sure he's going to... stun? The bug with his shoe?

She'll give him points for sheer bravery. Regardless of her opinion on the shoe plan (she'd have preferred something broader), Chihiro nods her head. By the time he has three fingers up, she'll pull the cover back and allow their little slimy, hungry friend to fly free.

One finger, and she tenses.

Two fingers, and she's gritting her teeth.

Three fingers, and her own fingers are curling against the metal. ]

Three!

[ She calls out in her own language, followed by: ]

Three!

[ Even as the lid is tipped back by her hands and the bug underneath is exposed, gathering itself to leap forward into freedom and it's next big meal. ]

II

[ex_adept136]

[Being one of those with regenerative capabilities, Haise has focused on dispatching as many of the alien slugs as he can. Of course, this has resulted in his ALASTAIR uniform adopting holes from the corrosive goo the creatures are riddled with, but he's not so concerned about this as he expects others ought to be. He's seen and been through considerably worse.

Just as he finishes quelling one onslaught of the strange bugs, he's doused in cold water, effectively derailing his thoughts. He sputters, brushing his two-toned bangs from his face with his free hand, and glances around for the source.

By the time his eyes land on the girl, she's already speaking. And fortunately for the both of them, she knows modern Japanese just as he does]

Ah...thank you.

[He offers her a lopsided smile, accepting the towel and dropping it on his hair to ruffle it dry. The result is a mess that sticks up in odd places, some ridiculous-tier imitation bedhead that, if anyone were to see him first thing in the morning, would quite resemble the real thing.

Although he's the last person anyone should be worried about, he's struck by the kind sentiment all the same. Young as she appears to be, it's quite thoughtful of her to look after others...and flushing a wound of the corrosive substance would certainly help]

It's very kind of you to look after my health. [He offers a formal bow then, as is polite] I hope I can repay you.

im so sorry this took two days /face in hands

[onethousen]

[ She rests the pot on top of her head while stepping back from him, truly taking in how terrible his uniform is faring. That he's moving as easily as he does feels like a miracle to her. Either luck or something else, and she's not too particular in trying to guess which.

For the most part, she's glad he doesn't appear to be doing poorly, uniform non-withstanding.

She keeps the pot resting on her head even after he takes the towel, only moving to lower it when he bows. Her own bow is hastier in turn, ponytail flipping over with the speed of her own attempt at a formal bow in return, pot tucked in tight against her lap. ]

It's okay! I'm glad you're all right. I don't know how many people have figured out about the bugs and their fluids.

[ Straightening up, she shifts the pot to one nonexistent hip, freeing a hand to push her bangs back off her forehead. ]

Um... you are okay, sir? Your uniform...

[ Looks like it's lost a few fights with various nasty minded creatures. ]

Oh! Ah, I'm Chihiro Ogino.

[ She bows again, more gracefully this time. She defaults to a classroom greeting over anything else, her brain having trouble settling on what proper reactions to this situation were supposed to be, all the while remembering an unpleasant voice calling her a rude, ungrateful brat. Introductions were important, weren't they? She feels that way, even if the memory of who spoke and the feeling of spider legs as big as spades against her neck and shoulder gives her a shiver and no further answers as to their cause. ]

Please look after me.

[ Not meant literally, and not asking literally, but... he probably understands that. ]

my gosh that is so adorable...

[ex_adept136]

[Haise isn't sure himself just how many of their number have figured out the bugs are full of some corrosive goo. He does hope that they're not learning as much the hard way, because those who didn't heal swiftly on their own could be seriously hurt by such a surprise. It's fortunate then that there are kind souls like Chihiro looking out for their fellow associates, and hopefully that teamwork will be enough for them.

Although Haise's experience with schooling was quite different from the average person, at least what he remembers, he recognizes the formality for what it is. He notes the tremor that passes through her too, but finding it brief, he supposes this wouldn't be the best time to intrude on her thoughts.

Instead, perhaps they should focus on something else. It seems to him that she may be new here, having never seen her face before, so she may be adapting to the circumstances...]

Would you mind me accompanying you? Some of the others could probably use our help, with these bugs all over the place like this.

[Chihiro didn't ask to be looked after, but they're associates now. So they look out for one another, at least so far as Haise is concerned. For those without their own rapid recovery or access to healing magic, getting doused with water is a much better option than letting that goo eat away at them.

If they should run into more bugs, that's something that he can handle, and it'd enable her to continue assisting the others. So he thinks, at least]

laughs, i'm glad you enjoyed it!

[onethousen]

[ Her understanding of the situation had been complicated by being given first by one man, then over the network (or whatever it was they wanted to call it, she thought of it as a strange sort of jewelry activated intranet), but the idea of the teamwork they needed to rely on communicated either way. Her fighting skills for pests that didn't bleed acid were better than those for the ones that did; either way, she's more helpful assisting those better able to handle the direct clean up. Or that's been her thought process up until now, for as much as it was worth.

At his question, she tightens her grip on the pot, still held at her side. Her nod is small and solemn, because her fallback to all of this nonsense has been finding that action she can take and focusing quite seriously on getting it done. Her parents aren't here, nor her friends from the town she was in before, nor the half-impressions of friends she can't quite pin down. Only one name really emerges, Haku, and it feels like little more than an impression of rushing water or air. Whoever or whatever Haku is, they're also not here.

So she has to find her own way, and her own means of effectively being part of a team she's pretty sure is comprised of people far more capable of a broad range of things than she is. It's not discouraging so much as an extension of her presumption about her elders. She'll simply have to work extra hard to make up for the differences in experience. ]

If it's not troublesome for you, I would like that, sir. I need to refill the pot first. [ She pauses, looking up to his face. ] Do you know if we need to worry about cleaning up after them?

[ Slime trails, bodies, burnt out husks as she's come across every so often... she won't deny it's been less than pleasant, but it is another skill she has picked up in the last, oh. Week. ]

ii; arrives a week late with starbucks....also wow this entire thread is super cute wth

[longtempered]

[As it turns out, beating up an infestation of temporal bugs is a pretty distracting affair on the whole, between the weird effect they seem to be having on surroundings and the fact that the little bastards refuse to stay put long enough get beaten up in the first place. There are probably much more intuitive ways to do this, honestly, but Shizuo is a simple and straightforward man of simple and straightforward means--and he'd sort of figured punching and occasionally stepping on them is just as good a way to deal with them as anything else...

The soles of his shoes hold up relatively alright to the acid of bug demise--though maybe that's because he's been mostly using his fists, stepping on them being a second resort. Shizuo also hasn't noticed any problem with using his bare hands, though, because if pain does not generally register for you and you're not actually paying attention to your hands all that much...well, a few light acid burns become incredibly easy to miss. No, instead, Shizuo's currently occupied with chasing a bug down a hallway and up a wall, where he promptly flattens it with a swat of his hand--

And turns around just in time to get drenched in a pitcher of water.

Registering the water before actually registering the girl in front of him, Shizuo recoils with sharp and automatic irritation--aah, his sleeves are drenched, why--] Hey, what the hell?! What do you think you're-- [--Oh, that's a towel being shoved at him. And a small girl attached to the towel. After a second for this to sink in, the indignation deflates about as rapidly as a pricked balloon.....he takes the towel.] --Oh. ...Thanks?

[What follows is a short and very awkward pause while he wipes his hands and frowns down at her. At length:] ...Sure, the bug bits are sort of gross, but I think this is a little extreme...hey, you shouldn't go around dumping water on random people, don't you think?

SLAMS IN SIX DAYS LATER i am so sorry

[onethousen]

[ Chihiro's still holding up the pot when he's recoiling, tucking her chin in toward her chest and pulling the empty pot close to her stomach. It's more awkward with one hand, since her other thrust the towel out, but it's once he's taken it that she has both hands back on the pot with her shoulders a little less squared off, presuming he's about to speak in a language she won't recognise.

As it turns out... she understands him. Relief is almost immediate, almost to the point where it's like she's ignoring what he's saying in favour of being glad to run into anyone else she understands. His Japanese even sounds like the right era. ]

Huh? The bug bites?

[ Ah, but she was listening, and she gives a firm shake shake shake of her head as she steps closer, letting one hand hold the pot closer to her hip as she reaches out with her other hand. ]

No, it's their um. Their blood? It burns skin and clothes. I even saw it melt a faucet.

[ Dead serious about that one; familiarly serious with the look on her face when she's examining his hands without touching. More like getting closer and peering at them intently. ]

I thought I saw some of their fluids get on you. Are you okay?

[ No, she shouldn't dump water on random people, but she's aligned her priorities to the "why" and less to the "should I even." ]

SLAMS BACK LIKE OVER TEN DAYS LATER im even more sorry oh my god....but this pic adorable oh no

[longtempered]

[It's definitely modern Japanese alright, though Shizuo doesn't quite figure out why the girl's relief is so visible until she's talking back herself--also in Japanese. Oh, that's really nice...he's already had to play his fair share of awkward charades lately, alongside being reminded of just how woefully out of practice his English is too.

Which makes this particular encounter even less aggravating than it would have been otherwise, even packaged with a lot of splashing water as it is. Shizuo dabs at his soaked sleeves with the towel once his hands are drier, confusion evening out to mild resignation (he really...really doesn't like getting his bartender's suit in any kind of mess, but at least water just dries off and doesn't stain anything), though at Chihiro's next few words he looks up, blinking. If his startled expression is anything to go by, this is evidently news to Shizuo.]

What, melt a faucet, seriously? [WHAT...she scoots up closer to peer at his hands intently, and Shizuo loops the towel over an arm so he can peer down at them too, bemused. Oh, his fingertips and knuckles are getting rather reddish, now that she mentions it...] Well, I mean, I've just been sort of swatting them around lately, but I hadn't noticed...guess I must have gotten a little on me. Ah, but it's not that bad, is it?

[The question's a genuine one; he wiggles his fingers at little at Chihiro as he looks back up, frowning vaguely. Acid burns aren't really a frequent thing in his life, he doesn't know...it all feels the same to him??? (Aka like nothing...it feels like nothing.....somebody get this man some gloves stat--)]

we will rule this house of lateness okay (also I'm sorry for Chihiro)

[onethousen]

[ Chihiro could lament about English, only hers was far more elementary, Dear Watson. His surprise has her outright staring. ]

You didn't feel that?

[ Scratch simply looking concerned. Chihiro sets down her pot and carefully tries to take Shizuo's hands by the wrists to tug at this grown man who frankly towers over her. ]

It's that bad Come on. Have you been hitting all of them barehanded?

[ She knows what that feels like personally (accidental as it may have been) and doesn't see the evidence on his skin that he's rapidly healing back from injuries. Having met one person with such an ability, she won't discount the potential for others to be likewise equipped.

She's also ten and brooking no nonsense, which may or may not explain why someone half his size is trying to drag him off to the dining halls, looking pretty determined as she does so. ]