savetheearth | 1st Vision [Video]

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1st Vision [Video]

[Bet you didn’t expect to see a big-eared white-and-tabby kitten looking down into an iPad camera, did you? But here’s one, and if a kitten might look frustrated, this one looks frustrated. His ears are turned back, and his eyes are narrowed, as if he’s either angry with the screen, or having a hard time seeing it. Maybe both.

After a moment of his jaw working just a little-- perhaps speaking too softly for anyone to actually hear, or perhaps just trying to come up with the words to say-- he finally speaks.]

What is this? This is-- is-- sshai-sau!

[Okay, whatever that word was, it was definitely not in English. Also, it’s a little softer than the rest, sounding more like a hiss than a word. He turns back his ears further, more frustrated and a little embarrassed, and tries again.]

Crazy. This is crazy. Who are all you ehhif? How come there are no People on here? Where did that long thing in my head come from?

[Apparently he doesn’t have the “English” word for number yet, but apparently he can at least match up symbols on the virtual keyboard with the ones in his head. Also apparently, he hasn't seen Regina's post yet. The last thing he says before waiting for a response sounds a little desperate:]

And how come I can ueeur ffroouaaou’hhu? I mean-- understand you?

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[ so this is something alex has never expected to see while he whittles the downtime away in the rig on his iphone.

actually, this is something he never expected to see anywhere, anytime. ever.

his partner had thrown him a weird look when he jumped in his seat and incredulously whispered, "gogo?!" and lingered a bit more when his thumbs went furiously to work. ]

Gogo what the hell are you doing on here?????

[Gomez hasn't figured out text yet-- it's too much effort, really-- but he can somehow read that. Reading he discovered not long after understanding, a little before talking. It's still sometimes difficult, though, especially on this awful little screen.

So he squints at that, trying to make it out, before he answers.]

I had something in my head. I hit the auhhi'ir in the right order when I made my ehhif's flat thing huau'auwhhu ur-au and now it shows me stuff. How do you know my name?

[He doesn't seem to notice this time that he's slipping in and out of English, or what sounds like English, but it's mostly understandable, anyway.]

[ the hell is auuuhhhwhuuaaaahh -- that's what it sounds like to him, anyway, no matter how close he presses the phone to his ear. ]

I'm your human. Man we need to talk when I get home

[Gomez takes a minute to work that out and let the meaning come to him, but then his eyes go big. Alex, this is your kitten panicking. He gives a yowl of guilty fear, scrambles back from the iPad, and is gone from view. Most likely he's gone to hide under the bed, like he usually does when he knows he's done something wrong.

Or it's thundering. He hides there then, too.]

[ whoops. he automatically says, 'nonononono-' out loud, earning another odd look from his partner.

sigh. ]

Not in trouble. I'll bring you tuna when I get back

[ he's hoping gogo will eventually come back to look at the screen of, well, whatever it is he's using (ipad? shit, he learned his pin code?? sheesh!) ]

[Hey, the pin was easier to pick up than the laptop's password. Alex uses the iPad more often, after all.

Gomez will be back, but it'll be probably an hour later, so by then Alex will be back to work. From then on he sits, staring at the iPad, kneading the carpet nervously and reflexively licking his nose, answering responses when he gets them.

By the time Alex gets home, though, he's nodded off, and is curled up next to the now powered-down iPad. The sound of the door opening wakes him up, but since he's in the middle of the living room floor, he just blinks stupidly at his ehhif walking in for a minute.]

[ his footsteps are accompanied by the familiar rustle of a plastic shopping bag. he doesn't make it a point to have canned tuna on hand; alex has never been fond of fish, after all.

it seems that ravi, his room mate who gogo probably knows as vin, benny, lord of the sun, sunny and, very rarely, dragon (which is often accompanied by verbal threat), is already asleep or out. both are good news to alex, who crouches beside gomez, brow lifted, smile lopsided. this morning, he smells faintly of booze -- drunk call -- and disinfectant.

he holds up a tuna can. ]

Gomez Addams, you got some s'plaining to do.

Edited 2013-05-19 06:19 (UTC)

[For a minute, Gomez just stares, ears up and tail lashing, as if trying to decide whether he can pretend Alex was dreaming and nothing happened and he can't understand anything his ehhif is saying. Finally, though, he realizes it's not going to work so well.

Might as well make his first few words count.]

... tuna isn't really all that great, you know.

[ his jaw does drop.

that's the first thing gogo says to him, face-to-face?!

he lowers the can, and also lowers his face into his other hand. he needs a few seconds to compose himself.

he releases a quiet laugh, shaking his head. ]

Not a fan, eh? You and me both, man. You and me both.

[ he drops his hand onto his thigh, then settles down, legs loosely crossed. ]

Okay, Gogo, no more tuna. But I'm not buying you steaks, you hear?

[What can he say? Gomez is very into food. Also, talking about food means he's not having to explain himself, or try to understand what's going on, or face the nervousness that comes with thinking things are probably going to change. So he just licks his muzzle at the thought of what he could get instead of tuna.]

You could get me salmon. Or that beef and venison flavor, I really like that.

[He's been reading the labels on the cans. Even if he has no idea what beef and venison are.]

Good taste. I knew I picked you for a reason.

[ he taps his leg rapid fire for a few seconds, then stops. ]

Sooo... when'd you-- hey, did you use my iPad to do that?

Eeih.

[Though the word doesn't come out in any language Alex can understand, Gomez's looking guiltily aside is probably plenty of confirmation. He knows he's not supposed to play with the expensive toys, but he needed to get that number out of his head....]

I only wanted to find out what that auhhir in my head did, and it had the pieces to match up.

[ he nods, as if understanding. ] No worries, dude. I'm just surprised. Feel free to use it whenever you want -- just don't buy anything or let Vin see you.

So did you learn English by hearing it or was that something you got from the pulse sensation?

What?

[Apparently that's not a word he's learned yet: pulse. Or maybe sensation. Or more likely both.]

It happened. Uh. Kind of all at once. When I got out that last time?

Ahhh. [ he leans forward. ] You mean that time Vin metaphorically whipped my ass because he flips out about you 'babies'?

[ he leans back, just shy of grinning, and reaches out to scratch the back of gogo's ear. he's purposefully giving gogo shit. ]

Well, since I know now, how about letting me know when you want to get out? I can make up an excuse about you staying with a friend or something and avoid another lecture.

[Gomez actually looks surprised by that. Taken aback, even. One ear skews forward, the other back, and his tail gives a lash.]

You would do that...? Really?

[Despite the body language, his voice sounds hopefully and nervous, both. His last trip outside was pretty scary, but it also gets pretty boring inside when you're not content to watch cars and birds all day anymore.]

I know the futility of arguing with a cat. Just, you know, [ he waves his hand ] stay away from cars, bikes, dogs -- shit like that. Make sure you come back. Preferably in one piece.

[ he sounds lighthearted, but if gomez were to return injured he'd be alarmed. and ravi would probably flip out. ]

I know that. I'm not dumb.

[But the mild indignation fades quickly, and he inches a little closer to Alex. Maybe a sign he wants petting, but he's too nervous to actually ask for it in his usual ways, much less with words.]

You're not mad? Or-- upset? Or anything?

[Not just about the iPad or the getting out. But he can't really express that, either.]

Nah, man, it's all good. Well, maybe it's not actually all good, but, you know. [ he shrugs. ] You gotta just roll with the punches, you know? Just-- just don't let Vin know. He doesn't have a number.

A number.

[Gomez repeats the word, trying to remember it and put it to something.]

That's the auhhir thing? That makes the people talking show up? Is that what makes me understand you?

[ whoa, question bombing! ]

I dunno about 'ow-her', but yeah, yeah-- if that means the long string of numbers you can't forget, then yeah, that's what's connecting you to everyone else with one. There's a pony who can talk, too, so I guess... [ he scratches the crook of his neck ] for animals, the number comes with instant English?

[He's a kitten who can suddenly talk and doesn't understand a whole lot yet. What do you expect? Patience? Ha.]

I talked to something with a big, long face, I guess... and another cat who can't talk to ehhif. And another ehhif who was all huau and cheerful.

[He isn't sure what he's talking is actually English, actually, but he's not sure how to convey that. Especially since he doesn't understand how it works at all.]

Long face, huh? That was probably her, unless there's another.

So those words you're peppering the English with -- is that cat? Cat-speak?

I... guess?

[He doesn't look very sure about that. And when he continues, he speaks more slowly, as if he's trying to pay more attention to what he's saying and how he's saying it.]

I don't even notice much when I do it. I think it happens when I don't know the word as well? I don't know. This whole understanding thing... it keeps going in and out.

[ he can sense gogo's uncertainty and figures that's enough about that for now. he waves his hand, shooing the topic aside. ]

Don't sweat it.

[ he stretches forward, then, arms out on each of gogo's sides, then straightens and relaxes with a huff. ]

How about I... yeah, how about I show you some games after I shower? [ he always showers right after coming home. this morning is a talking-gogo exception. ]

1st Vision [Video]

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