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

a

[headlining]

[Go talk to the newcomer, they said. Tell him why he's here, they said. Honestly, Keats has half a mind to turn back out of annoyance, but he's made it this far, so he can't really go back now. Might as well see who this person is and try to stop them from doing anything too stupid.]

[He spots the man (and his rather noticeable hat), and sees him pulling himself out of the water. Yeesh. Not a good place to end up. He's almost about to approach when Sabo summons his fire, and Keats stares, slightly impressed.]

[Ah, but he can't stare forever. He raises his voice, waving from over a slight pile of rocks near the lake.]

Hey! Hey. You're... [What's his name again?] Saybo, right?

[Good job, Keats.]

[ryusoken]

Sabo. [He says in an emphasized tone as he turns toward the man who mispronounced his name. It's not that difficult, is it? Seeing as he's speaking in English... he tries to make do with the same language.]

You know my name.... but I'm not from here. [He adjusts his hat as he says his next statement.] Can you explain what's going on? [Besides the fact that you sort of knew his name... not that being lost would be a big hindrance to him, but if there's a person who knew the predicament, all the more to ask.]

[headlining]

Right, Sabo.

[He thrusts his hands into his coat pockets, wandering closer to the other man while making sure not to trip or fall - his glasses shine in the light a little too brightly.]

Well, to keep things short...you've sort of stepped into another world. By accident or on purpose, I don't know, but there's a corporation called ALASTAIR that has recruited all of us accidental vagabonds into helping keep the stability of the multiverse.

[A beat.] Or something like that. Either way, you're working for them now.

[ryusoken]

[A little too brightly is right.. you blinded the blond man that he almost fell back into the lake, geez. Sabo makes an attempt to listen to the English... but he is at a loss to understand all of his words. ...it just leaves him tilting his head and just going ??? ? ?]

I don't think I caught all that. [He says this in English and continues.] Another world...ALASTAIR...working, okay that much I got. But...could you say the rest in simpler words?

[headlining]

[Man, Sabo, you need to learn how to survive anime glasses shines! You're from an anime yourself, for god's sake!]

[Keats arches an eyebrow.]

Uh. Alright. [He had assumed this man knew English just fine, but...well, either he doesn't know it well, or he's just stupid. Keats lets out a sigh.]

We're from different worlds. We're here to save the universe because ALASTAIR said so. Is that simple enough for you?

[ryusoken]

[Hey he doesn't deal with glasses shine that often - we don't have even that many glasses characters where he comes from, wow.]

Um yes? You could've said so in the first place. [Continuing in English. Look, he has a grasp of English grammar and sentence structure but throw him some weird vocabulary and he'll be lost.]

I just don't know the language you are speaking that well. [In this utter honesty.] But, okay. I understand. What is it that ALASTAIR wants us to do to ..save this universe?

[headlining]

[Get some more, then!! GOSH]

Yes, well, there's nothing wrong with a bit of embellishment. [He's a writer - making things sound good is kind of part of his job.]

Well...not really. Oska, the name of this world, serves as a kind of headquarters for ALASTAIR. It's a world in between worlds. From here, they send us to other worlds on mission that supposedly help the universe from breaking apart.

There are problems here, though. It seems we've got a bit of a bug problem, recently.

[ryusoken]

[LET'S JUST BLATANTLY IGNORE HIS FANCY WORDING. Because wow, you sure love to sound so smart in this language. He decides to nod instead as he listen intently to this man's words and responds in the language... he isn't fluent in.]

... Makes sense. [Thankfully he could grasp most of what you just said.] Sounds like the work I usually do where I come from. [He makes another firm nod.]

Bugs though... [He holds out a hand and combusts a flame within it.] Do you know if they're weak to fire?

[headlining]

[He sure sounds as smarmy as he looks.]

Well, they're more slugs than bugs. And they are, but... [He frowns. The fire conjuring is a nice trick - Keats makes a mental note of that.] They have the bad habit of exploding acid if you kill them.

let's just assume everything he says in just in plain english now. languages abust

[ryusoken]

[Great, the kind of people he dislikes the most.]

So you say... [He ponders, his unlit hand going to his chin.] That's nothing short of a challenge if it involves exploding acid. [Making this wide grin. He's already enjoying what's in store for this mission.]

slides back in real smooth and SURE

[headlining]

A challenge? [He can't help but grinning too.]

So, you're not afraid of putting those things in their place? You're quite the go-getter.

home run- i mean yes good

[ryusoken]

Not a bit. [He turns off the flame, only to hold out a pipe in front of Keats, tapping it onto his other palm to show off.]

In fact, I like to fight. [He ignites his hand again, only to spread fire onto the pipe he is holding.] It's not too bad if you've trained a lot to be able to take anything on, really.

[headlining]

[What a fancy trick - Keats almost feels vaguely jealous, since the only amount of control he has over his own fire magic is not enough to be used as a lighter. All of his powers tend to lean towards "as much destruction as possible".]

Ha! That so? I like to fight, too, I really don't mind a scuffle... [A pause.] Do you have anything else up your sleeves besides the whole fire act?

[ryusoken]

[I'm sorry he was confused for a moment there. What's a "scuffle"... Ah, but he tries to play it cool. He holds out his hand, curling it into "claws" in front of Keats.]
The fist style I use. This was what I was taught since I was little. "Ryusoken".

[He walks away from Keats at that moment. His back facing him, standing on a rock.] I should get going though.

[headlining]

Huh. Never heard of the technique.

[But looks like he won't have the chance to talk to him more - oh well. Keats lets out a huff, raising a hand and waving him off.]

Alright, then. Have fun, don't let the bugs eat you up, alright?

[ryusoken]

They'll be burnt before they'll ever get to me.

[Because he's just fire. He jumps off, and makes a dash - eventually disappearing into the distance.]