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

[asscan]

If he's not saying it directly, Laedo is thinking something similar. Huffing again, quirking his mouth in a grimace or a grin, he flicks one ear forward and then both come up, his eyes lighting up--well, one of them, anyways.

The askan rakes one hand over the sod near where they had settled, the gesture itself a little alarming... but then he fastidiously picks at tufts of grass and gravel, clearing them to one side until he has smooth soil.

Digging his claw into the newly made canvas, he grins at the elf before he draws a simplified askan face, and a simplified elvhen one. Drawing tic-marks issuing from his representation's mouth in a vertical fashion, and horizontal one's from Meallan's representation, he then wipes the tableau and points to himself. "Asandus, askan, fugas in praesidium... nunc fugas in Audentes. Laedo Ledo, filius Laurea Ledo." He let the silence hang between them, ears pointedly forward like he expected Meallan to speak.

[strikingtwice]

He can't really stop how he leaps in surprise at the sudden motion, but Meallan is at least a little proud of himself for not immediately reaching for his magic again, managing to remember that Laedo, even if he can't understand him right now, doesn't seem to mean him any harm.

The toothy smile from a mouth large enough to easily take his head off though... that almost makes him wonder again.

Fortunately it's easy to see what Laedo is intending after a moment, and he moves closer to take in the drawing, such as it is. Which... quickly means nothing to him. Except maybe that they can't understand each other but he's not certain how Laedo thinks that's magically going to change when he speaks again.

Meallan shakes his head and, haltingly, reaches out to try drawing something himself. His movements are a lot more careful and his right hand shakes a little as he pain-stakingly forms letters in the dirt with the air of someone not entirely familiar with the task. Occasionally he makes a mistake and grumbles in frustration as he swipes the letter away and replaces it with a carefully drawn one.

Eventually he steps back, a carefully written "Can you read this?" written in the dust in large, wobbly script.

[asscan]

Laedo stares at the script for a moment, then at Meallan, then lowers his muzzle almost to the ground. Finally, frustrted, he whuffs and blows the soil across the elf's hard work, making it quite clear exactly what he understands. For a moment he seems angry, ears all flattened back, muzzle moving like he's thinking of growling or cursing or both.

Then, getting a mastery over himself, he settles entirely to the ground and arches his neck so that he can place his head in his hands. "This is a test on purpose," he grumbles to nobody... though eventually he gets himself back together to look to Meallan. "Let us find the people who run this broken down excuse for a military outfit and shred them until they give in," though he pauses, here. "After we have found something to eat, if they have not poisoned that, too."

Of course none of that is coming across, so he points to the castle, and then to his mouth, baring his teeth and running his tongue across pointed canines.

[strikingtwice]

None of the noises that come from Laedo make any sense to him and Meallan huffs in frustration as well as he realises that apparently writing isn't working either. Not of Laedo isn't returning the action anyway. It's probably for the best at least; he's not certain if he can really manage long conversations via writing in dirt.

He's trying to think of what else might be possible when Laedo turns back to him and... alright those are definitely some impressive teeth. Meallan takes a half step back, a flicker of uncertainty and fear crossing his face. He's... fairly certain Laedo isn't threatening him. Although it's a certainty that's wavering in the face of those teeth.

All the same, he makes himself take a breath and step closer, reaching out a hand that only trembles faintly as he touches Laedo's front leg. "I really have no idea what you're trying to imply, I'm afraid," he admits. "But if you want to go to the castle, I'll come along. I trust you have a plan in mind."

[asscan]

"Your solidarity is appreciated," Laedo sighed. He'd seen Meallan's half-step back and that flicker of fear, and for a moment his heart dropped like a stone. After his fight and the antagonization he'd received when Ulale had left him, the askan was not feeling in good spirits. Of the few allies he'd made, losing Meallan to misunderstanding would have been a hard blow.

He backed up a few paces, then settled on his haunches as he initiated a shift. He was tired, bone tired after he had had to repair his cracked jaw with the last of his supplementary magic, but Laedo had enough to spare to make the transition to a human form. If the light he cast was not as bright as it could be, if his non-descript shape browned out to a staid gold by the time he was mostly human, it was only because he was conserving the last of it. He could not even pretend to be in an obnoxious huff now, he merely sagged for a moment until he found the energy to close the distance between himself and the elf.

Once there, he clapped Meallan on both shoulders, inclining his head without words. He wanted to put the elf at ease before all else; being left to his own devices just now when he was feeling alarmingly off kilter was... well, he could admit it was not preferable, even if he could not admit even to himself they 'why' of it.

[strikingtwice]

He can't help the small pang of relief he feels as Laedo shifts his form, and then as Meallan realises how tired he looks, how much that transformation likely took out of him, he feels guilty instead. It isn't fair to Laedo that he feels more comfortable with the humanoid form, or that Meallan worries about his intentions when he can't understand him, and he resolves to do his best to make it up to the askan man and apologise when they understand each other again.

As it is, the best thing Meallan can think to do to make it up to him now is to stand close and offer his arm in support if Laedo needed it and turned his gaze towards the castle. "Some rest is probably best," he murmurs to himself more than his friend. "Maybe something to eat as well, to help your strength return."

It's the direction Laedo had suggested as well, so he nods his head towards the castle and gives Laedo a quizzical look before an idea strikes him and he holds his hand up to make a walking motion with his fingers in the air, then gestured to the castle. "Go there?"

(I feel like endcap would be awesome here!)

[asscan]

He gets a simple nod for his efforts, one of understanding at last. Taking the offered arm without complaint--a sure sign on its own that Laedo is beyond his threshold--the askan and the elf are finally able to enter the castle in peace.