(third punch) BBS + action + backdated action

[youngnobelman]

[BBS]
What languages do you speak, besides whichever Old language you may have taken or may be taking in LAN 101?

I've found it interesting how some of the 'Old' languages that used to be spoken in some countries on this world seem equivalent to languages from my own world. For example, Japanese and German, my native languages, are much like this world's Old Shumi and Old Trabian. (So if anyone who took LAN 101 in a quarter offering those languages would like to practise their conversational skills or continue their studies, I may be able to fit you into my schedule. Twelve weeks is a short time to learn a language.)

I also ask because if we know how many native speakers there are of other languages, we could suggest that the library supply more non-English language books than just beginners' textbooks and low vocabulary level graded readers. Of course, I understand the library and the foreign language department's budgets may not cover new additions, but it's worth a try.

Touma H. Norstein

[LOBBY: TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE JAM FLOOD]
[Inspired by Chika's example of dragging Piyomon around with her, Touma actually has Gaomon out in the open today. Maybe Those Three Girls some of the more xenophobic cadets will get more used to more non-humans around if a SeeD, and their apprentice doctor, at that, has a non-human friend around.

[So here they are sitting across from each other on a bench in the lobby, a 3x3 gridded mat with one card on it between them. Both of them have a hand of monster cards before them.]

Try to play a card with a higher number than those on my card.

These really aren't drawn to scale.

[Touma smirks.] That's a little beside the point, Gaomon.

[TOUMA'S SUBCONSCIOUS: AFTERNOON | DISGUSTINGLY BACKDATED TO OCTOBER 8TH]
[Coming down the hallway from the cafeteria is Touma, flanked by Gaomon, a maybe fifteen-year-old girl who looks a lot like him (right), an older European man with Touma's coloring, and a Japanese lady with Touma's smile. The girl and the woman are happy and laughing, the older man, despite his stern appearance, has cracked a smile, and Touma and Gaomon are completely relaxed.]

Mom, I can't believe you think the hotdogs are that good!

[That woman, oh, must be his mom:] You said they're Garden's finest!

[And the older man, quietly derisive:] Finest.

[The girl pouts and nudges him. Whines she:] Daddy.

[Touma chuckles lightly.] Father, Balamb Garden doesn't have our money. [His father opens his mouth to say something, but Touma goes on regardless.] And you never did like American food anyway. Now [and this is addressed to all four of them], where do you want to go next?

[The girl:] Your office!

Alright, Relena, my office it is.

[They start off. Touma's in a good enough mood that he offers a brilliant smile and a wave to everyone he sees, whether he knows them or not.]

Good afternoon!

Comments

[Lobby]

[scatterflower]

[Chika and Piyomon weren't really thinking about doing anything, really. Just, hanging out and wasting a bit of time before she got back to studying.

What she wasn't expecting to see was Gaomon out and about, and him and Touma... playing a card game.]

Hey Touma-kun! Gaomon. What're you two playing?

[Piyomon seems to be a bit curious as well, walking over to them and taking a look at the cards.]

Is this like one of those trading card games you told me about Chika?

[Chika just giggled and she moved to take a look.]

... It sure looks like it. I didn't think you'd be into something like this Touma-kun!

[youngnobelman]

[Touma looks a little sheepish at that.] I'm teaching Gaomon Triple Triad.

It's a popular game here, and Touma is apparently quite good at it. I thought I'd finally learn.

Dr. Kadowaki taught me when she'd try to make me take a break... It's nice to get back into it now that the worst of the casualties are on the mend.

[scatterflower]

Oh, I see!

[That made a lot more sense for why Touma was playing it, for starters.]

How's Gaomon doing at it so far?

[youngnobelman]

[With a wry smile:] He's distracted by the illustrations.

[Gaomon selects a card and plays it next to Touma's, flipping over the first so that they both have red backgrounds. Touma raises an eyebrow, mildly impressed.] I'm winning.

I am going easy on you...

[scatterflower]

[Chika giggled at that.]

Aww, that's so cu-

[She's interrupted by the digimon doing something in the game and getting the 'upper hand'. She can't help but giggle again.]

Hey, you two mind me having a chance against the winner?

[bbs]

[plotdeviceturk]

I speak wutaiian, which is similar to the Old Shumi here, though the english is what we called Standard.

Tseng

[youngnobelman]

Another world with a language similar to Old Shumi. Interesting.

What is Wutaiian culture like?

Touma H. Norstein

[plotdeviceturk]

Wutaiian culture varies by region; the northern reaches of the land are different than the Capitol or the south.

Tseng

[youngnobelman]

Are you Wutaiian yourself?

Touma H. Norstein

ffff sorry it's so late

[plotdeviceturk]

Yes, I am wutai. I was born in the north and don't know as much about the other regions.

Tseng

Action, lobby

[rewritethis]

[Even if the two of them might be paying more attention to their card game than their surroundings, it'll be a bit difficult to ignore a voice this loud.] Hey, you! I've been looking for...

[But Ed trails off when he rounds the corner and sees that the blond party-planner guy he spotted isn't the only person at the bench - just, apparently, the only person tall enough to recognise from a distance.]

Huh. [He doesn't immediately say anything else, which is sensitive by his standards - maybe the past few months have done him some good - but he can't keep himself from eyeing Gaomon with a mixture of obvious curiosity and mild exasperation. Whose idea was it to give a dog boxing gloves?]

[youngnobelman]

[Mild exasperation is better than fear or derision, but Touma still hesitates. Noting this, Gaomon hops up from the bench and offers Ed one glove, though he's blushing a little. What is personal attention and how does a 'mon deal with it.] Hello, I'm Gaomon.

My... Digimon partner and best friend. [Oh, well done, Touma, you found your voice again!]

[rewritethis]

Right... [He looks down a little uncertainly at the proffered glove before taking it into his own glove and giving Gaomon an extremely half-hearted attempt at a handshake.] Uh, nice to meet you. [Then he pulls away, rather too quickly to be polite.

His eyes stray from Gaomon to the cards laid out on the table.]

Is this a bad time?

[youngnobelman]

[Gaomon interprets this as xenophobia rather than awkwardness, and only gives a small nod to 'nice to meet you', not quite frowning.

[Touma, on the other hand, waves a hand dismissively.] Not at all. How can I -

[And suddenly there is a spot of jam on his hand.

[Touma glances upwards.]

[rewritethis]

[One problem with wearing red all the time anyway: completely failing to notice when a couple more spots happen to land on your sleeve.

But when he instinctively follows Touma's gaze up to the walkway above them and, on cue, a larger glob of the stuff hits him square in the forehead? That's a little trickier to ignore.]

What the... A leak? [Without taking his eyes away - although he's neither tall enough nor in a convenient position to see what, if anything, is on top of the walkway - he starts to rub at it with the side of his hand.] They said they were done with repairs! [He mostly succeeds in smearing it. The texture's a little unusual for the kind of fluid he'd expect to be coming out of a building...

At that point, he lowers his hand so he can actually look at his glove.]

...The hell.

action!

[hispeedchase]

[What is personal space?] Oh hey, Triple Triad! Sweet. I didn't know you guys played. [He's actually getting used to this talking humanoid thing. It's still a little weird, so sorry if he stares, Gaomon.]

[youngnobelman]

[A foreign concept to Chase, Touma knows. It's purely because they're friends that he doesn't lean away, though he does go a little awkward.] Gaomon's just learning now.

[Gaomon's also blushing a little. As much as he knows staring's a natural reaction, he's still unused to the attention.] We can't all learn from Dr. Kadowaki.

[hispeedchase]

[Uuuh right. Looking at his feet instead.] I learned from the card club back when I was still a cadet. Any reason you decided to learn now?

[youngnobelman]

[Touma's smiling at his cards, amused.]

I thought I'd learn more of human culture here from something I can participate in, instead of just watching.

[hispeedchase]

And how are you enjoying our love of wasting money on tiny pieces of paper?

Super backdated dream LET'S DO THIS

[graynbowdash]

(Even if Instructor Do wasn't familiar with Touma, it never hurt to meet a friendly face. Especially if he's traveling around with what appears to be family. She tips her hat in response.)

Hey there. You all taking a tour of Garden?

I was SO PLEASED to get a tag on his dream you have NO IDEA

[youngnobelman]

[Touma nods, still smiling.] My family just arrived today, and my sister's thinking about enrolling -

[His sister is clearly thinking about other things:] Is she a digimon?

[Gaomon laughs, while Touma grins but shakes his head.] No: Digimon aren't the only non-humans time compression pulls here. [And he nods to Do to explain, if she wishes.]

Haha, I backtag until forever, so this definitely isn't a problem

[graynbowdash]

That so? Then maybe I can be of a little help.

(Daring nods to Touma's family.)

I'm Daring Do, instructor in survival and first aid, but you can call me Daring. Time compression is a complicated mess, but it knows how to draw a crowd. Ponies, aliens, machines, you name it and we probably have it here. Thanks to all the diversity, Garden's a real accommodating place; you wouldn't believe how tricky it is to get used to human habits with hooves.

(She chuckles, obviously joking.)

me too |D

[youngnobelman]

[Relena giggles, while Gaomon is dry:] Trickier than boxing gloves?

[Touma's father is not so impressed; his disbelief and scorn are flat:] They allow talking ponies to teach.

[Relena steps closer, inspecting Daring's hat.] I think it's cool!

[And Touma's mom lays a hand on their father's arm.] Let's hear Instructor Do out, Franz.

[Besides shooting a brief half-glare at his father for that comment, Touma has just been watching this exchange with a smile. His family. All together. His dad being only about half as rude and snobby as usual. Best. Day. Ever.]

[graynbowdash]

About the same as boxing gloves. (She winks.

While she's not too appreciative about the bias against being a talking pony, it's something she's used to after working to become an instructor. Hell, starting out was a classroom full of people like that. At that, she just smirks a bit.)

Yeah, I'll admit that it was pretty rough being the only pony in a school full of humans, but I'm stronger because of it. Besides, if a pony can do it, then anyone else can, right? The class selection is wide enough to help anyone do anything they want to do. I know cadets who want to do things ranging from becoming a pilot to learning wilderness survival and even a bunch who just want to learn everything they can.

(Daring takes off her hat and places it on Relena's head.)

So what're you thinking about studying while you're here?