The Other-Wordly Meme

[memeticisms]

The Other-Wordly Meme

Words are magical things; they can have so many lovely connotations and varied histories.
Words have family trees just like people. They are linked to each other.
Some words are full of flavor and color and describe things you never suspected there were words for.
Words are why we're here.

The meme is simple: post a comment with your muse's name and canon in the subject line.
List any preferences you may have ("No Shipping," "No Smut," etc.), if you decide to leave the next step up to responders.
Responders (or original posters, if they so decide), go to the Other-Wordly blog and hit 'Random' until you get a word. Use the word as a prompt for an RP scenario. Do this several times, if you like. Mix and match. Have fun with it!
Don't stop with a word, though! Words can often have etymologies that are at odds with their current meanings. Words can shift connotations over time. Let your imagination carry you with the words as its wind.

Comments

this work?

[ozhika]

[ In San Francisco, Spock waxes on and off wanting, needing, or being anywhere but Nyota's presence. Today is a want but not a day that was meant to be anything more than spending time together in the same room, as Spock was meant to be working ( officially, he is on leave, unofficially he is taking whatever his connections in the Academy will give him ) but not wanting to seem neglectful of their relationship all the same.

She's practicing, and it takes him a moment, fingers tapping at the PADD and eyes staying there when he does speak up. ]

Klingon.

[ It is spoken as a statement. It is intended as an inquiry. ]

yes it does!

[communication]

[ uhura is seldom bothered by the little time they have to spend together these days—by her count they are both ambitious and work-conscious individuals constantly looking to improve themselves. that is precisely why on an afternoon she could easily otherwise be using for recreation she's chosen to do a refresher in her languages.

the words come from time to time in bursts, never whole thoughts or sentences but simply phrases and words she know she struggles with. her native languages of swahili and federation standard (english) has left her lacking in the muscles requires to sail smoothly through the harsher glottal consonants in klingon. pronunciation of these is key.

she's just finishing murmuring a word aloud when spock's voice grabs her attention, draws her eyes away from her padd and over to him. she smiles after a second, almost as though she's remember how pleasant it is that they're finally spending a bit of time together. ]

Yes, I figured I needed some practice. It's a poem I found that's intended to be recited rather than read. [ a pause, and then: ] Sorry if it's disrupting you, Spock.

[ozhika]

If I found it objectionable, I would leave.

[ Which is not exactly the nicest way to reassure someone ( technically your girlfriend ) they are not disrupting your work, nor the most obvious way of saying you came for the company, but it is very logical, and thus very default Spock.

Almost as if feeling her gaze, his eyes do flicker up from the PADD. Vulcan expression is an exercise in nuance, and Spock is more emotive than most. Nevertheless, his response is a slight tilt of his head, hooding his eyes fractionally, and unfolding his legs to drape over the edge of her bed. ]

Does this have any relation to your dialogue on Kronos?

[communication]

[ his phrasing, precise as ever, only makes her smile to herself and shake her head slightly, more amused than anything. it's hard for someone who spends their career deciphering the deeper meanings behind verbal communication offended by phrasing. that considered, spock's being exposed to humans every day and still not quite grasping their own subset of nuances amuses her. ]

Of course you would. [ she says it matter-of-fact, flipping to the next page on her padd.

the comment about kronos makes her amusement bleed away. it had been the first time she ever spoken to a klingon directly despite studying their culture and transmissions and linguistic distinctions for years. she knows she did well, just not well enough. ]

Would you believe me even if I said no? [ she takes a breath, masking her sigh. ] It could have gone better, though I realize my pronunciation wasn't the only issue we were faced with.

[ozhika]

[ No, says the silence that remains until she has given him an answer, he would not believe her if she said her need to improve on that particular language did not stem from some form of disappointment the last time she used it. Spock would, however, have taken a denial as a signal that the topic was an unwelcome one for him to touch.

Truth be told, it's not one he's entirely certain he wants to touch either, or delve into too deeply, since he had already most certainly touched it by bringing it up. His brow furrows slightly. ]

You believe there was a scenario where you would have been perfectly successful?

[communication]

There's a possibility. [ there isn't, really, and she realizes this. if she were to approach this logically then no, they were going to be out of their depth no matter how good her klingon was. still she can't help but overanalyze her hesitations on kronos. ]

I guess I'm just disappointed our first contact with them as a crew ended the way it did.

[ part of her doesn't expect spock to understand that personal disappointment. diplomatic relations with the klingons aren't a thing that's likely to happen any time in the near future. until they do, she'll continue her studying. ]

[ozhika]

[ He is a small study in body language alone. When she says there was a possibility, the cant of his head and his steady gaze says he doesn't believe she could be foolish enough to studly think so, much less convince him without more indisputable evidence to support it. It's not his intention to be patronizing, but it probably is.

He understands well enough. It isn't logical. ]

The result was disappointing, but do not be deluded into thinking you were disappointing. Your performance was unprecedented.

[communication]

[ it is patronizing to a degree and the sort of look that struck fear into other cadets and made him one of the more difficult officers to deal with back at the academy (or so she's been told). uhura has learned to take these things with a grain of salt however—his response may make little sense to her, but she imagines her personal dilemma makes just as little to him.

she doesn't seek comfort from him in this but his praise of her performance does help alleviate some of her concern. she smiles faintly at him in response. ]

Thank you, Spock. I guess I will just have to convince myself it just leaves room for some improvement.