[Is it a credit to Emil or not that he doesn't make anything of Lalli's momentary boggling... like, that seems just like normal Lalli stuff, and not particularly out of the ordinary, so! He lifts both hands in a shrug, very intent on defending his stance that this word sucks and Lalli should pick a better one. Why would he have to know, uh, cardinal directions...
That's silly!!! Anyway! Now there's another Finnish word, and fair enough in that he did ask for another one, but--]
Lalli! That's harder than the last one!
[How could he do this thing! To Emil! Emil, who sighs theatrically and slumps back, crossing his arms like a petulant little baby, which he is. Give him a second, as well, because he earnestly thinks this is the next word he's supposed to be learning and not criticism.
Thirty seconds. Hang on...]
Wait, what? What does that mean?
who will cave first... you know i'm thinkin bout that 10% back deal...
[It is indeed harder than the last word—and it is also less important, but far be it from Lalli to care? Emil wanted a new word to butcher; Lalli graciously gave him one, and now Lalli is free to sit back and watch the gears turn in Emil's pretty head. This dummy...
Or: Lalli is a brat. It is known. It's why he merely hums in response to that (fair) question, raising one shoulder for a quick shrug. It's not his fault Emil can't understand perfectly normal words! Dang.]
It's what you are.
[He says, in Finnish, because he is indeed going to be like this. Just say it!]
[Oh! My god! Emil gives him a look, which is meant to be very severe and scolding but is really just puffed up and whiny. How could Lalli subject him to more Finnish... He can parse out the meaning purely because it's a bunch of basic-ass words, which only makes him more indignant.]
Are you making fun of me?
[The cruelest thing he's ever done? Worse than the soup. His fussy look shifts into one of vague suspicion, like, what will Lalli make him say, but alright! Alright. Because he is a Good Friend, he will say this thing that is probably mean.
Badly, of course, because what he says is:] Karsem...something.
[Lalli doesn't need to understand every word Emil says to understand The Meaning behind them—and thus he shrugs once more, because hey, it's only teasing if Emil chooses to take it that way? Emil's impatience is, in Lalli's opinion, a fact. He simply stated a Fact; Emil has no reason to be all huffy about it.
So once again Lalli is as hypocritical as they come, but it's fine. Probably. At least it means he remains focused on Emil instead of once again staring at a tree, but sir? Sir. Accept this Look.]
Hrmh. [Accept this disgruntled Lalli noise, too, before he leans a tad closer, deciding to use his real words after all.] You're not trying.
[Predictably, Emil is weak to attention, and his huffiness fades more quickly now than it would have if Lalli had coldly ignored him to look at a tree again. He simmers down to a vague kind of pout, which Lalli must endure when he leans closer. Hi? Yes?
Ah. Well, first, a brief huffy revival:]
I am! You're not listening!
[And then he shakes his head, like perhaps he can physically expel his constant urge to Make a Scene about everything. Okay! Okay.]
...
[okay.]
I... maaay have forgotten the whole word? So, um-- [Hang on, he's busting out the basic Finnish for this single word:] Again? Kars...? [for kids]
[The thing about Emil—the strange thing—is that, even when he's being a pill, Lalli finds him far more tolerable than others? Or, well. Mostly. Lalli is still easily annoyed, just because he, too, is a petulant baby at heart, but—hmm. Maybe it's the simple fact that Emil didn't leave him behind all those months ago, though it would have been the smart thing to do; maybe it's the simple fact that Emil refuses to leave him behind now, cooling himself down before he winds up pushing Lalli away. It's not always easy, dealing with Lalli. Others have made that abundantly clear.
But Emil tries? Keeps trying, and as Lalli watches him reach for that incredibly simple Finnish word when its Swedish equivalent would do, something within him gives. Aha...]
...Kärsimätön.
[He all but mumbles it, really, so thank goodness it's quiet? Just accept this, please. Allow him to glance off to the side.]
It's... not important.
[Because when it comes down to it, Emil... is not that.]
[Baby recognizes baby, obviously, or, look: he'll say this stupid Finnish word, even though it's definitely stupid and mean. He will! He's ready for it, looking at Lalli expectantly with only a hint of petulance, which is how most of these language lessons go, so it's not really anything out of the ordinary.
But, ah? To mumble it away and, he thinks... concede? Sort of? Instead of hissing at him and stalking off, that's language lesson progress! Emil opens his mouth, like, he'll say the word-- but no, maybe that would now officially be Stupid, and so he will not, actually.
Now that he looks like he had something to say, though--]
Uhhhh... okay! I guess it's my turn now?
[Time for Swedish, please tolerate his beautiful language, while he thinks of a good word to say over and over for the next ten minutes.]
How about, um... [He frowns briefly and gestures at the tree Lalli had stared at earlier. Look, Swedish is easy, so here:] Träd.
[Travel with someone for a few months, and this kind of thing just happens! For Lalli, anyway. It's not like he's ever had a friend before; he's still, you know, working through what that actually means, but here he sits, doing his best to parse this weird Swedish nonsense. Wild.
But—ah? Time to look back Emil's way at last, brow furrowing the slightest bit as he ponders this simple, familiar-yet-unfamiliar word. Hmm.]
...Träd?
[His pronunciation could be better, but hey! He is doing it. He is Making An Effort, even as he pulls a slight face.]
Träd. [Double the effort means double the praise, thanks, but just for good measure, let him also point at that tree.] Puu.
[Aw hell yes, that's his Friend... Emil is not quite starry eyed over this grand effort, but he's pretty close. Definitely the kind of face he makes when he's trying to make Lalli stop sulking about mysterious Lalli things, as annoying as that is... often.]
Not bad! Um— [give him a second for the Finnish, UHH hmm yeah he only has so many Finnish vocab words,] Great!
[Yeah!!!! That said, he is going to ruin the moment, because,] Is that seriously the word? Puu?
[That simple praise—spoken in Finnish!—will do? Or, well. If Emil pulled a cookie out of thin air, that would undoubtedly be Better, but this is fine. This is good, hence the way Lalli just barely puffs up. He did it... even though it is so tiny, in the grand scheme of things...
But hey, hi, what is this? Did he not just say (re: imply) that his word was the same as the other word?]
Yes? [Duh???] You're smiling.
[It's SUSPICIOUS!!! So please, enjoy this Scrutinizing before Reynir—with impeccable timing, as always—snores extra loudly before rolling the heck over. It catches poor Kitty by surprise; there's a sharp yowl as she hurriedly scampers free, and Lalli shifts his attention over thataway. He is radiating disapproval—and as he and Emil are both petty, it's time for Lalli to use one of the first Swedish words he memorized:]
...Stupid.
Edited (i can't use the same icon tWICE) 2020-12-28 00:43 (UTC)
[It's stupid, Lalli, thanks for asking. Emil shrugs, totally ready to obliviously spoil his one good moment of praise by actually saying so out loud, but ah— ew Reynir. He frowns instead, face scrunching up in distaste about Reynir, you know, being in their general space.
The pettiness gets a chuckle out of him, at least. Friendship!]
Hah! You said it.
[Ridiculous... Do they have to go catch Kitty... nah. But sitting here in proximity to Others - even asleep! - is making him feel insecure about his language ability, because he exists, so! So.]
Do you want to go for a walk or something?
[Does he gesture in the air with two fingers... walking... yes. Let's go elsewhere, buddy.]
[Their shared life is a comedy of (Reynir's) errors, and it's fine? Somehow? They are always on the same wavelength for this sort of thing—and it's nice. Unfortunate for anyone caught in the crosshairs, yes, but it isn't like Lalli is thinking about, say, Reynir's feelings at this point in time. He's asleep, and he also happens to be, like, the most annoying person in the entire world; he doesn't count.
Or: Lalli could sit here for the foreseeable future, trash-talking Reynir and co. via fragmented sentences and creative sign language. They've done it before! It's a fine way to spend an evening, but as Lalli watches Emil's little finger-legs walk into the distance—ah. Well. A quiet hum as he glances back at their sleeping squad. There is Kitty, licking a paw while perched atop Mikkel's bulk, so...]
Maybe.
[Nah. It's a yes, which is why he easily slips to his feet, stretching his poor back a bit. That rock is not comfortable to lean back against; a walk might do him good.]
Not far. I need to—watch. [He's back to simple Finnish—and while looking back down at Emil, he can't help but to add:] You can't be loud.
[Jeez! Hitting him with the fake maybe is low, sir. He waves a hand up at Lalli, like, come on of course they can't go far, but anywhere that isn't this close to Reynir snoring is better than this spot. Obviously!]
I... [cannot remember "know" in Finnish, woops, lamely:] Yes.
[Anyway! If the rule is he has to speak Finnish for the rest of the evening, then he'll be silent as the grave, but don't torture him like that. He stands, taking a moment to brush himself off and make sure his hair is both leaf-free and immaculate, then he gives Lalli that Look again. The chipper one, because he's getting what he asked for, see.]
[Lalli doesn't know how Reynir's stupid spell works, but he does know that it only works in a very, very small area—so really, going for a walk is a bit of a risk? It could attract undue attention...
...But Reynir is very annoying, and Lalli is a very good scout, so... it should be fine, he thinks. As long as they don't wander too far from Reynir's dirt drawing, everything should be fine—nd the slight risk is worth it, really, because ah, look at that: Emil is smiling at him once more. Something flips within Lalli's chest? It isn't an altogether unpleasant thing, but words, shwords; time to go for the classic Lalli Noise™ that is:]
Hmh.
[Emil's hair is perfect, as always, but does that stop Lalli from reaching out to give it one final pat before turning away? Nope.]
To the— [wait for it, wait for it, we are switching from Finnish to Swedish for this one word:] —träd.
[A hair patting, Swedish word combo?? The appreciation levels are off the charts, sir! But quietly, because he's got it on the brain for the next two minutes and not a second longer.]
Right! Okay!
[He takes a step, then stops short immediately like the fool he is and looks at Lalli. Now, very good Swedish, love that, but...]
[Thank you, thank you, he has now Mastered the Swedish language; there is absolutely nothing left for him to learn, even as it takes him a few seconds of puzzling to piece together what, exactly, Emil said while giving him such a Look. Of course there are many trees here, sir! This is Finland! But since Emil should just read Lalli's mind, Lalli's expression turns flat.]
The big tree. [Stupid!!] We can climb it? To see the stars.
[Stars... pretty. Lalli has a hunch that Emil might enjoy looking at them more than looking at all the träds in the area, but—oh? Wait a second.]
Can you climb? You're clumsy.
[Good luck parsing this, Emil. At least the mile criticism is definitely conveyed through tone.]
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i feel the unyielding gaze of the inevitable point purchase boring into my soul
That's silly!!! Anyway! Now there's another Finnish word, and fair enough in that he did ask for another one, but--]
Lalli! That's harder than the last one!
[How could he do this thing! To Emil! Emil, who sighs theatrically and slumps back, crossing his arms like a petulant little baby, which he is. Give him a second, as well, because he earnestly thinks this is the next word he's supposed to be learning and not criticism.
Thirty seconds. Hang on...]
Wait, what? What does that mean?
who will cave first... you know i'm thinkin bout that 10% back deal...
Or: Lalli is a brat. It is known. It's why he merely hums in response to that (fair) question, raising one shoulder for a quick shrug. It's not his fault Emil can't understand perfectly normal words! Dang.]
It's what you are.
[He says, in Finnish, because he is indeed going to be like this. Just say it!]
my finger hovering over the button as we speak
Are you making fun of me?
[The cruelest thing he's ever done? Worse than the soup. His fussy look shifts into one of vague suspicion, like, what will Lalli make him say, but alright! Alright. Because he is a Good Friend, he will say this thing that is probably mean.
Badly, of course, because what he says is:] Karsem...something.
[Appreciate him.]
and here we are now
So once again Lalli is as hypocritical as they come, but it's fine. Probably. At least it means he remains focused on Emil instead of once again staring at a tree, but sir? Sir. Accept this Look.]
Hrmh. [Accept this disgruntled Lalli noise, too, before he leans a tad closer, deciding to use his real words after all.] You're not trying.
[So no praise!]
don't judge us
Ah. Well, first, a brief huffy revival:]
I am! You're not listening!
[And then he shakes his head, like perhaps he can physically expel his constant urge to Make a Scene about everything. Okay! Okay.]
...
[okay.]
I... maaay have forgotten the whole word? So, um-- [Hang on, he's busting out the basic Finnish for this single word:] Again? Kars...? [for kids]
too late... i am Always judging
But Emil tries? Keeps trying, and as Lalli watches him reach for that incredibly simple Finnish word when its Swedish equivalent would do, something within him gives. Aha...]
...Kärsimätön.
[He all but mumbles it, really, so thank goodness it's quiet? Just accept this, please. Allow him to glance off to the side.]
It's... not important.
[Because when it comes down to it, Emil... is not that.]
🔫🐝 this ends now
But, ah? To mumble it away and, he thinks... concede? Sort of? Instead of hissing at him and stalking off, that's language lesson progress! Emil opens his mouth, like, he'll say the word-- but no, maybe that would now officially be Stupid, and so he will not, actually.
Now that he looks like he had something to say, though--]
Uhhhh... okay! I guess it's my turn now?
[Time for Swedish, please tolerate his beautiful language, while he thinks of a good word to say over and over for the next ten minutes.]
How about, um... [He frowns briefly and gestures at the tree Lalli had stared at earlier. Look, Swedish is easy, so here:] Träd.
[Just say it, sir.]
no subject
But—ah? Time to look back Emil's way at last, brow furrowing the slightest bit as he ponders this simple, familiar-yet-unfamiliar word. Hmm.]
...Träd?
[His pronunciation could be better, but hey! He is doing it. He is Making An Effort, even as he pulls a slight face.]
Träd. [Double the effort means double the praise, thanks, but just for good measure, let him also point at that tree.] Puu.
[Finnish, baybee.]
no subject
Not bad! Um— [give him a second for the Finnish, UHH hmm yeah he only has so many Finnish vocab words,] Great!
[Yeah!!!! That said, he is going to ruin the moment, because,] Is that seriously the word? Puu?
[Stupide... Finnish is dumb...]
no subject
But hey, hi, what is this? Did he not just say (re: imply) that his word was the same as the other word?]
Yes? [Duh???] You're smiling.
[It's SUSPICIOUS!!! So please, enjoy this Scrutinizing before Reynir—with impeccable timing, as always—snores extra loudly before rolling the heck over. It catches poor Kitty by surprise; there's a sharp yowl as she hurriedly scampers free, and Lalli shifts his attention over thataway. He is radiating disapproval—and as he and Emil are both petty, it's time for Lalli to use one of the first Swedish words he memorized:]
...Stupid.
no subject
The pettiness gets a chuckle out of him, at least. Friendship!]
Hah! You said it.
[Ridiculous... Do they have to go catch Kitty... nah. But sitting here in proximity to Others - even asleep! - is making him feel insecure about his language ability, because he exists, so! So.]
Do you want to go for a walk or something?
[Does he gesture in the air with two fingers... walking... yes. Let's go elsewhere, buddy.]
no subject
Or: Lalli could sit here for the foreseeable future, trash-talking Reynir and co. via fragmented sentences and creative sign language. They've done it before! It's a fine way to spend an evening, but as Lalli watches Emil's little finger-legs walk into the distance—ah. Well. A quiet hum as he glances back at their sleeping squad. There is Kitty, licking a paw while perched atop Mikkel's bulk, so...]
Maybe.
[Nah. It's a yes, which is why he easily slips to his feet, stretching his poor back a bit. That rock is not comfortable to lean back against; a walk might do him good.]
Not far. I need to—watch. [He's back to simple Finnish—and while looking back down at Emil, he can't help but to add:] You can't be loud.
no subject
[Jeez! Hitting him with the fake maybe is low, sir. He waves a hand up at Lalli, like, come on of course they can't go far, but anywhere that isn't this close to Reynir snoring is better than this spot. Obviously!]
I... [cannot remember "know" in Finnish, woops, lamely:] Yes.
[Anyway! If the rule is he has to speak Finnish for the rest of the evening, then he'll be silent as the grave, but don't torture him like that. He stands, taking a moment to brush himself off and make sure his hair is both leaf-free and immaculate, then he gives Lalli that Look again. The chipper one, because he's getting what he asked for, see.]
Let's go! [ah-- quieter:] Let's go?
no subject
...But Reynir is very annoying, and Lalli is a very good scout, so... it should be fine, he thinks. As long as they don't wander too far from Reynir's dirt drawing, everything should be fine—nd the slight risk is worth it, really, because ah, look at that: Emil is smiling at him once more. Something flips within Lalli's chest? It isn't an altogether unpleasant thing, but words, shwords; time to go for the classic Lalli Noise™ that is:]
Hmh.
[Emil's hair is perfect, as always, but does that stop Lalli from reaching out to give it one final pat before turning away? Nope.]
To the— [wait for it, wait for it, we are switching from Finnish to Swedish for this one word:] —träd.
[Appreciate! Him!]
no subject
Right! Okay!
[He takes a step, then stops short immediately like the fool he is and looks at Lalli. Now, very good Swedish, love that, but...]
Lalli, this a forest.
[Which tree! Lead him somewhere, he's incapable.]
no subject
The big tree. [Stupid!!] We can climb it? To see the stars.
[Stars... pretty. Lalli has a hunch that Emil might enjoy looking at them more than looking at all the träds in the area, but—oh? Wait a second.]
Can you climb? You're clumsy.
[Good luck parsing this, Emil. At least the mile criticism is definitely conveyed through tone.]