text, backdated to the 15th or so

[hellosirs]

[ First, he'd panicked. Suddenly being unable to speak was bad enough, but not being able to read or write was terrifying, and Angus had spent about an hour holed up in his room, trying to make sense of his books even though the text kept swimming out of focus. Some time with his family had helped calm him down, though, and it soon became obvious that this was the Turbo-Liches up to their usual fuckery. Things would go back to normal in a few days, but in the meantime, Angus was going to have to squash the fear down and try to figure out how to communicate, because miming things out could only get him so far.

Speaking didn't work. Writing didn't work. Typing didn't work, but... there was more than one keyboard on these phone things, wasn't there? Lup had shown him, once... ]

🤐

💬❌

✍️📵❌

👐🙌🤟❓❓❓

👩‍🎓❓

[ Anybody out there know sign language? Anyone willing to teach it? ]

Comments

TEXT SORRY SHE'S BEEN SAPPED OF INTELLIGENCE

[unnature]

oh i got this
you wanna play clapping games
i didnt know you could major in that

NGL, I CACKLED

[hellosirs]

[ ... ok, this is going to be harder than he thought. He can’t even read what must be a sympathetic and well thought-out reply, the words just swim out of focus for him. How can he encourage this person to talk? ]

❌❌❌

📵

💬❓

im crying

[unnature]

no phone? dude i dont know where you are to talk in person, how can you be playing emoji charades if you dont have a phone

[hellosirs]

[ MORE TEXT. How can he convey this properly? ]

📖😖❌❌❌

🗣️💬🔉

🙏❓

[ Please, use your words! ]

text > video

[unnature]

ohhhhhh

[It takes her a couple tries but she manages to turn on the video instead. Congrats, Ango, you got through to her.]

Well, if you can't read, why didn't you just say so?

[She sticks her tongue out at his emojis.]

But emoji charades I can do. I'm not gonna pray with you though. You'll have to find someone else for that.

[64th]

Did they take your tongue?

[ she knows none of this is a Capitol trick. but she always wonders: what if it's a Capitol trick? ]

What's the little lady with the weird hat?

[hellosirs]

[ The text is just a blur that keeps swimming in and out of focus. Angus groans, and tries another tactic. ]

📖❓❓

🔇

❌❌❌

😖

[ This is a lot harder than he thought it would be! ]

[64th]

[ oh. ]

[hellosirs]

[ SOMEBODY UNDERSTANDS...! ]

😃🙏


🗣️👂

[ He can still hear, though! ]

[64th]

[ she tries some audio: ]

You can hear? I can't hear.

[ and for good measure: ]

video;

[knockthemdead]

[This is very odd and concerning post. Even with his own weird shit going on, Kravitz isn't about to ignore it. Has the boy lost something too?]

Angus? What is this all about?

Re: video;

[hellosirs]

🤐

📖😖❌

✍️📵❌

👻😰

[ The spooky ghost is the closest he can get to 'turbo-liches'! ]

[knockthemdead]

[Rereading the initial post and dissecting the new text is enough for it to click, and Kravitz groans audibly. What an overload of things to be missing. Not to mention to have taken them from a child, no less- regardless of how smart or adaptive said child might be. Kravitz's lip curls. He hates these pompous liches more and more every day.]

I know very little sign language, I'm afraid. I'll ask around and see if I can't find someone more equipped to teach you.

Are you alright, for the time being? Safe?

[hellosirs]

[ It's a relief that Kravitz caught on so quickly, and his clear frustration at this whole thing is very validating. This is an overload! The liches are the worst! Angus is going to have some very sharp words for Fear the next time he pops up on the network! ]

✅✅✅✅

🏠

[ He's home, and plans on staying there for the time being. He's as safe as he can be, under the circumstances. ]

[knockthemdead]

[Ok, good, at least he's safe. Relatively.]

Obviously I'm not any sort of parental figure to you and claim no modicum of control over your actions, but I do think it would be best if you stayed there for the time being. If there's anything you need, I'm a mere text and a portal away.

[He means it. Anything. Angus is important to Taako, so he's important to Krav.]

text

[sneaklizard]

You alright there, Ango?

[hellosirs]

📖😖❌❌❌

[ This is the worst, Carey! ]

[sneaklizard]

[ She'll agree, once she actually understands what's going on with the poor kid.]

Huh. Did you find a book you don't like?

[hellosirs]

❌❌❗️❗️❗️❗️

[ Man, he wishes. That would at least mean there were more books around Hadriel. ]

🤐

📖😖❌

✍️📵❌

[sneaklizard]

[ Okay, something's definitely up. ]

This is a little weird, bud.

Is your phone broken?

Video un: Sunai

[stealyoursoul]

So...you can't talk?

[He's never been a big emoji person, so he's just going off an educated guess. Just ignore the fact that instead of where his eyes should be, there's just two black smudges. That has nothing to do with what's going on, that's just a natural side effect of being a Sunai monster.]

[hellosirs]

✅✅✅✅

[ Got it in one! But... oh boy that is disturbing. It's a good thing Angus isn't on video right now, because otherwise this dude would be able to see exactly how unsettled he is. ]

🤐

📖😖❌

✍️📵❌

[ ... and then, a few moments later (because he's absolutely curious): ]

👀❓

[stealyoursoul]

No talking, no reading, and no writing? That's rough. Know sign language?

[Might as well ask. The last place he'd come from, such a skill had been essential.]

Oh, the eyes? Just a thing that happens with my species when we show up in pictures or on film.

[Yeah, he's not human, and sounds very nonchalant about that fact..]

[hellosirs]

❌❗️

[ He does not know sign language, but he's very excited at the idea of someone who does! ]

👐🙌🤟❓

🙏👩‍🎓❓

(👀👍)

[ It's cool, most of his friends aren't human. ]

[stealyoursoul]

Good thing for you I know enough to carry on at least some short conversations. Last place I was in had these monsters that killed you if you made a sound, so texting or signing were the only ways to communicate.

[He props his device up so that he can use both of his hands. It's almost entirely related to ASL, so the signs should be simple enough to learn.]

Let's just start with some basics.

[See, Leo is alright when he's not acting like a dick, which seems to be his default mood most of the time.]