CAMPUS WIDE EVENT: THE LANGUAGE BARRIER REINSTATED

[intercom_voice]

[Today, something somewhere went wrong. On the evening on the 15th, any bilingual (or otherwise) knowledge granted by the Campus has simply...disappeared. At least for anybody walking by the North Wing.]

Tja ... det här kommer att lägga sordin på våra studier, är nu inte det?

[Translation: Well...this is going to put a damper on our studies, now isn't it?]

((ooc: So! For the next 5 days (the 15th~20th), your character officially only knows their native tongue. Aka, whatever language they primarily grew up with. They can no longer read, speak, or understand any other language but.

For fun you can even use Google Translate to show what your character is speaking at a glance! Don't worry, we all know it's probably gibberish :P

If you go the Google route, please be sure to put a translation at the bottom. If not, then please take care to specify what language your character is speaking in at the start of every thread.

If you have any questions, just head to the mod plurk or send this account a PM, but most importantly--have fun!))

Comments

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Don't tell him Malik was assuming... he was, wasn't he? Dammit he wasn't trying to teach him there, he was just offering.]

...no. [He shakes his head, sighing.] I didn't mean that. You don't understand.

[He can't really explain, so he just takes one of his own and bites into it, looking frustrated.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik senses Bakura's frustration, and it frustrates him too, but he waits to finish eating his creampuff before he addresses it.]

...No? I don't understand? [The "I don't" part he thinks he gets, but the third word not so much.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[What did he say exactly? 'Want one', right? Then the easiest way to point out what Malik misunderstood was to use the second part of that phrase. He lifts a finger.]

One.

[obeytherod]

...One. [He stares at Bakura, and then it clicks.]

Oh--one! [Malik holds up one finger.]

Want one--want?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He's got it. Bakura grins brilliantly, nodding. Malik does have a talent for this, it seems... not surprising, for someone so young who apparently knew three languages.]

Yes! That's right!

[There's no real way to explain want without words.]

I 'want' it.

[At the word want, he reaches out as if asking for something.]

Want.

[obeytherod]

... [Bakura's using some other words he doesn't know again, but the "yes" is enough to keep him going on the first, and the "I want" is enough on the second.

I want...

He closes his eyes a moment to think. That gesture...he thinks he understands.]

You want... [Malik reaches back and pulls out the Millennium Rod.]

You want?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Bakura gives him a firm nod. If nothing else, it seems Malik's getting the gist of it, if he associated 'want' with the Rod. Relaxing, he leans back, resting his head on one hand again. Hm... Lifting a hand he beckons for Malik to come closer.]

Come here.

[obeytherod]

[He's got it then. Malik's lips pull into a smirk as he hooks the Rod on his belt again.

At the beckoning, he gets up and walks over, muttering the words "come here" under his breath.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Smiling, Bakura wraps his arm around Malik's waist, drawing him close so he can bury his face in his chest for a moment. He'd have gone for the shoulder, but it's hard to do that while sitting down and he's comfortable. It only lasts for a second or two before he lets go, smiling up at him.]

Sit down.

[He gestures for Malik to take the seat next to him.]

[obeytherod]

... [Malik just stands there at the embrace, not that he minds it, but he's really more in the mood for learning right now than flirting.]

"Sit down"... [He takes the seat.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Now what... He can't really ask what Malik wants to know. And just going through all the words he knows will be boring as hell. If only he has some clue...]

Yeah. Uhm, yes.

[Stupid formal words.]

What... do... you want... to know?

[He draws out the sentence, separating the words. Since Malik knows 'you', 'want' and 'know', maybe he can piece together the question from the tone?]

[obeytherod]

... [It definitely takes Malik a little longer this time, but Bakura was right; he could piece it together. The three words he did know were the backbone of the sentence. Albeit knowing the meaning of "what" would have helped, but Bakura's questioning inflection did the job just as well.]

What do...I want to know? [Was "to" some sort of linking word? Maybe it added context. He wasn't sure, but it must have some significance in the sentence that separated it from "I don't know".]

I want to know..."what", "do", and "to".

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Those three words... are so hard to explain. Of all three of them, 'do' was probably the easiest. Though that doesn't say much. To do was to act. It was still a difficult thing to explain without words.

...though there might be one way to hint towards 'what'. Malik knew his speech patterns.]

What~? You can't figure it out?

[obeytherod]

...

[His brow twitches slightly, pinching at the bridge of his nose. he doesn't get it.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Jeez... And he thought he spoke often enough for it to be a good hint. Hm... He supposes it's understandable. Still annoying though.]

What is it? You don't understand?

[Sigh. He holds up a hand, indicating for Malik to hold on a moment while he thinks. It's obvious that it's a question... but how to explain what question?]

What to do? This is complicated...

[obeytherod]

I don't understand... [There's that word again. The context seems to be the same, and he thinks he gets it...but he can't place a finger on an exact translation.

Resting his chin in his hands, he mentally goes over the words and phrases he's learned with certainty.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[An idea occurs to him. Grabbing the pen, he doodles an indistinguishable shapes of scribbles, then feigns confusion at it and repeats the word.]

What?

[obeytherod]

[Malik leans forward to look at the scribble. What the hell was that supposed to be? He looks up at Bakura dubiously.]

ما?

[What?]

What?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Yes. What.

[Deadpan. He can tell that's what the guy is asking because the image literally invokes a 'what' reaction.]

[obeytherod]

... [Malik was over thinking it. Bakura's explanation was abstract, but simple, and he was reading way too far into it.]

I don't...understand? [If he's confused, he might as test the waters on that word he's unsure of while he's at it. He's pretty sure it means what he thinks it means.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Hm. [He doesn't understand, huh... Though the fact that Malik picked up on 'understand' still pleases him. Maybe if he does another option. Doodling a bunch of stick figures, he points from one to the other, speaking in a questioning tone.]

Who?

[Tapping the weird shape.]

What?

[Tapping his watch.]

When?

[Gesturing around.]

Where?

[...aaaand he's stumped on the last one. Maybe Malik will figure out the association anyway?]

[obeytherod]

[That's a lot to take in at once. Malik moves his hand in a circle to gesture for Bakura to go over it again. This time he's prepared himself to write them down.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

[He really needs to get Malik something as a thank you for even being willing to try this bullshit... Carefully, and slowly, he repeats the gestures and the words, just shrugging for 'why'.]

[obeytherod]

[Going over the words a second time helps a bit, and Malik recedes a bit as he looks down at his paper thoughtfully.

It would be a mistake to assume Bakura was teaching him names for the exact things around him--the watch, the drawing, the library--because the way he grouped them together implies a similar usage between them.

"What" was a vague gesture. "Where" and "why" were too. He must be teaching him something abstract, and judging by the questioning inflection...]

Yes. I... [He draws a moon and sun and shows it to Bakura. It was time to clarify his suspicions.] When?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[The fact that Malik got even one of them fills him with delight. Yep, definitely getting him something as a thank you because this is hard.]

Yes! [He flashes him a victory sign at that, grinning. Either Malik got it or he was assuming he meant 'time', but it was close enough either way!] When!