Starring:
Summary: Natalie continues to impress Candice with her ability.
Date It Happened: May 12, 2007
The Linguist and the Illusionist
Kirby Plaza
Natalie is, at the moment, sitting in the cafeteria. And working. The latter rarely stops. She has her reading glasses on, and several books spread open across the table. There's a notepad in front of her, and a pencil in her right hand. Her left is near a sandwich and a glass of soda.
Candice approaches Natalie's table and rests her hands on an empty chair, leaning forward. "What'cha doin', Newbie?" She's chewing a piece of gum, albeit not obnoxiously.
Natalie looks up as the "shapeshifter" arrives. "Oh, hello! I'm just…working on Mr. Bennet's project. Probably for quite some time, I'm figuring."
"Burning the candle at both ends, are you?" Candice leans over to study the books for a moment, wrinkling her nose. "What's he got you doing anyway?"
The blonde tucks the pencil behind her ear. "Inventing a language." she says. "He wants something for secure Company communications, so I have to make certain that it's different enough from anything else to have no core translatable root, and at the same time versatile enough to cover anything we might want."
Candice looks impressed, brows hiking toward her hairline. "/Inventing/ a language? My goodness. Bennet did good with you, didn't he? Or, at least, if you pull it off, he's done good by you." The 'shapeshifter' takes a seat and leans forward. "So what, then? You implant this language into all our heads after you've invented it?
Natalie nods. "That's the basic idea. Linguistics is my specialty. Which, chicken or egg…maybe because of my power, or maybe that's the origin of my power. But, yes. He wants me to be training with my power, but I don't really have a good way to do that."
"Training, huh? Well, how would you go about training it?" Candice tips her head to one side, regarding Natalie with accute curiosity. She really does have the woman's undivided attention. Maybe she isn't as empty-headed as most popular girls.
Natalie looks a little embarrassed to admit what she does "Well, so far I've mostly trained by using it. Swapping someone's languages around, then swapping them back. But I hate doing things like that to people." She's a kind heart.
"We'll get you set up with some detainees." They don't have rights. Duh. "That should help you get a jump start on it." Candice leans back, draping one elbow over the back of her chair. "I've always wanted to learn French. Can you teach me French?" Personal gain. Oh, /baby/.
Natalie smiles just a little bit. She concentrates and looks at Candice a moment. There it is. She takes a moment and loads French in over Candice's English slot. Of course, since her brain is still defining it as "native language", she isn't likely to notice she's speaking French except by environment, realizing she doesn't understand what -other- people are saying around her. Natalie smiles, and in perfect French (which now seems like English to Candice), she replies <There you go.>
<Whoa.> Candice gasps appreciatively and looks down at one of the books she knew she could read just a moment ago and blinks in disbelief when she realises she can't anymore. "Quoi?" She pauses a moment and glances away. Okay. Weird. <Oh, you're /good/.>
Natalie smiles. At least Candice took it well. <I can only overwrite a language with another one right now…I haven't figured how to make room for a new one. So, if you speak something else that you'd like me to put French over, I can. But otherwise…it's one or the other.>
<Unfortunately, no. I took some German in high school, but I'm nowhere near fluent.> Candice sighs quietly. <Better give me English back, or my superiors will come looking for you and tell you to do it anyway.>
Natalie smiles. <Oh, -that- I can help with.> She concentrates, and replaces English over French. But since Candice has a little German, there's a second slot for her to work with. She loads her own German knowledge in it as a presence, giving Candice a native-level proficiency there. "There. There's English back." Pause. <And I improved your German to my level of fluency. Since you had a second slot for me to work with. Unless you want me to put the French there instead.> The latter is in German, of course.
"Bitte," Candice remarks in German, knowing this time that she's speaking German. <German is far more hardcore than French. … I'll let you know if I change my mind.> She smirks, definitely amused. Definitely pleased. "Thanks, Newbie."
Natalie smiles a little at the approval. "Thanks. I don't know that I'd feel comfortable just using things on people, even detainees. But maybe we can find some volunteers to work with. Actually, working with you could make for a good pairing. Your shapeshifting, plus my powers, you could impersonate someone who speaks another language."
"I like the way you think." Candice grins widely at Natalie. "We'll have to try that sometime. I think we shall prove an invaluable duo, my dear."
Natalie smiles as she looks at Candice. "I hope so. And if you can think of any way to help me get volunteers, please, that would be wonderful. I want to practice like Mr. Bennet asked, but, well." Awkward look.
Candice nods definitively. "We'll work something out for you, Newbie. We really /must/ develop this talent of yours."