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Post by tinem on Oct 20, 2008 16:41:33 GMT -8
Tinem was going down. His shields hadn't been up because he wasn't expecting an attack, so a meteor had hit his hull and caused a breach. He maneuvered his ship towards one of Earth's oceans as he sent out an urgent message to the other Andalites stating who he was and what his situation was. He was glad for the comm system he had invented for himself. It read his hand signals and sent them to others as a thought voice. As he watched the ocean loom closer, he concentrated on a sea creature he had acquired not long ago and was very glad for it since it was rather strong and could rip the opening in the hull wide enough for him to get through. He quickly morphed as the ship hit the water and he was thrown forward. He finished the form and waited till it was filled with water before he moved and ripped open the hull, swimming out and starting towards shore. It wasn't long before he reached the beach. He moved over to an empty part and demorphed, starting for the trees. All he could hope was that his message had been received and he would be found and rescued.
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 21, 2008 18:31:28 GMT -8
Aaron was wandering the beach, kicking his feet through the sand. Water had a natural feeling to him. He loved the rain, it's sound and smell. He spent so much time in the water it was a wonder his fingers and toes weren't perpetually pruney. As it was he joined the swim team, which explained why most of the year his hair was kept fairly short. It was usually all shaved off in the winter.
He spent a lot of time at the beach. Sometimes he'd swim, sometimes he'd just walk along the shore and stare out into the distance. Today he'd seen something he hadn't expected though and he was now running towards the spot he'd seen something get out of the water. It had headed for the trees and was a ways off now.
Risking making a bad first impression he called out "H-hey! W-wait! I w-won't hurt y-you." He stuttered just like always, face turning an embarrassed red. He never could avoid that and didn't really know why he did it.
Keeping up with whatever it was wasn't easy. Track wasn't one of Aaron's sports and this thing ran like a deer. He was going to lose it and it was his one chance at something new in his boring, average life.
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Post by tinem on Oct 21, 2008 18:36:26 GMT -8
He stopped and raised his tail in a defensive stance as he heard someone nearby. He turned and saw it was just a human child, then put his tail back down, though remained ready to defend himself. He watched the child come near and hoped he knew the human's American Sign Language. He raised his hands and made the sign for 'Hello, are you all right?'
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 21, 2008 18:57:18 GMT -8
Aaron nodded and blushed again. "Y-yeah," he said quietly. "I j-just st-st-stutter a lot. I D-don't know why." A lot of kids used to tease him about that. It hadn't helped anything at all and was a lot of what had lead to his attitude of being the quiet observer, the boy in the corner. If he didn't have to talk he didn't need to be embarrassed by his verbal handicap.
He looked over the figure before him. It looked like an andalite from the war with the yeerks, but the color was off and the tail was a lot bigger than the pictures Aaron had seen. Maybe this was something else or maybe not all andalites looked the same.
"I'm Aaron Ch-chapman," he said. He figured the andalite, or whatever it was if it wasn't that, would understand it was an introduction.
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Post by tinem on Oct 21, 2008 19:04:40 GMT -8
He sighed a bit. Good, the boy knew Sign Language. He relaxed, figuring he wouldn't attack. He started to sign his name, using combinations of already existing words to form his name, hoping Aaron would understand. I am Tinem Shotenth Gonum. I have just crashed in the ocean. How is it you are not surprised by my appearance? I thought few humans knew of Andalites.
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 21, 2008 19:21:46 GMT -8
Aaron watched the andalite use sign language, remembering it from the phase he went through where he just refused to speak all together to avoid stuttering. That hadn't lasted too long because it had annoyed his parents and teachers who knew he could speak normally.
"I'm one of the ones who d-do. I l-learned everything I c-c-could about andalites and y-yeerks and s-such. N-normal l-life is j-just to b-boring for me." That was probably the longest string of sentences Aaron had said to someone he hadn't known well. His shyness usually kept him from talking, but he figured this andalite, Tinem, really wouldn't care that he couldn't speak without stuttering. It was annoying, but it wasn't something he did intentionally.
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Post by tinem on Oct 21, 2008 19:34:14 GMT -8
He listened as he spoke, being patient. You speak, yet you know the language of those who do not. Do you have relatives that cannot speak? He watched him and moved a little closer. He was curious about this child. He kept repeating consonants, though it seemed involuntary.
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 21, 2008 19:44:28 GMT -8
Aaron's eyes dropped to the sand at his feet momentarily before he responded to Tinem. The only reason he looked back up was because he needed to in order to keep communicating with the andalite. It wasn't thought-speaking like they were supposed to, so Aaron had to be able to see his hands to know what he was saying.
He shook his head and said, "No. I w-went through a phase where I w-wouldn't t-t-talk to anyone b-because I st-stutter. It's s-seen as a handicap b-b-by other humans. It's embarrassing and m-most humans aren't v-very accepting of it." He couldn't help but let his sadness show on his face. He was a literal nobody because he preferred people not pay attention to him and expect him to speak. It wasn't like he tried to stutter, but some people certainly treated it that way.
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Post by tinem on Oct 21, 2008 19:54:56 GMT -8
He listened as he spoke and looked down at him, starting to feel a kinship with the human. He looked away a moment, then back at him. I understand. I cannot speak normally as well. I drive others away when I do. He lowered his head a bit.
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 22, 2008 7:17:31 GMT -8
So that was why the andalite was using sign language to communicate. Something about his thought voice drove others away, which Aaron interpreted as his voice being frightening to others. It was odd, but nice at the same time to find someone who understood for once what it was Aaron went through everyday, even if they weren't a human. It didn't really seem to matter that Tinem was an andalite.
Aaron sighed and nodded. "It's a p-p-part of who we are. We d-didn't ask to b-be this way. Others just d-d-don't understand that." He gave a small smile though. "Its n-not our job to ch-change who we are. It's th-their job to l-learn to accept our d-d-differences." Something the two of them seemed all to willing to do for the other. Unlike people who's differences weren't quite such a handicap, they'd learned to be more accepting through wanting others to be that way. If everyone thought that way this wouldn't be so difficult to live with.
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Post by tinem on Oct 22, 2008 11:05:06 GMT -8
He listened silently as Aaron spoke and smiled slightly with his eyes. Yes it is difficult to overcome such things, even among the Andalites, though I have had more years than you may have to do so. I overcame my handicap through signing. Do you know why you stutter?
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 22, 2008 13:55:24 GMT -8
Aaron shook his head as Tinem asked that question. "N-no. I j-just always have." He shrugged his shoulders. He'd tried everything he could and only pretending to be someone else had ever worked. As much as he could do that on stage, it was all to obvious that he was himself off stage.
"I think it's m-my shyness b-because I d-d-don't st-stutter if I'm acting."
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Post by tinem on Oct 22, 2008 13:57:49 GMT -8
He listened silently and gave him a curious look. You are an actor? I have heard of Earth acting, but have never seen it. I am interested in perhaps seeing something you might be participating in. He moved slightly closer.
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Post by Aaron Chapman on Oct 22, 2008 14:09:48 GMT -8
Aaron nodded and smiled. "Y-you'd need a human m-morph to c-come, b-but I've g-got a show c-c-coming up soon." Finding a human morph wouldn't be that easy. Last Aaron knew you acquired an exact copy of DNA and seeing a duplicate of someone would get suspicious. That, and he'd thought of one other thing. "The show is also l-longer than t-two hours so you'll n-need to d-demorph and remorph d-d-during intermission."
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Post by tinem on Oct 22, 2008 14:13:44 GMT -8
He listened silently. I can gain a human morph easily. I am sure I will be able to find a place to demorph. I know Andalites are something humans are beginning to become used to, but my appearance frightens most because I am just different enough to suggest I may not be a good creature. He sighed slightly.
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