open

[antietam]

who: Adam Parrish + open
what: catchall log
when: throughout may, post-memoria
where: community housing/breaking and centering/perimeter/wherever
warnings: none as of yet



community housing

[ Anyone who knows Ronan Lynch or has seen him around will recognize his raven Chainsaw swooping around menacingly in front of the community housing. Is she hunting something? Trying to gouge your eyes out?

Another look will reveal Adam standing below her trajectory. Every so often, he tosses up some food that gets her to swoop and calls out something in Latin. Whatever he's saying, she responds by doing aerobatic tricks.

Stand there long enough and she might come barreling worryingly close to you. ]

breaking and centering

[ Have some sort of vehicle that needs a tune-up? Or just want to find someone with a wrench? Breaking and Centering is your place! Adam is working, but it's a slow day. If you're just passing by, he's balancing on a workbench with a textbook in his lap and a wrench in the other.

If you're bringing him something to look at, you might be treated to a mildly judgmental: ] What did you do to it?

perimeter

[ Adam has been taking classes at the university, but he's not getting all of the information he wants. Therefore, he has to find it for himself. He takes some light provisions, long-sleeved shirt and pants to protect from strange plants, a knife, cheap binoculars, and a notebook.

The plan is to find a creature he's never seen before and study it from afar. Find him kneeling between overgrown plants and taking notes, or maybe save him from a creature that will probably eat him. ]

etc.

[ Or write-your-own-adventure! If you want me to write up a prompt, hit me up @faildere/PM

As a note, I'll be on hiatus from June 1-14 and I'll backtag after that! No worries about dropping anything that's too late, though. ]

Comments

hydroponic garden; for iris

[antietam]

[ Adam has stopped by a few times since arriving. He's not a gardener, but it's a nice environment to walk around and think in. More and more, he becomes amazed by what they can grow without soil. He's heard about the method very vaguely but has no idea how to do it on his own. It'd keep him busy, plus it might help kickstart other experiments.

It's not easy for him to go chat people up, but he sees a girl who looks a little younger than him and seems pleasant enough. Might as well. ]

Excuse me, miss? Do you a have minute?

perimeter

[howlongiwonder]

[Looking for strange creatures, Adam? You might find one very soon because all out of sudden, the peaceful atmosphere is disturbed. Something is moving through the thick canopy of treetops not too far away from you. Something that is both too fast and agile to be a human, and judging by the creaking sounds of the branches - too massive to be one too.

This could be very dangerous.]

community housing

[aeturnus]

[ Cain doesn't know Ronan or the raven or the kid playing with it, but he does know Latin and it catches his interest. He stands a fairly safe distance away before coming closer; his attention is evenly split between the bird and the kid. He doesn't seem too bothered by the close calls, just... entertained. ]

Your bird knows tricks in Latin?

[antietam]

[ This might have been less dangerous if Adam had asked for help from the perimeter guards, but he doesn't really know the meaning of the word.

The problem with only being able to hear out of one ear is that he can't trace sounds like he used to, and he's not entirely sure where the rustling is coming from. Somewhere above him, so he shifts away from any trees and closer to the ground. He's good at keeping still, but he can't stop himself from holding up his binoculars to catch a glimpse of whatever might threaten him. ]

[antietam]

[ Adam doesn't notice Chainsaw's close calls until Cain comes closer and he watches her swoop over his head. From Adam's sheepish look (and his Latin, which was all perfectly innocuous words like spin), he wasn't telling her to do that. She's just kind of a jerk. ]

Ravens are smart. Latin is her... second language, I guess. [ He glances up at her, where she's decided to monitor them from above. ] You've taken Latin?

[aeturnus]

[ He nods at the question, finally turns up to really appreciate the raven now that she's stopped discretely divebombing around his head. "Taken" Latin is a bit too modern for how he learned it, but at least he's not going for the cliche of correcting anyone's pronunciation. ]

Yeah, I have. How much does she know?

[antietam]

[ Adam looks a bit more interested. It's nice to find someone here who even knows what Latin is.

The question causes him to think for a moment, furrowing his brows up at her. He's never thought about it, really. ] She's better than me. Her grammar is sometimes off. But if you say something to her, she'll understand. English too. Operibus anteire.

[ Actions instead of words. He motions for him to call something to her. ]

[aeturnus]

[ All right, there's an interesting idea. Is this raven something more? He doesn't want to think about that too hard but when you mention grammar... Either way, he looks up with Adam motions. ]

Could you do a loop, please?

[ Yeah, that's Latin, spoken flawlessly. It's also much more modern than the one Cain usually speaks but he's pretty sure even people who know of the language here wouldn't go for that version of it. ]

[carrotkeeper]

[It's a pleasant surprise to have someone come up and talk to her. While she enjoys tending to the vegetables, sometimes it gets too quiet for her liking. When he approaches, she stands up from the lettuce pipe she had been kneeling in front of and turns to face him.]

I've got more than a minute. Did you need something?

[antietam]

[ Adam says nothing, but he's impressed. He's never heard Latin spoken like that, even from his teachers. Even from Ronan.

Chainsaw hovers over them, understanding but resistant to the idea of listening to a stranger. She turns her head to Adam and he gives her a nod, so she flies off to do a large loop in the air, now just showing off.

She lands herself on Adam's arm when he outstretches it. ] You speak really well. [ At least, it sounded nice. ] I'm Adam, by the way. She's Chainsaw.

[aeturnus]

[ His look is both polite and amused when he hears the raven's name. He shrugs. ]

I've had some good teachers. I'm Jacob. Nice to meet you Adam. Chainsaw. Thanks for, uh, vouching for me? Was that what that was?

[antietam]

[ Well, she doesn't seem too put off. He relaxes a little. ]

I was thinking about trying this sort of thing out myself since the plants y'all grow here look so nice, but it seems sort of difficult. What do you think? Are the vegetables any different once they're grown?

[antietam]

[ He didn't choose the name. He looks mildly embarrassed about it. ]

Oh, she's just... a lot like her owner. Sort of difficult and antisocial. Somehow I've gotten into her good graces. [ He pets at her feathers and gives her the rest of the food so she doesn't distract him. Maybe he's found a Latin tutor. ]

How long have you been learning?

[aeturnus]

Hey, lucky you. Seems like a pretty good friend there.

[ For a bird. This kid's interest in his linguistic abilities is pointed, and he's definitely going to indulge that to see where it goes. ]

I grew up learning that one. Lived with people who spoke it.

[ Here he shrugs, like that's some kind of mystery why people would speak Latin in their daily lives. It's not to Cain, but the implication is there regardless. ]

[antietam]

[ There are some interesting things all bound together, so there's a quick raise of his eyebrows until the shrug. It's not the weirdest Latin-learning story he's heard, considering his boyfriend dreams in Latin, but still. It also says something that he grew up with people, not family. ]

Wow, that must have been cool. I've gotten a little rusty, actually. I had to start taking French instead of Latin my last year of school. [ Mostly because Adam killed the first Latin teacher and then blackmailed the next one into leaving, but. It's a shame. ]

Maybe we could try some conversations here and there, just to not lose it. If that doesn't sound boring.

[aeturnus]

[ It's probably one of the least weird things about him when you get down to it. Grew up learning Latin because it was still the language everyone spoke when he was young. At least in his corner of the world. ]

I love practicing. Not enough reason lately without my brother around. Just say the word. Or... any word, in Latin.

[carrotkeeper]

They don't seem different, but hey-why don't you see for yourself?

[Finally, an opportunity to show off the minimal vegetable knowledge she has. She motions him over so he can get a closer look at what's being grown. Come right up buddy, they won't bite.]

The best experience is hands on. I'll show you the ropes.

[antietam]

[ In Latin: ] Thank you.

[ And then back to English. ] I'm not that good, but I'd like to at least get to Chainsaw's level. Have you met anyone else here who knows Latin?

[aeturnus]

Thank me when you're sharper.

[ It's an acceptance and a promise. ]

Nope, you're the first I've heard. You?

[antietam]

Oh—you don't have to. I didn't want to interrupt your work. [ He really didn't expect such a friendly response. Still, he steps closer to examine the lettuce, reaching out to feel at the leaves. ]

I'm Adam, by the way. Should've introduced myself earlier.

[antietam]

[ That gets a slightly brighter smile from him, excited at the prospect. ]

Just Chainsaw and her owner, Ronan. He dreams in Latin, so I'm sure he'd be more up to your level. [ Chainsaw has apparently become bored and the mention of Ronan makes her flutter her wings. She croaks out something that sounds like kerah and flies off. Adam gives her a glance and then lowers his voice, as if she were still in hearing distance. ]

I sort of want to surprise him once I'm better, though, so don't mention me if you meet him.

[aeturnus]

[ He tilts his head at the raven going off to do her own thing, but leaves it be for now. Human things are pretty boring. ]

Dreams in Latin? But... doesn't totally speak it? [ Cain raises a brow at the addendum, though. ] Sure. No skin off my back.

[antietam]

No... [ He glances away in thought, but ultimately shrugs. ] Like I said, he's not great with grammar. Good vocabulary, though. Couldn't tell you why, he's a medical mystery.

[ He pauses, and somewhat jokingly asks: ] You don't dream in Latin, do you?

[aeturnus]

You also said Chainsaw's not great with grammar.

[ It's a gentle prod, one enough to point out that he caught that. ]

And no, no more than any other language.

[antietam]

Well, sure. She had to learn it from someone. [ Which isn't at all the real explanation, but no question means no answer. ]

Where are you from, by the way? I wonder if our worlds are similar.