lifenet | May Event: Lost in Translation

May Event: Lost in Translation

MAY EVENT: LOST IN TRANSLATION

Who: Everyone!
What: Crash.
When: May 21st to May 30th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: Mark as needed!

I Have No Words
Feel free to use this post as an event catch-all for any misfires, island-wide broadcasts, or glitching Stone shenanigans you'd like your characters to get up to! Remember that the Stones of Farspeech do not currently have a texting feature...but that doesn't mean the screen they use to display Caller I.D. can't display text, on occasion. Bear in mind that this screen is small and therefore has limited display options.

If you have any questions, feel free to look over our OOC event post here, and ask any questions as needed!

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ignis supposes he should be deeply unsettled by what he's hearing. Instead of feeling that way, though, he just finds himself being hit with a feeling of sudden understanding.]

I take it this is the reason you were so concerned about being around us if you lost your memories, Michael?

[Here's hoping Ignis is actually speaking in common instead of Ancient Lucian ~~Latin~~ like he was before.]

What's the reason?

[oh hey, you got the real deal! he did not hear that last broadcast]

And why are you speaking Latin?

Oh bloody hell! Don't tell me it's happening again? It's not Latin; it's Lucian. Ancient at tha-

[Actually, you know what? Never mind, there are more important matters at hand. Ignis takes a deep breath and then does his best mimic of what was just broadcast. He doesn't sound anything like Michael did, but it probably gets the idea across.]

Blah, blah, disgusting humans. Blah blah, we believe there is a better way to make the humans miserable, blah. Yay, torture!

[Yes, he does really say the 'blahs' because he's Just. Like. That.]

...what the fork, how did you -

[Michael's cut off abruptly by static. When he returns, he mostly seems to be talking to himself:]

Day forty-seven, and I'm happy to report that things went well! Tahani's just devastated to have disappointed me. Barely managed to hold the tears in until I left the room! [He chuckles.] Oh, man, her parents were a gift! I'll forgive her in a few days, maybe, I want to see if I can get in some public shaming first. Really turn her whole calling in life into something humiliating and terrible...make her grovel. It's been this long, I deserve a treat.

Michael?

[The crystal isn't a phone, but when that static hits and what seems to be another memory comes across it, Ignis can't help but be hit with the urge to shake it just in case it might help.]

Can you hear me? Who's Tahani?

- ello? Helloooooo...

[Michael says, with the tone of someone who's been trying to get this thing to connect properly for a bit.]

Tahani? She's a friend of mine, why do you ask? [He's never mentioned her to Ignis, actually, that's a suspicious question.] What's going on?

Ah, you're back. This is not a pleasant way to have a conversation.

[Talk about an understatement!]

That sure didn't sound very friendly. Friends don't usually mock each other's callings in life.

[Ignis sighs, shaking his head even though he knows it can't be seen.]

If those are what I think they are, it appears the crystals are sharing memories along with garbling translation. Each time you cut out, it is playing a different memory.

Oh. [.....] That could be bad. Look, I haven't always been very -

[Despite Michael starting to speak faster in an effort to not get cut off, he's cut off by a woman's voice.]

You've been torturing us! And lying about it!

Now, let's not get caught up on who lied to whom, or which one of us created an entire fake reality in order to cause eternal misery to the others. That's ancient history.

[Another man chimes in:] It was happening until twenty seconds ago!

I don't think they can actually hear you.

[Boy, don't those responses kind of make him wonder, though.]

If it helps any, I'm a firm believer that even the worst of 'people' can change for the better. You were certainly worried about harming others if you lost your memories after the volcano erupted. That is proof of change even if you were doing it for selfish reasons. It sounds like old you wouldn't have even bothered.

[Look, he's in love with his world's one and only Apocalypse. He has little room or wish to condemn someone for the past, especially when they are trying to or have already changed for the better.

Granted, changing for the better is a longer climb for some than others.]

Attempt 207. I got frustrated today, so I locked Chidi in a time cube. Now I'm not sure how to get him out without showing my hand...I mean, could just leave him in there for a while. Probably just gonna erase his memories again anyway.

[sorry, you lost him halfway through the last one]

[Hey crystal, remember when he was thinking about tossing you in the ocean earlier? Yeah, the urge is rising really fast again.]

Memory Interruption Thre--no it's Four now. Temptation to slam my crystal against the closest rock rising. I'm not certain it will do any good, but it will make me feel better.

I have to admit I am curious as to what a 'time cube' is and how exactly one puts a person into it, but I suspect I will have better luck getting the answer if I go talk to Michael in person than if we continue this way. Note to self: should probably mention that messing with people's memories is bad, but I have a feeling he already knows that.

[If these memories are all going to be reports of some sort, Ignis is going to share a report of his own. It's either that or go insane and Ardyn's already got the title of being the insane one in their duo.]

[Somewhere amid the sudden noise of several people arguing, Michael bursts into laughter.]

I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing. How do I explain this? I'm basically an exterminator, and you're cockroaches. My job was to squish you, and poison you, and yet somehow, my very survival now depends on you, the cockroaches, agreeing to help me. That's funny.

We're cockroaches to you?

Yeah. Or dung beetles. I dunno, something small and gross that creeps on the ground in its own filth. Just being honest.

[Meanwhile, Michael In Real Life has similarly decided to just go and physically find Ignis! But he never found out which islet the guy lives on, even if he knew whether he was home or not, so he's just sort of...wandering aimlessly. At least it makes him feel like he's doing something?]

There are worse things to be than cockroaches. They're dreadfully resilient things. It's not like being...

[And then 'Michael' suggests a dung beetle, and well, Ignis doesn't know what one of those are, but they certainly don't sound like they have many redeeming qualities.]

Or that. Yes, I suppose there is that.

[He sighs and then he tries one last thing to salvage this conversation, because him searching blindly is literally him searching blindly.]

Michael, if you can hear me and are near a mana pool, go to the first islet. I'll be outside of the cottage straight out from the mana pool. Look for the one with all the improvements around it. It's hard to miss.

[Gladio was busy before he was sent away.]

[Over the stone, there's a lot of people screaming about three-headed flying spiders.

But hey, Michael turns and heads in the direction provided! It's for the best, not like Ignis could see him from a distance anyway...although, when he sees him, Michael instinctively raises a hand to wave.]

Oh, Ignis!

Thank goodness.

[Ignis unceremoniously dumps his crystal into a nearby basket, just barely catching the mention of the spider. It's probably a good thing Michael wasn't in charge of daemon creation back on Eos. Arachne are bad enough already without having multiple heads and being able to fly.

He does get bonus points for creativity though.

With a smile, Ignis greets Michael. He might not be able to see Michael's wave, but he still gives one in return.]

It's good to hear you and not some memory. Would you like to sit?

Oh, ah...sure, I guess.

[Michael's a little distracted by now being able to actually hear what's going on with the other stone. Boy, that's gotta be from a thousand years ago.]

Have you considered burying that in the woods?

I would like to see if it can swim first or if it will sink like the stone it is. Burying it comes next.

[Then fire. Then ice... He has a whole list.]

Would it be better if I tossed it into the cottage where you can't hear it?

Maybe it's better if I know what other people are hearing. My kind don't really forget things, anyway...it's not going to be anything I don't already know.

[Although he is still not the biggest fan.]

It lets you know what you will need to explain. I understand. Just let me know if you change your mind.

[Ignis gives the crystal a dirty look, one remarkably strong for a man who cannot see.]

If it's any consolation, I'm not going to demand an explanation if you don't want to give it. I'd be a hypocrite of the highest order if I gave one person who did similar things a second chance and did not give you that same chance.

...you must lead an interesting life. But no - no, it's fine. I don't mind explaining.

[Not like this, at least. Hearing people he tortured before Everything is...different. It was bad. He knows that now, and he regrets doing it, but mostly in a sort of academic sense. He doesn't feel the same keen, stomach-churning guilt that he's felt over hurting his friends, even if he never really harmed them physically. He can talk about it.

Maybe that's a failing in him. It seems like it must be. But if the time ever comes when he can help those people too, he'll do whatever he needs to then.]

I'm a demon. Torturing dead humans is sort of our entire thing. Seems like enough humans have stories about us that it's barely a secret anyway, unless I start lying about my entire species. But I don't do that now, and I'm...well, I'm working on reducing the torture, at least. [Ugh, it sounds shitty when he puts it like that.] Stopping it altogether would be nice, but there's already a good chance I'll die doing this, that's sort of a later-down-the-road thing.

[Ignis snorts softly.]

'Interesting' is certainly one way to describe it. 'Dangerous' is another, much like trying to change a system from the inside is, as it sounds like you are trying to do.

Eos is different from what you describe, from what most people describe, really. We don't have beings such as yourself. Our daemons don't care about torture. They just wish to kill and destroy. The process that creates them generally strips away the ability to think rationally.

[Ardyn being the one exception to that rule, though he would most certainly argue about how rational his thought processes are,]

From what I have hear most worlds that have demons as you describe yourself also have angels. Is this the case for yours too?

[Michael narrows his eyes as a few previous conversations come together.] Oh, are you from the same place as Ardyn?

[Ardyn is...he doesn't dislike the man on principle, but he doesn't much trust him. And it's unnerving, having seen how a human can be altered that way. Michael's glad that can't happen back home.]

We've got angels. Fat lot of good they've done anyone.

[A small self-conscious smile pulls at the corner of Ignis' mouth.]

Yes, thanks to Bahamut's' meddlesome ways Ardyn would be the main reason why my life is so interesting.

[And dangerous, though oddly enough, he doesn't sound upset about this.]

I would say your angels might be equivalent to our messengers, but our messengers are actually quite helpful, if sometimes cryptic in the way they deliver their messages.

[Thanks Gentiana. How is it that the dogs are clearer in their intentions than you are most times?]

Ours just sit around talking about how good they are and not helping people. You've gotta clear a real high bar with them, to be worth not getting tortured forever.

[Ignis' eyes narrow and he frowns.]

Wonderful. They sound like glorified bureaucrats.

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