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 Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:03 pm
Fiero's heart went out to the young banshee. It didn't seem like she would have the opportunity to be a child as he had. Unless she would have a silent childhood. He couldn't imagine how being silent could be conducive to being carefree and amused. He was willing to be as supportive as he could for her, but he didn't know how helpful he could be.
"I'm fine," Korea said. "I don't think there's been any permanent damage."
Fiero tilted his head to one side and asked, "Do you speak sign language, Nexus?"
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 2:37 pm
"Yeah I do. I learned once when I had laryngitus and I had to read a poem for school. So I did it in sign language. It's not too hard. We'll just teach her the basics first." Wendell looked to Invidia. "Is that ok? Can I teach you sign language?"
Invidia watched as everyone seemed to recover from her explosive birth of sorts. She sighed a bit, knowing that now she was older so she was even closer to her next reincarnation. What sort of hell would she be given next time. She blinked in a confused manner at Fiero; why did he look so upset at her not being able to talk? Frankly she thought he talked enough for the both of them. But when Wendell addressed her about sign language she nodded. Perhaps she could communicate and not make everyone deaf.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 4:12 pm
Fiero nodded, and then wondered, belatedly, if anyone but Wendell would be able to understand Invidia if she spoke sign language. He knew for a fact that he wouldn't be able to, and it would surprise him if Korea would. He also wondered what laryngitus was, and why it would force a person to learn sign language. He held his tongue though. Maybe these things would become apparent. Maybe sign language was easier to understand than he thought. He doubted it though.
Korea was not skeptical regarding Wendell's ability to teach Invidia sign language, or about Invidia's ability to learn, but she shared some of Fiero's reservations. As long as Wendell was with Invidia, the young banshee would have an interpreter, but what about when he wasn't there? She would have to learn to read and write, too, so that those who didn't understand ASL could communicate somehow. She didn't really have any difficulty imagining the banshee child carrying a pen and paper around though. Things would work out somehow.
She wondered, also, if she ought to suggest that she and Fiero leave, but Fiero had opened his mouth to say something.
"Could you teach me sign language, too?" he asked Wendell. He wanted to know what Invidia would have to say when she could express herself.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 4:18 pm
Wendell nodded softly to Fiero and walked over to his bookcase. He took a small book out and handed it to him. It was a picture book, a beginner's guide to sign language. "Here, this might help. I'm going to teach Invidia with my hands so she can see better. She can't read yet so a book won't help." He turned to the main page which taught the alphebet. Then to some others that had certain hand signs that meant a certain word. "See, it's not to terribly difficult. I'll teach her the letters first, which will help her learn to read. Then she can learn words. Just like someone speaking."
Invidia looked over Wendell's shoulder as he showed the other creature the book. It didn't look to hard actually. She simply had to put her fingers and hand in a certain position or move it a certain way and she said a letter. Or later a word, as Wendell said.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:03 pm
Fiero flipped through the book. It didn't look particularly difficult, but looks could be deceiving. Korea gave the alphabet page a cursory glance when he showed it to her. He couldn't tell if she was uninterested or if she simply had other things on her mind. As he got older, for whatever reason, Korea's moods got more incomprehensible. He wondered how Ewan understood her so easily. Surely it couldn't simply be because both Korea and Ewan liked boys.
"Thank you," he said to Wendell. Then he turned to Invidia and said, "I'll do my best to learn quickly so we can talk. If you want to, of course." This was accompanied by a smile that some would call charming. "And when you learn to read, we can talk online."
He did realize that Invidia was little more than a child, but she seemed a great deal more mature than he had been as an undera. Maybe because Wendell had treated her like an entity from the beginning, and Korea had treated him like a moving paperweight. Comprehension could well be interaction-based. Fortunately, he'd been a fast learner once he came out of his orb.
Korea shifted a little uncomfortably. She didn't disapprove of Fiero's interest in Invidia, and she genuinely liked Wendell, but she couldn't help but think of the social repercussions for everyone involved here. Highschoolers simply don't make friends with college students once the college students are in college. Especially not with college students as old as Korea. She was a junior, approximately four years his senior. Things could get so awkward, so easily.
But Fiero was happy around Wendell and Invidia, and that was good. She often felt guilty for leaving him in the dorm alone while she attended class. If she could make up for it by taking him to see Wendell and Invidia, she'd do that as often as he wanted. Otherwise he made very few demands on her, after all.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:15 pm
Invidia just looked at Fiero and nodded a bit. It was really all she could do. Perhaps this form of talking would be ok. She wasn't too sure about it. Fiero was such a mystery to her. No matter how cross or mean she was to him, he always seemed to still want to be her friends. It confused her and made her suspicious at the same time.
Emo boy flopped back down onto his bed and ran a hand through his black hair. "Well, I suppose you want to go. Nothing like a college girl hanging out with a high school boy to get people talking. Not that I care but I've noticed girls don't tend to like being talked about in an unfair light." Was Wendell really worried about it? Not in the slightest. Hell most at school thought he was gay. But Korea was nice enough so he didn't want to impose on her in a way that would make her uncomfortable. "Since summer is coming up maybe Fiero and Invidia can do more things together without us arond."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:31 pm
Korea was startled by how perceptive Wendell had been. Admittedly, it couldn't've been difficult to guess what was bothering her, since she had little to complain about otherwise, but in high school she had known very few guys who could correctly guess what was wrong with a girl in one go.
"You got it," she said softly. "I shouldn't care, but old habits are hard to shake. Things'll be easier in the summer."
They would be, too. She was signed up for summer courses, so the campus population would be significantly decreased, and no one she knew was staying, so she had nothing to worry about. Of course, she'd have to go home for a week between semesters, but she supposed Fiero could live for a week without seeing Invidia. She was relatively certain Invidia could survive a week without Fiero.
Fiero's shoulders slumped a little as he realized that they would be leaving soon. He had been enjoying himself, and would've liked to interact more with Invidia and Wendell. Well, maybe next time. It sounded as though there would be a next time.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:36 pm
"No big deal. I'll walk you out, or you will never make it home because mother will laden you down with food." Wendell walked his two friends down the flight of stairs, stopped only for a few minutes while his mother showed Invidia off to his father. He agreed with her guess as to what she was. Korea was also give a big bag of cookies while Fiero got himself a plate of cupcakes. Both were told not to worry about returning things and that they should eat more.
Invidia followed the troupe, glaring a bit as she was stared at. But the two loud adults quickly left them alone as her Guardian walked the group down the next flight of stairs. This was to the main shop and the door leading outside.
Wendell opened the door for them and nodded. "It was nice seeing you again. At least someone was here when Invidia popped out so I wouldn't be completely at a loss."
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:43 pm
"It was nice seeing you, too," Korea said, meaning it. "I don't know if we were much help though."
Fiero gave her a look as if to indicate that she might not have been very helpful, but he had been extraordinarily helpful. Then he hastened to add his sincere adieu's to Korea's while balancing his cupcakes on his book. He decided to ask Ewan about man-bags sometime. Ewan carried one and looked pretty good doing it, and it seemed the only way a guy could carry a bag without being considered queer. Not that Fiero really had a problem with people thinking him gay. That was among the least of his problems. The first thing people tended to notice about him was that he didn't have lower limbs. And then they noticed the pointed ears and the shirtlessness.
"Next time, maybe I'll be able to say something in sign language," he said to Invidia with a grin. "But for now, this will have to do."
He took a risk, floating a few feet backward, and ready to float further at speed. Then he blew her a joking kiss and waved. Korea rolled her eyes and stood to one side, so that if Invidia decided to charge Fiero (as Korea privately felt she might deserve to in this instance), she'd have a clear path.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:47 pm
Luckily for Fiero, and his cupcakes, Wendell caught his banchee's hand before it knocked the plate in a fit of anger. How dare he blow a KISS at her! Infuriated the leggless female flew back up stairs and hide in Wendell's closet.
"I.....wouldn't try that again Fiero, she has a real aversion to displays of affection. I wonder why though?" He looked back into the darkness of the shop where his "child" had fled.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:53 pm
Fiero shrugged. He had known he was taking a risk, but it had not been meant seriously.
"You're probably right, but perhaps she can be conditioned to react less vehemently to such displays," Fiero said. "Besides, how does she deal with Clara? Didn't you say she was a fairly cheerful person?"
He was aware there was a distinction between cheer and demonstrative, but he guessed that there wasn't one with Clara. She sounded like someone who hugged others whether they wanted hugged or not.
Korea glanced at Fiero out of the corner of her eye and considered whether she would have to talk to him about provoking people. Again.
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Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:57 pm
"Well when she was an orb she completely avoided Clara. Guess I'll have to watch her now that she's got arms. And yes, I'll try to teach her not to be so violent." Wendell didn't seem to upset at the whole incident. He would explain to V that she couldn't just go hitting people. "Well I have to help with dinner. See ya." He waved to them both and locked the door behind him.
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