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]

[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!

[obeytherod]

[Malik nods firmly, a smirk tugging at his lips. Next he doodles a pretty crappy Bakura and points to it.]

Who? Bakura.

[fluffydeathdealer]

...

[You'll never be an artist, Malik. Says the man who can only really draw chibis because his host can.]

Yes. You've got that right.

[He thinks. That is him, right?]

[obeytherod]

[...As long as it got the point across, that's all that matters. Malik's smirk widens a bit and he moves onto the next word, this time drawing an even crappier world map--or maybe it's just a bunch of blobs? It's hard to tell.]

Where? Where I and you?

[fluffydeathdealer]

Uh.

[...ink blots? Was this a Rorschach test? ...that one looked kinda look a bloodstain?

No, he was getting distracted.]

I don't understand.

[Though... "where I and you"... Hold on. To clarify, he draws a vague globe and then draws an arrow pointing to it.]

Where?

[obeytherod]

[Malik looks a little disappointed at first. Bakura didn't get it? Thankfully he brights back up when he sees the globe Bakura drew.]

Yes, where!

[Okay, for the next one he just draws a weird, indeterminable blob. Then he draws an arrow pointing to it with a "?" at the end.]

What?

[fluffydeathdealer]

...

[The fuck is that meant to be? A lake? The creature from the Black Lagoon? ...Marshmallon???]

What?

[Bakura just stares in confusion.]

[obeytherod]

Yes, what! Yes...

[Moving on...

He cants his head in thought, the pencil still held in his hand but remaining motionless.]

...Why? Why? [In his own language, he thinks: Who, what, where, when, and--]

Oh, why! [He doodles...something and shows it to Bakura.]

Why you think that's great, yes?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[...oh. That was meant to be his 'what'?


...moving swiftly on. He studies the new one and glances over at Malik. 'Why you think that's great'? It's kind of ungrammatical, but it's at least accurate, he thinks. That's... the tablet at Kul Elna, right? But what the hell is the scribble at the bottom? He taps that, looking confused.]

What is that?

[Uhm. No, that won't be helpful.]

Yes, that's why.

[obeytherod]

Yes! What "that's"? I know... "that's great".

[He gives a thumbs up.] I want know, "that's why", "what is that". What that and that's?

[fluffydeathdealer]

['That' and 'That is'... huh. Those'll be hard to describe. Reaching out, he taps the squiggle.]

"That's what".

[Lifting a hand, he points at Malik.]

That's you. [And then at himself.] That's me.

[obeytherod]

Hm...

[He thinks he understands. It's some sort of signifier. Something is what it is. At least, that's what he thinks.

He points to a book.]

That's?

[fluffydeathdealer]

That's a 'book'.

[He answers the question directly, smiling a little.]

[obeytherod]

I... [He nods tentatively.] Understand.

What is that...? [He gestures vaguely.] That's...? I don't understand. I want think--uh, no. Know?

[Malik knows he could ask the question more simply, but this is about more than just answers. He wants to figure out how to use the words together. Practice is the only way to do that.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Heheh. [Oh hey, an opportunity to help him clarify the 'to' part he asked about earlier.]

"I want to know".