maskormenacelogs | i guess i'm a toy that is broken [closed]

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i guess i'm a toy that is broken [closed]

WHO: Fraser & Ig
WHERE: heropa
WHEN: today! because why not!
WHAT: Fraser and Ig meet and communication skills are... found to be lacking

[ Ig was quickly discovering that he was excellent at getting lost.

He wanted to say it wasn't his fault - a proclivity towards wandering and trying to understand where (and who) he was meant that he found himself all over the place. This time, he wasn't even sure where he was beyond the fact that he was once again amongst trees. Which means that finding sensation everywhere was as fascinating as he could possibly imagine. Running his fingers along bark and stopping to stick his shoes in the dirt and pick up dried leaves; everything was a certain kind of pleasurable. And maybe he was just a little bit glad that he didn't have anyone expecting him to speak because vocal chords were proving themselves to be difficult even if he knew enough words to... pretend to manage.

Oh, alright, he barely knew any words at all. But he was trying.

Focusing on nothing in particular and yet everything all at once, Ig was momentarily startled when a dog came bounding out of nowhere, one that sought him out almost immediately. And while he was quick to smile to himself at the sight, he crouched slowly, reaching out a palm in the hope that the decision wouldn't be a bad one. But he earned himself a number of snuffles and some eager tail wagging, reaching up to carefully ruffle his head. ]

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[ Fraser had taken Diefenbaker out into the low, wet Florida forest to do some point to point training and work on both his own and his canine partner's stamina on this different and often challenging terrain. Large and surprisingly deep water courses could block their path, and while the ground was uniformly low, often it was swampish and challenging to cross, or populated by distraught and hungry reptiles who disliked both canine and human presences.

But they were getting the hang of it, little by little--that was until Diefenbaker took off after a smell for no reason whatsoever, Fraser having to change form just to keep up with him as he bounded neatly across the tangled roots surrounded a patch of quick mud. It was easy enough to navigate the trees in the form of a peregrine falcon, small and maneuverable, and his eyes found Ig long before Diefenbaker managed to make it into view of the scent.

To avoid questions, he changed back into his human form out of sight, approaching carefully - and now apologetically - as it seemed that Dief was getting just a little overfriendly. ]

I'm sorry about him. He's not usually like this with strangers--well, unless they come bearing chocolate, but even then. This is most unusual.

[ And of course Diefenbaker was looking away from him. Go figure. ]

[ Oh. A person. Ig stood bolt upright almost immediately at the other man's appearance, feeling absurdly... short for the first time in- well, he didn't really know. He didn't know how old he was, where he was from, how he'd fallen... he didn't know much of anything about himself, which made explanations that much harder. Everyone wanted to know who he was, and he wanted to know just as badly.

Trying to keep from reaching out to pat the dog again, Ig rocked on his feet, not quite sure what he was even supposed to say to that that. He knew sorry, and he knew chocolate, and... the rest smooshed together he could make some sort of sense of, but he eventually cocked his head to the side, trying to see if he could even manage the whole speaking bit.

Really, staying silent was infinitely easier.

He knew what he could say, but his mouth didn't want to push out the words, and it required some rather focused throat clearing before he could remember the feeling of speaking, something he forgot each time he was given space to be silent. ]

No sorry.

[ Boy, that sure did get across a whole lot of meaning, especially with his throat unwilling to cooperate well enough to provide competent sound, as if metal shavings had settled through the length of his windpipe. To emphasize, he raised his hands, palms facing out, waving them back and forth to dismiss the whole thing in surrender. ]

Edited 2015-03-19 12:13 (UTC)

[ Fraser's smile became a little more uncertain as they stood facing each other for long seconds. There was no immediate response, and so Fraser had to wonder if he was speaking the wrong language after all--it wouldn't be the first time. Diefenbaker, on the other hand, seemed perfectly settled with the stranger, and raised a reassuring paw to his knee.

Which was odd behaviour, even for Diefenbaker.

Fraser came a little closer, and his smile shifted into something honestly much kinder, more accepting, reassuring. There was something here, something childlike and fragile and a little bit...earthy. Diefenbaker had acted like this before, with aboriginals and native americans, hoodoo warlocks and yes, the occasional woman. Maybe this young man wasn't what he seemed to be. ]

It's okay, I think I understand. You don't speak much, do you? But it isn't because you don't know the words.

[ Ig wasn't entirely sure what was about to happen, the pause making him stare that much more intently. It wasn't as if he was prone to fidgeting, despite how uncomfortable he was in... well, Hogarth's form. But it was strange and unpleasant, and he didn't know how to make himself turn back without consequences that he couldn't even grasp.

The dog made him smile a bit though, once more reaching down to pat it on its head, ruffling up ears pleasantly until the other man began to speak again and he stopped, standing up straight at furious attention. Eyes wide to take everything in - as if it affected his hearing - intently focusing on the words he was saying, Ig waffled for a few seconds, head tilting back and forth in indecision. There was a few ways he could answer that, but there would only be just one or two even as a robot.

Instead he lifts a hand, pinching his index and thumb close together, almost squinting as he holds up the gesture.

A little. He knows how to say a little. But thinking? He knows lots more. ]

[ It was a very useful sign, universal really, for knowing the concepts of language but not being able to convey it in a medium that wasn't his own. Fraser couldn't begin to guess that this young man in front of him was in fact a giant iron machine--wouldn't know how to deal with the suggestion if he did, it would be as though someone told him that the sea goddess Sedna was real, and could change into an unspectacular girl on cue. Just madness.

But then, he had been given the power to change into a variety of furred and feathered animals, so he couldn't really talk.

In any case, the sign for 'a little' told him everything he needed to know. It told him that talking was hard, and signs were easier, and since he was familiar with both, maybe he could communicate on a far more--efficient scale. ]

Why don't we try this? [ And then, very carefully and deliberately, he touched his chest, then made a fist, and tapped it down on top of his outstretched index finger, speaking as he did: ] My name is Fraser. [ Instead of signing the alphabetical version of his name, he identified himself with a gesture of symbolic identity, placing one hand behind the other and pushing outward with his right, then silently clasping both hands together again--Fraser. ]

Now it's your turn. [ He gestured 'name', then 'what?', and spoke again: ] What's your name?

Edited 2015-03-21 23:45 (UTC)

[ Oh. Oh.

Ig had been, at first, focused on Fraser because he was there, because he was talking, because he was interested in him. It wasn't that Ig needed attention, but he was happy to have people around who liked speaking with him, who were willing to be his friend, who focused on him without fear- he didn't need attention, no, but he sure did like it.

But as soon as this man, Fraser, started motioning with his hands, Ig went from curious to beyond attentive. It was almost a little bit too exciting, like when Hogarth first started giving him words. He wanted to grab the other man's hands and make him do it again, ignore the question entirely and start pointing to things until he had words he could use. Because right now, he could barely even get through the ones he did know.

And all the other things he wanted to say were still wrapped up in his head.

Still bundled up in the initial excitement, it helped to solidify the point that he already knew those words. His hands, meant those words. Fingers wiggling, it took him a few more seconds to find his focus, looking up at Fraser once more before he mimicked, which was something he knew how to do. Touching his chest and then tapping a fist against his finger, he glanced around himself next as if looking for something to fill in the final blank. But this one he had to say, huffing a breath through his nose and once more repeating the gestures to give himself more time before:

Ig. [ He'd been given about twenty names, but that one was the easiest. ]

Edited 2015-03-22 00:25 (UTC)

[ Excitement and investment were both very easy to read, very obvious in the young man's expression, and Fraser felt relief and a little excitement of his own. He was on to something here, and it was interesting to see. It set him to thinking, and engaging, and gave him a good deed to add to his growing list, among other things--but more importantly, he might make a new friend. ]

Ig? I. G.? [ He asked, making a gesture - raising his little finger, then closing his thumb in against his middle and index - I. G. But the gesture was added to with the question, opening his hands outward, palms facing up. ] What is Ig? [ He gestured the same thing again, then added, with the relevant movements: ] Fraser is from river. It was a gift.

[ IG was a very strange name, but it probably had some meaning that he could build on. So Fraser tapped his chest with his palm, then his forehead with one finger, before he made two circles with his hands, other fingers outstretched, and gestured decide. Then he added 'you', moving his hand toward Ig. ] I decide for you.

Edited 2015-03-22 16:38 (UTC)

[ Rapt attention was something he was good at. The things he'd picked up from Hogarth required focus and while figuring out what words implied what hadn't taken too long, he now had to actually use them. Which, well, was more difficult than he wanted it to be. There were little things thrown in between others and he didn't know how to piece them together. Not to mention understanding was entirely different from picking them out of his brain and offering them to others.

Staring at Fraser's hands instead of his face, Ig mimicked the letters, not having a single clue what they were but doing it all the same. He could easily parse out that meant Ig, though he didn't know how or why, glancing up to Fraser's face to search for expressions before looking back down. Fraser he now knows, and river and gift and- decide.

Like choose.

He looked all too pleased, gesturing it a few more times because yes, deciding. He could make decisions, Hogarth knew that. Pointing at himself and then gesturing decide once more, he popped his hands down at the end to make a firm point of the matter, still remaining pleased when he pointed again at Fraser. ]

Choose. [ Robot. Giant. Metal man. All words with grating noises and scratching sounds and words that sounded particularly odd to his ears. Holding up his pinky and then switching his fingers to a pointed index, his thumb pressed against it, he nodded, even though he still didn't grasp letters. It's not like he'd even picked Ig in the first place - he didn't even know why it was chosen. But at the end of the day, how did he choose when he didn't know what to choose from. Which was why he pointed back at Fraser. ]

Edited 2015-03-22 20:53 (UTC)

[ Ig did know more than 'a little'. It was obvious from the concepts that he was understanding that the words - or at least the concepts - were in there, and the concept of choosing was among them. He just needed the vocabulary, and with sign language there was no need to get too wrapped up in conjunctives and adjectives. It was much simpler than that--it conveyed concepts and ideas without the formal trappings of language.

He smiled at Ig's excitement, and listened hard with his eyes, watching Ig's expressions and his gestures and thinking that he was beginning to understand. Then, quite clearly so that he wasn't in any doubt, he scrutinised him deliberately, as though trying to decide on what would be right.

He glanced at his partner, and Diefenbaker looked back at him, and he gestured to the wolf 'What do you think, Diefenbaker?' without saying a word. Diefenbaker barked, and Fraser nodded, and gestured 'I agree', and then looked back at Ig. He pointed at him first, signed 'name', then he framed his left hand about his mouth in the action for 'whisper', then completed the sign by placing his right hand open across his face and pulling out, closing his fingers together as he did. ]

Your name is Ig. [ He said. And then he gestured again. ] Ig is wolf whisperer. Is it a good name? [ He raised his eyebrows inquisitively to make it clear that he was asking a guestion. ]

[ Waiting silently for whatever it was Fraser was about to do, Ig watched him right back, having no issue with eye contact whatsoever. If anything, he was rather good at staring, not bothered by potentially normal social cues that might tell someone they ought to look somewhere else while they were being peered at. Keeping still was also no issue, though he was fussing with his fingers absently, reforming gestures, as if waiting on cue for what he'd be given next.

Gaze only shifting when Fraser looked at the dog, Ig watched carefully, his head tipping to the side like a puppy trying to capture sound. But he popped back upright when he had Fraser's attention again, smiling crookedly when Fraser signed whisper. Because that's a face Hogarth had made, speaking all quiet-like but still directing his words at him. Speaking quiet. Alright. He understood that.

But more than that, the whole thing is all too good, even if he's trying to pick it apart to understand every inch. He nods once, firm, before repeating the action and holding out the palm of his left hand, resting the back of his right against it, before pulling it up and tapping his chin. Good.

Except now, he had to try something else. Thinking for a brief moment, letting his brain roll back on what Fraser had been showing him, Ig narrowed his eyes in thought until they grew wide again. Got it. With grand gestures, Ig held his palms out into a shrug (what) before mimicking the gesture for wolf - a clawed hand over his face that was pulled back. You didn't explain what that one meant, Fraser, but he knew whisper. That one made sense. ]

[ Fraser was very impressed with how quickly Ig was picking up the skill. He'd managed to remember all of the gestures he'd made so far, and wasn't losing interest even for a moment. He was eager to learn, and that was to his advantage entirely, given the alternative. So as long as Ig was willing to learn, Fraser would be willing to teach. He watched the response, and then the question, and then he looked down at Diefenbaker, who disinterested had gone back to sniffing around.

Wolf he gestured again, before lifting his hands toward Diefenbaker. Then he gestured 'Diefenbaker' again, which was three knocks against the side of his head with his fist, and said his name out loud-- ] Diefenbaker [ --and completed with another repetition of the wolf gesture. ] is a wolf.

[ He looked back up, curious. He knew some concepts, and in many languages a handful of words usually included 'dog' and 'cat'--easy concepts to put across; much easier than 'choose'. He touched one finger to the side of his eye-- ] Looks [ Closed all but his pinky and thumb, which he spread into a Y facing toward the ground, and waved back and forth across his chest-- ] The same as [ Another gesture ] Dog.

[ Oh. Oh. Looking to Diefenbaker - which was a far more complicated name than he would've liked to try and say out loud - the gesture clicked into place and Ig smiled. It looked like him, his nose, and it made it infinitely easier to remember. There was a method to the madness, and it encouraged Ig to mimic the gesture one last time, starting first with three knocks to the head before drawing a clawed hand away from his face. Diefenbaker is a wolf.

Fraser was speaking again and Ig immediately looked back up, eyebrows raised in interest. Tipping his head slightly, if he mashed the words together close enough and looked back to Diefenbaker, he nodded. He did look like a dog. Not that he'd seen many of them. Snapping his fingers almost absently, another thought popped into Ig's head, his mouth quirking into a faint smile.

So, alright- considering he was managing to do this without saying anything, maybe Fraser would know what he was talking about regarding the first animal Hogarth had ever pointed out to him. Lifting his hands, fingers spread wide and palms facing out, he plopped them on top of his head, looking rather expectantly at Fraser. Antlers were the one signifying thing he could think of, and he tried to spread his fingers wider, looking at Fraser as if he was egging him on. ]

[ Diefenbaker is a wolf. He understood, and Fraser was delighted with both himself and Ig. He was ever so sweet, and actually very talented, very capable of learning and doing so very quickly. It was a pleasure to watch, and to instigate. And then Ig snapped his fingers, and made a gesture all of his own.

Fraser repeated it straight back at him, eyebrows furrowing deliberately to phrase it as a question. ]

Deer? [ He asked, curiously. It was a very clear visual, and an easy and straightforward gesture. Deer was simple enough, unlike 'dog' which was created from the signs for letters, which Ig didn't know yet. Deer had antlers, and that was what the sign was. He just hoped that Ig knew the word too, otherwise he'd have to explain it, complicate things with even more signed words. ]

[ That! Yes!

Ig nodded fervently, wiggling his fingers. Deer. The first animal that he'd ever actually touched with curious interest, the first thing he'd ever seen die. The first gun. It was important. It meant more than just the animal that he'd seen, but that was infinitely more difficult to get across than just the simple fact of the word that he already knew.

And now he just looked awfully proud of himself, happy to have gotten across a point of his very own. Not that he'd taught Fraser anything, but saying something was always important. Even more when you knew what you were talking about. ]

See? [ He gestured 'see' again, and smiled, and then continued his motions: ] You know sign [ And now he formed the symbol for 'sign', pointing his index fingers and putting his hands at diagonals, turning them like a wheel perpendicular to each other. He pointed his fingers forward, opened his thumbs and keeping his arms level gestured back and forth. ] language.

[ A little smile, and as he smiled Diefenbaker crept back over to Ig and begged for more attention, licking his fingers. ]

Diefenbaker knows sign language [ He gestured, repeating the new words so that Ig could learn them. ] Diefenbaker is deaf; he can't hear. [ He pointed to his ear and drew his finger down toward his mouth. ]

[ Sign language? He pulled his hands away from the top of his head, peering at his palms as if he'd never seen them before. Which was maybe something he'd been doing ever since he'd turned human, but that was entirely beside the point. It was still something he'd never heard before: sign language. But apparently he knew it, and apparently his hands were doing it, and it felt far superior than trying to deal with a bucketful of words.

As Diefenbaker trotted back over though, Ig tried to contain a grin, halfway distracted by reaching down to ruffle up his fur, letting one of his hands be licked which was by far an entirely new sensation.

When Fraser kept talking, Ig tipped his head up to watch before looking back to the wolf and then up again. He knew? Ig absently flopped Dief's ears about, digesting the words without quite reacting yet. But he did have things to say, it just took him a little bit to process, once more looking to the wolf as if he'd just gained an understanding of someone else who couldn't use their words. With a final exhale, Ig stood a touch straighter before he finally pulled his hand away so he could speak.

Starting with three knocks on the side of his head (Diefenbaker), Ig narrowed his gaze and morphed his hand so his gathered fingers pointed to his head instead, his hand angled (know). Next came the one that took a bit of maneuvering, his index fingers pointed to each other from at a distance before he carefully circled his hands around (sign.) Lastly he repeated the whole process but started with a finger pointed at himself instead of the wolf's name- (I know sign.)

IF Dief can learn, he can learn. ]

[ Fraser was absolutely delighted, though he kept his pleasure to himself, watching as Ig communicated - really rather well, considering he'd only just picked up any words at all - with Diefenbaker. He communicated more in those few words than he had in actual English since they'd met. Besides what was clear, he conveyed a willingness and eagerness to learn that Fraser had seen before, on occasion, with young Inuit children who had found the idea of communicating in sign language far easier and more exciting than learning English; of course it helped that Fraser was familiar with their own languages.

Diefenbaker was pleased too; sign language was easier for him to read than the spoken word. He looked back at Ig patiently, and when he was done speaking he lifted his head and barked, clearly, affirmatively; very impressed.

Woof!

Fraser smiled and stepped a little closer still, staying far enough away that the full range of his gestures could be seen. ]

I'd be happy to teach you more words. [ He kept signing as he spoke, because learning was observation and repetition. ] Maybe not in the middle of the forest--unless you're more comfortable here. I think there's a lot that I can teach you.

Diefenbaker would be there.

[ At the woof, Ig was quick to look back to Diefenbaker, reaching out with his index finger, pointed towards the wolf's nose. International sign of innocent curiosity, but he smiled nonetheless, rather absent to any successes he might've been making. The only excitement came from the potential to communicate, something that had been hard enough with Hogarth, even if the boy discerned meaning in his silences, even more so in his actions.

As soon as Fraser began to speak again, Ig went right back to watching, gaze flicking between his hands and his face, keeping track. Teach. Words. Middle of the forest. Not. Picking up words and stringing together meaning, Hogarth went to school to learn, he'd said. He had to teach him about Superman.

After a few more seconds of consideration, Ig pointed a hand definitively behind himself, eyebrows raised in both question and intent. (Go?) If they couldn't be in the middle of the forest, then maybe they should go that way. .... If that was the way he came from. Blinking, his brow furrowing, he looked behind himself and glanced around. He'd been wandering. Who knew what direction he'd come from.

That could be a problem. ]

[ Ah. They could continue this if they weren't in the forest--was that what he was suggesting? Maybe so. It would be a good idea to find their way back out of the trees before the sun went down; even though it was coming up to spring now, it was already late in the day.

But then Ig turned on the spot, looking unhappy, and Fraser understood at once. He didn't know where he'd come from, or how to find his way back--he was lost. ]

You're lost. [ He made sure to gesture 'lost' clearly, mimicking dropping something with both hands. ] Well, that's okay. We can find our way. There are maps on your phone that show where we are. The road is due south from here. But I have a better idea.

[ He turned to Diefenbaker, and gestured for him to backtrack Ig's scent, and then the wolf set off into the trees at a steady walk, stopping to look back for them after fifty paces to wait for them to catch up. ] After you.

[ Nodding absently for a moment - yes, he was lost - recognition hit and he immediately looked back to catch any signing that might come his way. It wasn't as if he'd been any good at navigating forests when he was a giant robot either, but at least then he could see over the trees. Like this, he was stuck under a haze of leaves and there was no way out.

Apparently Fraser's better idea was to send Diefenbaker on his way and Ig looked between the wolf and the dog for a moment before getting the picture.

Turning on his heel, he set after the wolf at a steady pace, watching his feet half the time and the wolf the other. Occasionally he'd bend down to pick up a leaf or a rock or look over his shoulder to make sure Fraser was still there, but for the most part he scurried along after Dief, following his navigations skills. ]

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i guess i'm a toy that is broken [closed]

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