We Are Our Avatars XI (Open)

[Gearhead mk2]

"I believe so." Candace told Anik.

 

[Slenn]

"Any of you spotted that critter? It was like a wombat or something. And it didn't smell like any animal I've ever been with."

 

[Gearhead mk2]

"What... Critter?" Candace asked Shana.

 

[Furioso]

Yuri walked up to Candace and Shana. "Hey there, you must be the others Anik told me about. My name's Yuri Lowell, nice to meet you. Could that... what did you call it, a wombat? Could the wombat be native?"

 

[Silence]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. March 1st, 2025
- Downtown -​

"Ah, that's nice.
You smell it too, Shana? I thought it might be a traveler as well, but before I knew it was a critter. It's really strange.
Even you smell more familiar."

 

[Slenn]

"It was just a few paces in front of us. And then moved over there." She turned and pointed to where she remembered the creature hiding.

"Likewise. I'm Shana Vang." She said. "I don't remember any mammal with eight eyes. So my guess is that it's not native to Earth. I've been around other mammals as well, and this guy smells different in many ways." She said to Yuri.

 

[Gearhead mk2]

"Lady Candace Ayers. A pleasure." Candace bowed.

 

[Chungus]

Downtown Montreal. March 1st.​

As Anik got closer to it, the critter scuttled backwards, a bit nervous, but it kept its head towards the group. As they talked, the critter looked between them, casting short glances at each. A very keen observer might notice that while they did so, the critter's eyes changed, looking like someone divided by zero, as the lenses of its eye repeated many times. A lot more easy to notice, were that the critter's collar had a speaker at the front, two microphones on the side, and a lens between the speaker and right microphone.

After a moment of looking at the group, the critter suddenly called out,

"Hi! I'm not native"

, the voice - without a recognisable gender, and slightly electronic tone - coming from the speaker, while the critter's mouth didn't move.

 

[Furioso]

What's with all the smelling?

Yuri didn't bow back to Candace.
"So it's another traveler then. Hopefully the little guy can get by... maybe we should tell someone about it? There could be procedures for lost critters." said Yuri, who then recoiled as the creature walked up to them and talked.

"Woah there, can't say I expected you to be able to speak."

 

[Slenn]

"It can talk." She cleared her throat. "You have a name?" She asked it.

 

[Silence]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. March 1st, 2025
- Downtown -​

Anik folded her cane now, then crouched down and held out her hand.
"Hi!" she said, friendly. "Who are you?"

 

[Chungus]

Downtown Montreal. March 1st.​

"Well, technically, I can't. At least not in a way you can understand"

, the critter said to Yuri, getting a bit closer to him, while looking up to him. Although it kept ample distance. While speaking, its eyes returned to what they were before, a single lens.

While Anik approached, the critter backed off, moving away from her.

"... Umm. My name isn't really translatable, so I go by Kuki"

, it answered both Shana and Anik, while skittishly moving around, taking a few steps, then stopping, changing direction, and repeating this.

"So, are all of you not native, either? I can't really tell yet!"

 

[Gearhead mk2]

Candace looked slightly offended by her bow not being returned, but turned to look at the talking animal. "This collar lets you speak? Impressive."

 

[Silence]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. March 1st, 2025
- Downtown -​

"Kuki? That's really cute!" Anik said and smiled. She heard it moving around, and realized it would not get close towards her hand, so she took it back, but kept crouching, to better speak with it.

"I'm completely not native! But no worries, most people are friendly towards us."

 

[Furioso]

"Huh, well alright then. Nice to meet you Kuki, my name's Yuri." said Yuri, a little taken aback.

 

[Chungus]

Downtown Montreal. March 1st.​

"No, that's not right! I can speak, just not in a way you could understand. The collar translates my means of communication, to yours. And the other way around!"

the critter, not identifiable as Kuki, said to Candace. Although with how they were moving about, and didn't look to anyone often as they did, who they addressed might not have been clear.

"Thought so! About not being native, that is."

They responded to Anik. They then moved back to near a wall, sitting down, there.

"If you're not native, though, why are you all together? I heard 'traveller' a lot. Are you tourists?"

 

[Gearhead mk2]

"We all arrived here by accident. It was best for us to stay together."

 

[Silence]

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. March 1st, 2025
- Downtown -​

"Well, we are travelers through worlds." Anik explained, in a tone of voice you would use for children, or if you talk to small animals who can't talk back. "We ... kind of are tourists, but most of us came here by accident.
How did you come here?"

 

[Furioso]

Looking at the collar, Yuri asked Kuki "So is that thing some kind of magic?"

 

[Chungus]

Downtown Montreal. March 1st.​

Kuki looked between Candace and Anik. They didn't seem to mind how Anik talked to them.

"Me? Well, I actually came here on purpose, although the world was randomly selected. I want to meet lots of interesting people, and see lots of interesting organisms!"

Kuri then looked to Yuri as he spoke, scratching their cheek with their hindleg whilst listening.

"Nope! Just electronics."