nc_ooc | Jan/Feb LOL Planning: Translator Malfunction

Interest pitch and planning space for a LOL taking place later this month (probably in a week's time) – a translator malfunction! Everyone is used to comfortably speaking their native languages freely in the Nexus and being understood, but if you ask me, you've all been coasting. Taking advantage of the system! Put in a little elbow grease and learn to understand your fellow (wo)man the Nexus way: by having the rug pulled out from under you!

The mini-LOL pitch involves the Nexus' language translator malfunctioning – and to keep it fun and difficult, also causes other translation tech and/or magic to fail as well.

Characters are free to speak any languages they already know to team up for comfort, or they might find themselves learning some new words in their friends' wild and crazy languages. This post serves not only as an interest check but also as a place to coordinate with each other: List which languages your characters know and figure out who else might understand them during this time. This kind of event lends itself to people of similar cultures coming together even when they might otherwise not want to interact.

As with all LOLs this is completely optional and non-permanent. Like the genderswap mirror event it will probably be free-form with no goal other than having fun until you're done.

Edit: Since this is a freeform kind of LOL, here's some general prompts you might consider if you want to participate but aren't sure of direction:
– Two characters with the same language but opposing personalities being forced to pair off and get to know each other.
– Frustration leads to charades, better learning each other's body languages, or maybe just a little silent peace between two friends for the first time. Find your zen, kids.
– People realizing how little they have in common with each other and trying to teach each other a few words in their native languages OR being reminded of the animosity between their people.
– Simply making an ass out of one's selves (Jims...)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So very much yes! Not sure whether how many of my kiddos will participate but definitely at least Jim.

Jim Kirk: fluent in English (23rd century dialect, as described by

smartass_captain), Russian, Vulcan, and Andorian. Passable Biblical Hebrew (much better with written than spoken), knows enough of various other canon alien languages (Klingon, Tellarite, etc.) to get by. Smattering of other Earth languages, mostly commonly needed travel phrases rather than anything that would allow for long, complicated conversations.

Faris: Fluent in the K'da tongue (an offshoot of proto Indo-European) and Shontine (entirely alien language). Knows enough English to communicate with humans in his universe, whose dialect is also futuristic and has likely drifted from 21st century English.

Jake Sully: Native speaker of 21st century English, mostly fluent in Na'vi.

If there's a reason to bring them out of retirement, I can also provide Clark Kent (21st century English, Kryptonian, multiple other Earth languages) and Jack Harkness (51st century English, various alien tongues/trader speak, 20th century English). It's been a while since I've played them though, so I'm a bit rusty.

Edited 2018-01-17 04:25 (UTC)

Russian you say.... ;)

Да, хотя Google сделает тяжелую работу. ;)

I"m laughing because he speaks 23rd century Russian too so it's STILL gonna be Weird

Haha true! I'm picturing him paging through a Russian-to-Russian dictionary to find the word he wants and constantly muttering Что, черт возьми, это не имеет никакого смысла.