IC Inbox

[asmywitness]

[[Tyler screens his calls - anyone who tries to actually call him, he'll text back in reply.]]

Comments

[asmywitness]

I mean, sure. That's going to be more on me to learn spoken English, though. Which, like he can do, and his expression as he sends the text isn't particularly resentful. The only time I've worked with sounds, I was judging by the vibrations in my throat.

[fingersandteeth]

Fuck, right, you wouldn't have the connection of the two in your head, necessarily, would you? And English is such a bastard language, I say this as a bilingual, the spelling is every-fucking-where.

[asmywitness]

That gets a- oh, look, it's a smile. Almost. A smirk, maybe.

Quadlingual. Auslan, Taiwan sign, written English and Traditional Mandarin. And some random phrases in other languages, as you do.

As he sends that, Isis peeps, and Tyler blinks sharply again. And texts again: That was the back of your head.

[fingersandteeth]

You have me beat with my paltry American English and Mexican Spanish, Steven texts back. At least she's practicing.

[asmywitness]

I'll have to get used to not flinching. It was just very unsettling having visions forced into his brain right now.

He leans around Steven and holds his 'gear up to Isis; the small bird tilts her body, getting a better look at the item, and flashes an image of it into Steven's mind.

[fingersandteeth]

"Good girl," Steven tells her. "Okay. Okay, you can show him images. What about-- sounds? Can you show that into his mind?"

[asmywitness]

Isis puffs up happily at the compliment, and immediately relays Steven's voice to Tyler.

Who goes - completely stiff, eyes wide as a sudden panic grips him, and Steven will hear him mutter under his breath in perfect, albeit trembling mimicry of Steven's own tone. "Can you show that into his mind?"

[fingersandteeth]

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

Steven grabs his phone and immediately texts, Shit. Are you okay?

[asmywitness]

Tyler's phone vibrates loudly in his hand, and he starts in surprise; that seems to break him out of whatever took hold, but his hands are shaking a little, and his typing is markedly slower than his usual breakneck speed.

I'm fine. Let's do something else.

He stands up then, moving past Steven to grab his very confused looking Natu, who turns her eyes to Steven. Hadn't she been doing good?

[fingersandteeth]

"Sssshh, it's okay," Steven tells her. "He just had a little shock. You should go back to practicing showing him things you can see for now."

Do you want to try something else with her just yet or should we take a break?

[asmywitness]

I'm fine. The repeat message gets sent with a flat stare, before he looks away to keep patting Isis. The bird hops from his hands up to his shoulder, still staring at Steven.

She's supposed to be reading my mind too, right? Maybe we should try using the cards on me so she can practice that too.

[fingersandteeth]

Right. Give me a second. I'm going to separate out one of each symbol and give the rest to you. Then I'll set it up for her and let you know when you can start

He does that, then shuffles them expertly and hands the stack of twenty over to Tyler. He then spreads out the symbols in a fan on the bench in front of him.

"Hey, we're going to try a new game," he tells Isis. "Tyler's going to look at the cards behind my back, where neither of us can see them. You're going to practice looking into his head so you can see the ones he's looking at. Okay?"

[asmywitness]

Tyler reads the message, then puts Isis down on the chair in the middle of the fanned cards, before he steps back behind Steven. Isis seems a little confused, at first, looking between the cards, then back at Tyler as he shuffles them again. Not as neatly as Steven did, but double blind can't hurt.

Isis looks back at the cards again as Tyler draws, and although it takes her a few seconds, she does tentatively hop closer to the waves and peck it, trying to pick it up.

[fingersandteeth]

Waves? Steven texts.

[asmywitness]

Star

Isis is still trying to pick up the card with her beak. She hasn't been told not to.

[fingersandteeth]

"Isis, no," Steven says softly. "Let's have them stay there, okay? You just-- put your little feet on the one that you think is right."

[asmywitness]

She tilts sharply at the use of the name, and echoes it back into Steven's head.

Isis.

But she stops picking at the card now (and it looks distinctly nibbled on, blunt as her beak may seem), and steps back to look at the cards again.

And pit-pats her little feet over to the star, and stamps one foot firmly down on it.

[fingersandteeth]

"That's you," Steven says. "Your name is Isis. Remember, Tyler can't hear and I think he has... trouble with talking, so he hasn't called you that yet. But he told me that's your name-- Oh! Oh, you good girl, Isis. That's right!"

She got star this time, after I explained she was supposed to put her foot on the right card, not eat whichever card she pleases. And I told Isis her name. I think she's pleased to know it.

[asmywitness]

Isis chirps in Steven's head again; the tone is still soft, but there's an energy to the word that sounds rather cheerful.

She's a clever girl. Tyler looks back at Steven so he can see the small smile he's wearing, before he puts his 'gear down so he can draw again and focus.

Isis looks at all the cards again, and bounces over to the square, before looking up at Steven again.

[fingersandteeth]

Square, he texts quickly. Steven smiles down at her and softly strokes her head. "I'm glad you like your name," he tells her. "I'm just waiting for Tyler to tell me if you got it right. I bet you did--you're such a clever girl."

[asmywitness]

Tyler sends back a square emoji, before he rounds Steven again to give Isis a pat as well; she even hops out from under Steven's hand to receive all of this excellent affection, but she does also turn back and nibble gently on Steven's finger. She still likes you too.

[fingersandteeth]

"You did get it right," Steven says. "You're such a clever girl, Isis. Okay. I've got an idea for something I want to try. It's a little more complicated, but it might be easier for Tyler than just sending sounds. Do you want to try it? Nod your beak for yes."

[asmywitness]

Isis is leaning into Tyler's scritching fingers a bit much to nod properly, but she's watching Steven with intense curiosity. Tyler notices her staring, and looks up at Steven as well - and draws a question-mark in the air, reversed to Steven as he gives the other Changeling a curious look.

[fingersandteeth]

I'm going to try something new with her, Steven texts.

"Okay," Steven says. "Here's what we're gonna try, Isis. I'm going to tell you something to relay to Tyler--but I don't want you to send him the sounds, I want you to send him the idea of what they mean. Can you do that? Chirp and stamp your feet for yes."

[asmywitness]

Isis chirps, and marches her little feet, but she also tilts her head in confusion. Tyler's stopped patting her, too, watching Steven with a faint frown.