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[obeir]

KD6-3.7
3313 Creampuff Way


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[obeir]

[ Well, his assumption was certainly correct. ]

That's. Sure a name. [ It's a real struggle not to laugh, but he's trying his best to be polite. Bushface. Poor Alfie. ] Not "Treebeard"? Missed opportunity, I'd say.

[bywolves]

I don't think they know what beards are. [ Royce says, amused. ] But Treebeard is much better. Far less hilarious, too.

[devoutish]

Treebeard would be plagiarism.

[obeir]

I wouldn't think trees care about legalities. [ Still trying not to smile, and mostly failing. ] You can't explain what beards are to them?

[ Or won't.

He's also sort of vaguely wondering if either of them are familiar with the more modern slang, which makes the tree-name especially... awkward. ]

[bywolves]

I could. Don't know how effective it'd be.

Besides, that's his name. Why would I want to change it?

[devoutish]

Because it's fucking ridiculous.

[Alfie chimes in lightly, without any real offense.]

[obeir]

[ That seems to do it; K finally gives up any pretenses and laughs. ] I'm sorry. It isn't that bad. [ It is. ]

I think they named me after my camera. [ Just trying to commiserate on the goofy tree-names. Though his is oddly cute, he thinks. ] Or they think I'm a toy robot.

[bywolves]

I think it was the camera. Clickbox sounds about what they might think a camera is.

Alfie's isn't the worst one. John's is Little Firestick. [ He thinks about it for a moment. ] Stephen's is Caped Breeze. Which is also ridiculous.

[devoutish]

I wouldn't mind being Firestick; I like that one.

[obeir]

Little Firestick, though? [ K asks with raised eyebrows. Little Firestick. Bushface. ...No, those are about equally bad, he thinks. Also incredibly amusing. Do trees have senses of humour? ]

How do you figure out who they're referring to?

[bywolves]

John seems to dislike being called little, in any case.

[ He shrugs. ] I guess through context clues. Little Firestick and Fiddlestick were walking together through the woods, bickering like an old married couple about a science experiment with the body parts from the graveyard. John and Sherlock.

Though it's a task and a half trying to figure out what they're referring to, sometimes. Graveyards are gardens for those who have withered. Things like that.

[devoutish]

They're poets, then. Is that it?

[obeir]

[ Probably because John's pocket-sized, K thinks but doesn't say. At least Royce doesn't seem to have any similar hangups about also being pocket-sized. ]

Sounds like trying to solve riddles. I wonder if they could be taught other languages, too?

[bywolves]

They just experience the world differently. They don't use graveyards, so they have to come up with a term for what it is, in ways that are familiar to them.

[ A beat. ] I've never thought about trying to teach them other languages. I can only imagine how much of a headache that'd be, but - maybe I'll try.

[devoutish]

Our linguist.

[Alfie leans his shoulder into Royce's for a moment.]

How would that work, if it's all done in your head? Could you teach them to speak out loud, somehow?

[obeir]

[ K thinks on that for a moment. ] Maybe a sign language. They have very simplified grammar compared to spoken languages. And everything's about body language, not pitch or tone of voice. Seems like something the trees might better understand.

[bywolves]

[ Royce very easily makes it easy for Alfie to lean against him. It's almost second nature at this point. ]

I'd have to learn proper sign language first. I can't imagine trying to teach the trees thieves cant.

[ That'd be hilarious. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie makes the sign for joke, meaning to indicate something like haha, that'd be funny. They haven't talked about the thieves' sign language in a while, but he remembers!]

Can't imagine how they'd do the shapes, anyway. I know a bit of Meulin's sign language, as well; she taught me the letters once.

[obeir]

That's a sign language from your home? [ K guesses, and watches with interest as Alfie signs something he doesn't recognise. Then his expression brightens. ] There's one way to circumvent Zephyr's autotranslation, maybe.

[ He's testing it while he's speaking: he holds two fingers against his chin and swipes downward, then touches his index and middle fingers of both hands together twice. And then he's smiling to himself, not expecting them to understand that he just called them a sweet couple. ]

[bywolves]

In a manner of speaking. It's more a code than a language. [ Most words don't exist in thieves cant - just concepts. Royce grins at Alfie's gesture, pleased he remembers. It's been at least a year or more since they've had to use it.

He also squints at the hand motions. There's something that should be translated, he thinks, but he didn't catch all of it. ]

Hm. No idea what that is, but maybe it just takes a second to kick in.

[devoutish]

Nope. I haven't got a clue, either.

so no retconning will be needed lol

[obeir]

That sign of yours didn't translate, either.

[ Curiously, K sits a little straighter so they can better see what he's doing, and signs a simple: Do you understand? And then a not so simple: Or can I continue to compliment you in secret? ]

[bywolves]

[ This time he does actually see the full sign, and Royce looks amused. ]

You complimented us the first time?

[devoutish]

That's a yes, then. But I would also like to hear details.

[obeir]

Guess it was lost in translation. [ He raises his eyebrows and gives them both a look as if to say, oh no, nothing I can do about it. ]

Then I'll assume your thieves cant bypasses it because it isn't a full language. [ It's too bad about the sign language autotranslating — that could've been fun to exploit. He doesn't expect he'll have any real need for a secret language in the Meadous, but it's interesting to note how Zephyr's autotranslation works. ]