|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:38 am
 Communication wasn't hard for most of the Unlocked kind, but for Caligria it was by far her greatest handicap. Born with the inability to speak, she resorted to other methods of conveying what she wanted to say. One of the more popular ways she communicated was by writing her words in the dirt with the tip of her tail. It wasn't the greatest thing, but it got the job done. Not having a voice had turned the Lock into a shy, withdrawn character. What she truly wished for, even more than being able to talk, was a friend.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:03 pm
Aristarchus was a bit distracted as he wandered about, looking for the perfect sight to set up his telescope. He didn't really have any friends, but since he didn't think about it much, it didn't really bother him. Right now, he was thinking about the position of Mars in relation to Jupiter and if he would be able to get any good views of the asteroid belt.
Aristarchus notices a hill that just might be perfect, it didn't seem to have too many trees and was far enough away from areas that were lit at night that it would likely offer a good view of the night sky. In his enthusiasm, he bounded forward, not noticing the yellow and pink lock sitting wistfully just below the crown of the hill he was on.
Other keys might just fly to their destination, but Aristarchus believed the skies were something special, something to be respected. So he reserved flying for moments of introspection, joy or true need. Otherwise, he walked, finding that traveling by ground helped him appreciate flying more.
Thus, while other keys would normally have bypassed Caligria without even noticing her, Aristarchus bounded over the small hill and towards the key. Spotting the other at the last moment, Aristarchus stretched out his wings, twisted his body and by the barest margins managed to avoid a collision with the key. He wasn't as luck in regards to a collision with the ground.
Tumbling and rolling, Aristarchus slowed down as he somersaulted across the grass. Landing with one hind leg and a wing in the air; his head, tucked under one front paw and firmly planted in the soil, reeling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:25 pm
It all happened so fast. Caligria barely caught a glimpse of another presence when said presence was tumbling away from her. She would have screamed if she were able, yet instead pressed two paws against her mouth in a silent gasp. Startled from both the overall experience and the unexpected visitor, she took a moment to gather herself before she hurried over to assess the damage.
From what she could immediately discern, it was a male Key – an orange one, too – that looked as if he studied a lot. Caligria couldn’t help but feel a bit shy in front of the stranger. Still, she wanted to make sure he was okay. Hoping that he wouldn’t find her wordless act strange (it wasn’t as if she could actually explain herself) the introverted Lock reached out and helped the fallen Key up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:39 pm
Aristarchus felt the paws of the lock upon him, helping him up. As he straightened up, he sneezed, blinked, and sneezed again. With each sneeze bits of dirt shook loose, some falling to the ground, some returning to his hide.
"Uh, um . . . hi?" A bit timid and a lot embarrassed, Aristarchus ducked his head. "I, I'm sorry about that. I didn't see you there and . . . are you okay?" He looked back up, not as worried about his own embarrassment as he was to make sure he hadn't hurt the yellow and pink lock. If he'd known he had a clump of dirt and grass on his head, he might not have overcome the embarrassment, as it was he was defiantly feeling the warmth of a flush in his face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:53 pm
Caligria couldn’t help but heave a voiceless stream of air out in the form of a relieved sigh. The Key wasn’t hurt, which had been her main concern. As he righted himself, she stepped back and quickly clasped her paws together in front of her; it was the way she stood, her fingers fiddling with one another. Her stormy eyes met with the ground as he asked her a question she was incapable of answering like others would.
Keeping her gaze averted downward, her tail went to work. The tip swished and then began scribbling in the ground beneath them. ‘I’m fine, thank you. I’m glad you’re alright as well’ she wrote. Hopefully the Key wouldn’t think this was strange and walk away from her. It had happened once or twice before in the past, which hadn’t really helped her social awkwardness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:07 pm
Aristarchus blinked as the lock started writing with her tail, this was different. He read what she wrote, though, intrigued. "Oh, ah, yes, yes thank you, I'm fine. I, uh, well, I just wasn't paying attention and I . . . I'm fine. I hope I didn't scare you." He shuffled his feet a bit, socially awkward, but willing to be friendly.
"I just, I was looking for a place to set up my telescope and I . . . it doesn't matter, I just, um . . ." Aristarchus chewed on his lip for a moment, "Oh, ah, I'm Aristarchus. Sorry, I forgot my manners there for a moment." Feeling something on his head, he gives it a good shake. His eyes go wide as a great clump of earth and grass falls from his head. "Oh, ah, I must look quite the mess." Averting his eyes, not wanting to see the other laughing at him, Aristarchus tries to quickly dry-wash his face and head, dismayed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:19 pm
The fact that Aristarchus was still around and not walking away from her gave Caligria some confidence; it also encouraged her somewhat. Maybe he didn’t think she was weird after all! The Lock didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it was a nice thought. As the Key introduced himself, she did as well. Again, her tail scribbled below them. ‘My name is Caligria. It’s very nice to meet you.’
At the mention of a ‘telescope’, she looked at the astronomy-related tool and blinked. Well, that was certainly different. She was very interested as she took a step forward, eyeing the contraption with notable eagerness. Without even realizing it, as most people spoke without having to think about it, she began to write again while still looking at the device. ‘This is a lovely telescope. Do you like looking at the stars?’
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:43 pm
It took Aristarchus a moment to realize the lock was writing, still trying to get dirt off his face. But he heard the sound of scratching in the dirt and looked up. Reading, "Oh, ah, hi Caligria. Am I saying that right? It's a very pretty name and it's nice to meet you too."
As Caligria took a step forward, Aristarchus took a step back, realized what he had just done, flushed a little more beneath his fur, and stood firm. He was not used to people coming that close and given that the telescope was a very delicate instrument, he didn't normally allow others close to it. The only reason he wasn't worried about it after his fall, which would have been his first thought, was that he hadn't actually brought it with him. The device Caligria was looking at was a tool he used to determine direction and sight lines. It was sturdier than a telescope, but it did have a lens and was mounted on a tripod.
"Oh, um . . . yeah, this isn't, ah . . . it look like a . . . but . . ." Aristarchus didn't want to sound rude, but didn't know how to tell her that the 'telescope' was actually a theodolite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 1:50 pm
There was something about Aristarchus saying her name that caused Caligria to blush beneath her fur. And when he complimented the name itself? The Lock didn’t think her poor cheeks could get any redder. Luckily, she was distracted by the instrument to pay much mind to the embarrassing situation. Upon hearing Aristarchus’ latest statement, however, she looked up and gazed into his dark eyes.
It occurred to her then that, perhaps, the tool wasn’t a telescope. So then…what was it exactly? Curiously, she decided to inquire about the mysterious object. ‘Does it work like a telescope?’ If it looked like one, it might have had the same functions. As she waited patiently for an answer, Caligria played with the pink ends of her ears.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 2:05 pm
Stopped in his flustered attempt to speak by Caligria's question, Aristarchus was now on firmer ground. "Oh, well, the first theodolites were a version of early telescopes. Mounted so that the scope could flip over so that various angles could be measured. Theoretically one could use it as a basic telescope still, though it's function is more often used for surveying."
"My telescope is much larger with a greater degree of magnification and the ability to take clear pictures because once it's properly mounted it moves with the Earth's rotation. It's as nice as I could get and still be able to move it around and set it up. I would love to visit an actual observatory with a telescope as big as, or bigger than, a tree. From something like that you could almost see other galaxies!" Caught up in talking about his passion, Aristarchus didn't notice that he'd gotten more talkative, almost to the point of lecturing.
"I use the theodolite to find the best location to set up my telescope for optimum viewing before bringing the telescope itself out. It's very delicate and can take days to recalibrate if something happens to it. Like that tumble, I might not have gotten it working again in time for the meteor shower next week if I'd been carrying it when . . . Oh. Ah, sorry, I . . . you probably don't care. I know it's just boring star stuff for most everyone, but when I get talking about space, I get carried away." Aristarchus ducks his head slightly, hoping he didn't sound too much the nerd.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:50 pm
Anyone else might have been bored to tears by the long-winded speech Aristarchus went into. Yet, Caligria listened to every word he said, showing great interest; she didn’t want him to stop speaking, in fact. She hung on each sentence, going so far as to even memorize a few of his vocal passages. As the Key apologized for his ramblings, the Lock shook her head and took a step forward, her yellow paw reaching out to rest on one of Aristarchus’ orange-gold arms.
Beside her, her tail began to write in the ground, saying what she couldn’t. ‘Not at all. I think what you said is fascinating! I love hearing about new things. Can you tell me anything else, please? I like the sound of your voice,’ she scribbled down, appearing genuinely eager. However, upon realizing that she’d actually reached out and touched him, Caligria withdrew, looking a bit embarrassed. ‘Sorry…’
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:15 pm
Aristarchus' eyes went wide, focused on Caligria's paw on his arm. The fact that she made a comment in the dirt beside him didn't even register. "Ah . . ."
Aristarchus had never been social, mostly ostracized for his 'nerdy' interests. Not only did this yellow and pink lock stick around while he rambled, but . . . she touched him. He had been touched. Her delicate little paw had reached out to touch him. "Ah . . ."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:31 pm
Had she, perhaps, offended him…? His body language spoke something of shock, which intimidated Caligria and drew her away. She took a step back, not quite sure what she’d done, or written, to upset Aristarchus. The thought of losing a friend before she even made one caused the Lock distress; she attempted to apologize by writing it out, yet she felt as if that wouldn’t be enough. At that moment, she wished for a voice to tell the Key that she was sorry for making him feel uncomfortable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:17 pm
When Caligria stepped back, Aristarchus was snapped back to the present. Filled with horror that he had reacted so badly, "Oh, oh no, no it wasn't, it's not that I didn't . . . I just . . . please don't go, I'm so very sorry." He reached out a paw slightly, as if to stop her, but it was more an entreaty than an attempt to return the touch.
"I . . . I just, it's just that, you see no one ever, not that that's an excuse, I . . ." Aristarchus was at a loss for words, a loss for action, a loss for just about anything. He knew he'd made a horrid mistake, but had no idea how to fix it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:12 pm
It was nice to know that she hadn’t upset him, but Caligria was still concerned that she’d done something to offset the mood. Cautiously, she neared him again and listened to his rambling; it didn’t make much sense, but she knew it was important. It was funny, really. Up until now she hadn’t been all that comfortable around others, but Aristarchus was different. He seemed just as awkward as she was, which was oddly comforting in a way.
For a reason she couldn’t explain, she felt her lips upturn. She smiled. Without having to say or write anything, she was conveying that she was happy. Even if the Key continued to babble on, she was letting him know that everything was fine, and that she truly treasured his company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
