Re: The Wretched Rite - Round One - The Rose Ring
07-30-2011, 09:55 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Jacquerel.
"Where am I, what are you, and what the hell is going on?"
Alluvion didn't know quite what he had been expecting but it wasn't anger. He actually recoiled in suprise as the strange new creature waved an appendage at him and started rapidly listing off questions, and slid a few inches backwards across the smooth floor tiles and leaving a trail of moisture that evaporated in the space of seconds.
Then again, he supposed, most animals don't actually like being disturbed. What had he been thinking, just barging into its den like this and shouting? Clearly seperation from the river was clouding his thoughts, he would have to make amends quickly!
Reaching out with his extra senses he was pleasantly suprised to learn that they still seemed to work on whatever it was that he was conversing with. Not particularly well, he would admit, but it was more than he had expected from a creature so obviously not designed for aquatic life (those circular limbs looked so unsuitable for swimming, and it was much too large!). While he couldn't quite gauge his new companion's precise intentions, desires or prayers he could detect anger, confusion and a simmering background layer of... desperation? resentment? More than a little stubbornness too.
The potency of the emotions also came as a bit of a suprise to him. Contrary to popular belief, fish can get mad, however their brains aren't really big enough to process emotions for long so they rarely hold grudges and often forget why they were angry in the first place after a couple of minutes. Concepts such as fear of mortality, predetermination and existential dread are also alien to them, so the fact that he wasn't used to the subtle intricacies of the feelings of a sentient species means he might actually have misread the situation a little bit.
He did also glean one useful bit of information, Alice's gender. Fish also don't get offended if you use the wrong pronoun talking to them but she probably would, it's fortunate that he'd at least not stick his metaphorical foot any further into his mouth by starting the conversation that way.
The psychic investigation took him less than a second, so after only a very brief awkward pause he opened his mouth again and fired off a barrage of replies and questions at lightning speed.
"Most apologies mistress I did not intend to disturb you! I am Alluvion and I am... I am a uh..." he suddenly realised he didn't actually know the answer to the second question, but in the true style of his followers spent less than a second worrying about this and just forged on anyway "Probably a river! We are in your lodge are we not? Truly this is an impressive contruction! I have never seen one as the like? Where did you get all this stone, and how is it so smooth? I have seen many wooden lodges but they were far smaller than this, and made only out of sticks. What is going on? Well I was watching the fish and then suddenly we were all in a different place! There was a very very big someone there with us but fortunately I don't think he noticed me, then I was here and I saw your lodge. There was moving inside and nowhere else, so I came in to see if there was anyone around and there was! That was you and then you asked me some questions. I am sorry if I am trespassing in your territory just say the word and I will leave I do not even intend to try and eat you."
As he slowed down to an eventual halt, he realised that Alice was just standing there staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face (not that he was practised at face reading anyway, another social skill lacked by fish).
"Apologies again, was that too many words? I am not much practiced at speaking I am not sure what is accepted.
Please do stop me if I am doing something that is not to be done."
"Where am I, what are you, and what the hell is going on?"
Alluvion didn't know quite what he had been expecting but it wasn't anger. He actually recoiled in suprise as the strange new creature waved an appendage at him and started rapidly listing off questions, and slid a few inches backwards across the smooth floor tiles and leaving a trail of moisture that evaporated in the space of seconds.
Then again, he supposed, most animals don't actually like being disturbed. What had he been thinking, just barging into its den like this and shouting? Clearly seperation from the river was clouding his thoughts, he would have to make amends quickly!
Reaching out with his extra senses he was pleasantly suprised to learn that they still seemed to work on whatever it was that he was conversing with. Not particularly well, he would admit, but it was more than he had expected from a creature so obviously not designed for aquatic life (those circular limbs looked so unsuitable for swimming, and it was much too large!). While he couldn't quite gauge his new companion's precise intentions, desires or prayers he could detect anger, confusion and a simmering background layer of... desperation? resentment? More than a little stubbornness too.
The potency of the emotions also came as a bit of a suprise to him. Contrary to popular belief, fish can get mad, however their brains aren't really big enough to process emotions for long so they rarely hold grudges and often forget why they were angry in the first place after a couple of minutes. Concepts such as fear of mortality, predetermination and existential dread are also alien to them, so the fact that he wasn't used to the subtle intricacies of the feelings of a sentient species means he might actually have misread the situation a little bit.
He did also glean one useful bit of information, Alice's gender. Fish also don't get offended if you use the wrong pronoun talking to them but she probably would, it's fortunate that he'd at least not stick his metaphorical foot any further into his mouth by starting the conversation that way.
The psychic investigation took him less than a second, so after only a very brief awkward pause he opened his mouth again and fired off a barrage of replies and questions at lightning speed.
"Most apologies mistress I did not intend to disturb you! I am Alluvion and I am... I am a uh..." he suddenly realised he didn't actually know the answer to the second question, but in the true style of his followers spent less than a second worrying about this and just forged on anyway "Probably a river! We are in your lodge are we not? Truly this is an impressive contruction! I have never seen one as the like? Where did you get all this stone, and how is it so smooth? I have seen many wooden lodges but they were far smaller than this, and made only out of sticks. What is going on? Well I was watching the fish and then suddenly we were all in a different place! There was a very very big someone there with us but fortunately I don't think he noticed me, then I was here and I saw your lodge. There was moving inside and nowhere else, so I came in to see if there was anyone around and there was! That was you and then you asked me some questions. I am sorry if I am trespassing in your territory just say the word and I will leave I do not even intend to try and eat you."
As he slowed down to an eventual halt, he realised that Alice was just standing there staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face (not that he was practised at face reading anyway, another social skill lacked by fish).
"Apologies again, was that too many words? I am not much practiced at speaking I am not sure what is accepted.
Please do stop me if I am doing something that is not to be done."