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[ all over taxon ]

Somewhere in Wilde there is a flower shop. Every day at noon an Extra man enters this shop, picks up a bouquet of red roses and has the following conversation with the Extra clerk:

“I would like to buy these roses.”

“Are they for your girlfriend?”

“Yes, I hope she’ll like them.”

The transaction takes place, and the Extras go about their programmed business. On this particular day, however, there is a difference in the discussion as new programming is implemented:

“I would like to buy these krzfup.”

“Prl fkjn segknm gogfaf?”

“Aekmn goksn sdokng.”

This happens now throughout the city, language degenerating into nonsense babble even as Extras continue on as if they don’t even notice it. After five minutes of incomprehensibility it’s abruptly cut off and the city is consumed by silence. Not a word or a whisper or a peep is to be heard.

As if on cue, the tablets now only support text transmissions, with any attempts at visual, voice, or holo leading right back to the little tablet typing screen with cursor blinking in anticipation.

Enjoy the silence, Taxon. You’ll have a lot of it to go around.

[ ooc: And so begins the language glitch! Remember, five minutes of gibberish followed by everyone being completely unable to speak. We'll be making another post when the next part of the glitch begins, and if you have and questions or concerns don't hesitate to let us know! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hola? Qué se está encendiendo?! Con cuál es incorrecto...

Porqué es esto en texto?

[ translation: hello? what is going on? what is wrong with - why is this in text? ]

Edited 2011-05-22 06:40 (UTC)

( translation | i can't speak. can you talk? )

¿Oh mi dios porqué no puedo hablar? ¿Por qué no puedo entender lo que usted está diciendo? ¿Por qué estoy el mecanografiar en español?

( translation: oh my god why can't i speak? why can't i understand what you're saying? why am i talking in spanish? )

( translation | is that spanish? i can pick out words-- why can't i get out of italian? )

Esto está loco. Dios, odio este lugar. Ninguna ofensa.

( translation | this is crazy. god, i hate this place. no offense. )

[ stefan knows some spanish, but not conversational. just enough to get around in spanish-speaking countries; things like asking directions and where the bathroom is, about change and weather. let's see if he can string something together. ] [ that won't help. it takes a moment of concentration and backspacinig, but he eventually pieces something together. ]

( translation | where are you? are you okay? i am stefan. spanish is no good. speak italian and french. no english. )

[ quinn remebers learning some french from her sister, since it was the language spoken in one of her many missionary countries. quinn had ignored her for the most part, now she wished she hadn't. but maybe she can get something out? enough so she'll stop freaking out ]

Estoy en mi apartamento. No sé Mon appartement. Je ne sais pas. Je suis effrayé. Mon Français est mauvais.

( translation | my apartment. i don't know. i'm scared. my french is horrible.

Edited 2011-05-23 02:34 (UTC)

( translation | i go see. )

Stefan hoped that came across clearly enough, for his Spanish was terrible, if not completely awful. It was similar enough to Italian that he could make some sense of what she had typed out, but he couldn't form words well enough to convey more complex thoughts to her without slipping into another tongue. This entire thing with the lack of voices and apparent language barrier was frustrating. Italian was the easiest for him, French took a little effort, and English seemed to be entirely impossible to him at this point. He knew it was a glitch, but beyond that, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

He'd look into that later, when he wasn't busy with checking on his friends. Katherine could take care of herself, Elena had Jenna and he knew Damon and Caroline would step up and intervene if she needed it, and River would be looked in on after he checked on Quinn. Finding her apartment hadn't taken long, thank you dots on the map, and the speed of a vampire meant that he was able to arrive on her doorstep in no time. He'd explain he'd been nearby if she asked.

Raising his hand, Stefan knocked. His lips mouthed her name, but no sound came out. Right, he thought. Still no talking.

Quinn feels like she should have known something would go wrong. Things in Taxon were way to nice after she arrived. Sure, she had been abducted by aliens and would probably never go home again - but it was still nice in a way. Getting her apartment, her cloths, everything had been way to easy.

And now she couldn't talk. She kept trying, staring at herself in front of the mirror and trying to speak, but no sound came out. To make it worse, whenever she typed everything came out in Spanish. She come barely manage French, and that took a lot of concentrating - which was probably part of the reason she feels a migrane coming on.

At hearing the knock on the door, she quickly goes to it, hoping it's Stefan. Upon seeing him when she opens the door, she smiles, and unable to help herself throws her arms around him.

Hugs are universal and conquer any and all language barriers. Stefan gladly hugs the girl back; he barely knows her, but she's a friend and he feels so strongly for the things she's going through. Being here, having her unborn baby taken away from her, and now faced with the inability to speak and writing forever garbled into tongues not English. In lieu of being able to say anything remotely comforting and reassuring to her, a hug will do just fine.

Stefan draws back after a moment, offering her a small smile, then attempts to step into her apartment to take them out of the hall. Attempts being the keyword here, as he makes a grave error and forgets that while he can enter the choir room she brought with her without any trouble, he's yet to obtain an invite into her apartment. So, when Stefan tries to enter, he slams awkwardly into the invisible barrier.

He throws Quinn a look of panic and regret, having not wanted to drag her into this. Shit, he thinks. Shit, shit, shit.

Quinn's honestly never been much for physical contact. Not even with Finn, but the hug is what she needs more than ever right now. In the little over a month she's been here, she's starting to come to the conclusion she can't do things on her own anymore - the thing is, she doesn't know any other way to live.

When Stefan breaks the hug, she fully intends to invite him inside. Thats when Stefan seems to slam into an invisible barrier. Quinn's eyes widen, she takes a few steps back from the door, confusion creeping into her mind. Was this a new part of the Glitch, thats what this was called, right? It made no sense.

She tries to say Stefan's name, but no sound comes out. For a few more seconds, she stares, something is wrong. Very, very wrong. Quinn, bites her lip and takes Stefan's hand, trying to bring him out of the hall.

Lie, instinct screams at him. Lie to her. Let her believe it's part of the glitch. And he knows that it's the logical thing to do, the thing he should do, but Stefan is so tired of lying. In a moment of stress and frustration, Stefan rebels against reason and pulls his hand back, throwing open the door to the empty apartment across the hall and walking into it with ease. He looks back at her, pointedly, then does the same with the door next to it. Then, he tries to step into her apartment again, putting his hands against the barrier, giving it a push to show her it won't budge for him.

He gives her look that seems to ask, Do you understand?

Quinn bites her lip as she watches Stefan empty the two empty apartments. I hate this place she thinks, I hate it so much. After a moments hesitation Quinn raises her hand, feeling for the barrier but gets nothing. She glances at Stefan for a moment, and then steps out of her doorway.

She tries to voice her confusion, and dislike for whats going on but no sound comes out. First thing she does when she gets her voice back, is yell at the aliens, or hamsters, or really anyone within earshot.

She doesn't understand, he realizes. He's going to have to be blunt and direct if he's going to get his point across, even if baser instincts are screaming at him to take advantage of her confusion to take it back and blame it on the glitch. Stefan's set in his initial decision.

Quinn receives an apologetic look before allows his face to turn. He closes his eyes and when he opens them - now bloodshot, veins protruding on his cheeks just below - he opens his mouth slightly as well, enough that she can see his fangs. He points to them, putting his other hand against the barrier. Hopefully now, she'll understand why he can't get inside.

Quinn's eyes widen, and she takes a few steps back into her apartment. For a moment she thinks she is seeing things, because how can what she's seeing be real? Her mouth opens, either to scream or gasp, she isn't sure because no sound comes out.

Her hand flys to her mouth, as she stares. For a few minutes she doesn't move, as her brain tries to process everything. A vampire? He's a ...vampire?! The logical part of her brain tells Quinn this isn't possible. Then again nothing about the last few months have been logical.

So many questions are going through her head right now, but strangely enough she isn't scared. She lowers her hand, and swallows hard, still staring at him, but she nods and she manages a tiny smile.

Edited 2011-05-29 05:01 (UTC)

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

virtued.livejournal.com - 2011-05-29 05:18 (UTC) - Expand

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

cheerioless.livejournal.com - 2011-05-29 08:09 (UTC) - Expand

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

virtued.livejournal.com - 2011-05-29 18:46 (UTC) - Expand

[ location: quinn's apartment ] poooooor stefan! /hugs him.

cheerioless.livejournal.com - 2011-05-30 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

[ location: quinn's apartment ] <3

virtued.livejournal.com - 2011-05-30 22:13 (UTC) - Expand

[ location: quinn's apartment ] why are they so cute?

cheerioless.livejournal.com - 2011-06-02 07:43 (UTC) - Expand

( translation | quinn? are you all right? i can't speak any spanish. )

Elena? ¿Qué se está encendiendo? Sabe usted hablar Quel événement ? Mon Français est mauvais.

( translation | elena? what happening? my french is bad. )

( translation | i don't know. no one can talk or broadcast anything but text. are you all right? )

Soy un poco asustado. Un amigo se está adelantando comprobar mí. ¡Agradezca a dios que algún otro aquí habla español!

( translation | i'm a little scared. a friend is coming over to check on me. thank god someone else here speaks spanish! )

( translation | i was just thinking the same thing. i can stay on with you until they arrive if you want. my name is angela. what's yours? )

mi nombre es quinn. y gracias que quisiera eso.

( translation | my name is quinn. and think you i would like that? )

( translation | it's not a problem. how long have you been here, quinn? )

Desde abril. Siente mucho más largo algunos días.

( translation | since april. some days it feels much longer. )

( translation | i've been here since october. it gets...well, i don't know if i'd say easier. bearable. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ all over taxon ]

[ voice → text ]

[ text ]

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[ text ] /gives her stefan's very bad spanish.

[ text ] it can't be any worse than schue's!

[ text ] haha, very true. | 1/2

[ location: quinn's apartment ] | 2/2

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ]

[ location: quinn's apartment ] poooooor stefan! /hugs him.

[ location: quinn's apartment ] <3

[ location: quinn's apartment ] why are they so cute?

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