who thought moose guards was a good idea anyway?!

[rebella]

Who: Ella & you!
Broadcast: Audio, Fleet-wide?
Action: On Planet
When: Now

Hello? Is this working?

( Ella's keeping her voice low. Something whines near her communicator. She make a hushing sound in return before continuing to talk. )

I really hope it is... uh, if anyone's out there, do you have any... pointers... on how to escape a guard deer when you've been treed in an ice sculpture with a fox?

( Problems where children demand your assistance in rescuing their lost fox. Problems when you have to listen to direct orders. There' a loud THWACK and Ella tucks the fox in closer to her abdomen and pull her legs up while she hauls herself up another branch of the odd sculpture. There's one heck of a big moose huffing and circling this ice-carving tree-bird-angel she's climbed into. )

Comments

[heresyandlace]

[he's still trying to imagine this, and it's kind of hilarious. so, he has to bite back a little laugh.]

It shouldn't be that difficult to frighten off a deer. You're probably just not trying hard enough.

[rebella]

Yes, that's the obvious problem. What do you recommend? It doesn't seem to care when I'm speaking Ogrish, and that's the most compelling tongue I know. Should I try reciting poetry next? "Deer, oh deer, so dear to me you are, I dearly dare you to go elsewhere, somewhere very far."

( Poignant silence.

The moose has absolutely not gone away. )

[heresyandlace]

[he has a hand quietly over his mouth for a moment... and oh, what he wouldn't give to be able to see this...]

Oh, yes. I've heard that animals are often quite compelled by poetry.

Try more of that.

[while he tries to figure out if his communicator has a recording function.]

[rebella]

I fear I've entirely run out of inspiration. Do you think poetic poses will be any more compelling?

( u r such a helper man, such a helper )

[heresyandlace]

You'd best try. ...Death by deer would be a terribly humiliating way to go.

[he is a helper. so kindhearted.]

[rebella]

( This is the most half-baked attempt ever, but she finds a different position to support her and the fox. The moose still really, really doesn't care, but it makes a surprised... moose... sound. Then a more irritable one. )

I don't think he likes this any better.

[heresyandlace]

Oh... perhaps they are more audial creatures after all. Have you tried singing?

Something about soothing savage beasts, am I right?

[at some point he should probably start feeling bad for this... but it hasn't happened yet.]

[rebella]

I don't think I've soothed anything by singing, but I suppose...

( She doesn't sing, but she sure does try saying something in Ogrish again. It sounds very slippery, almost oily, if words could sound that way. Compelling at the same time.......... if one understood it. Asking the moose to close its eyes, relax, it'll taste good.

... There aren't a lot of nice things to say in Ogrish. )

[heresyandlace]

Oh, what a beautiful language.

[it feels homey, really. just like the swamps of his childhood. it gives him a nice little shiver.]

I'm sure that will work in no time. [--he, of course, lies through his teeth.]

[rebella]

It's more evil than it is beautiful.

( #speciest )

[heresyandlace]

[yeah, he's getting that. how rude.]

I disagree entirely, and--frankly--I find that a little judgmental.

[rebella]

Are you an ogre?

( Asking honestly, because... there is nothing in their language that is not meant to be harmful. So no, she can't find it beautiful, not as someone who is forced to obey commands, where ogres can pick up on such magics. It's bad enough when they try eating her, it's worse when she's endangered others because of it. Learning to speak their language as quickly as she had was entirely in self defense. )

[heresyandlace]

I am much better looking.

And if you're really trying to either calm or frighten a beast, especially with a language that you've judged to be evil, you've really got to put some heart into it.

...Assuming that you're still in danger of being trampled by a monstrous, rampaging deer, anyway.

[rebella]

It's not a language about heart so much as tone, and I'm only in danger if I fall down.

Thank you very much.

[heresyandlace]

Fine-- put some backbone into it, instead of heart, if you prefer. I'm sure there's probably supposed to be more growl to those words than how you uttered them.

...Unless you're perfectly comfortable up there, of course. Who am I to judge?

[rebella]

I have no idea, but you've been doing a fine job of it so far, so I doubt you're going to be stopping anytime soon.

( Though she does try again - with far more effort - speaking in that particular tongue that coaxes attention, draws ears and eyes her way. This time, it's far simpler: you're tired. So tired. Just rest. Rest. Close eyes. Rest. Sleep. Happy dreams. Sleep, pony. (She had no word for deer in ogrish.) Sleep.

Slowly, it almost seems to be working. More the moose has slowed down than anything else, but it's some result. )