(no subject)

[feistytrader]

Meet Berry. Berry's something called a Pokémon, which seems to be shorthand for "we needed something to call our rpg monster friends that sounds a little less like we're going to take up a sword and hack them down for experience and quest fulfillment." He's a Sneasel. I don't know why he's called a Sneasel. I guess Sneacat was already taken. He loves snow, attention, and eating all of my food.

At the passing suggestion of a friend of mine (hi Dave) and with the help of my impulse control, I decided to spend a semester in college learning sign language to see if that was something I could teach my trusted magical creatures. Berry here was my prime test subject because of a distinct presence of hands and because he's a nosy jerk that reads my texts. He definitely has the intelligence for something like that, or so I thought, anyway. Even without any help, he's pretty good at expressing himself. They all are.

Anyway, the answer is yes. He can absolutely learn whatever he wants. The problem is that all he wants to learn is more creative ways to demand that I feed him. I'm not sure what I expected from the magical cat weasel.

The real punchline is that I learned that there are magical people that can just read these guys' thoughts and memories. All that work, just to find out some guy that was in my world once can just peek into their head like it's google. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people, and sign language is actually pretty neat to learn. I'd have to take way more classes to make learning it into anything worthwhile, though, and I'm already regretting the price of college tuition.

I've been thinking about regrets a lot lately. I regret getting spray paint on my favorite shoes. I regret that time in fourth grade when I underestimated high tide and lost my backpack. I regret not sharing masterpieces from regretsy with more people before their site went down. I regret going out to the frozen north like anything good ever happens in cold places like that, and I definitely regret buying nyquil instead of dayquil.

I can think of dozens of others, but hey, let's level the playing field here. I'd like to hear about other people's regrets here on the internet, where hundreds can hear. Maybe we can all appreciate our collective errors together.

Comments

[sunnyspot]

I'm a little surprised to see someone posting about sign language, since I've had a post about it written up in my drafts for at last a week. I may as well put it up now...

But this is really interesting. If his fingers aren't like ours (are they?), you wouldn't be able to do any fingerspelling, so I'm impressed that you were able to get around it. People teach sign language to babies, but this is the first I've heard of teaching it to animals. RPG monster animals included.

Since you're taking ASL classes at Rec U, I've probably seen you around. Um, and... This might sound weird, but if you ever want to practice, let me know.

[feistytrader]

They're claws, but they have more grip and flexibility than you'd expect. We mostly improvised. I was more concerned with seeing if he's smart enough to figure it out than if he can do it with any significant accuracy. It would have been better to enlist in Aoi, since he has five fingered hands, but he was way more interested in sleeping.

That's, uh. My big blue crocodile.

I'm not taking any classes right now, but I wouldn't mind practicing it in the future. Languages aren't exactly something you can keep up with or study on your own.

[sunnyspot]

That's such an interesting concept. You're clever for coming up with it, so I'm glad it worked out. Or... worked out as much as it could, anyway. Berry seems really smart.

Ah, okay. That's more than fine too. But... yeah, the offer still stands either way. I've never talked to anyone on Retrospec who's studied, so I might have gotten ahead of myself.

[drydrown]

Well, I helped save our city officials - which was possibly Mistake #1 - but in the process, I had a fight with a giant spider that ended in the tactless thing ambling off like it hadn't just ruined a two thousand dollar suit.

More an annoyance than a direct regret, but all of that certainly happened.

[feistytrader]

why did you wear a two thousand dollar suit to go save the city officials

[drydrown]

Maybe I wanted to look presentable when I fell into the River Styx. Which, incidentally, exists down there. Did you know there's a godforsaken river of dead and horribly mutilated souls flowing beneath the city? Because that was news to me. You're welcome.

Really, though, it's not as though I had much else to wear down there that wouldn't run the risk of snagging on something.

[standalonehuman]

Oh! More of the Pokemon! Like Augustine's friends, Modeste and Bulle and Feu!

He's adorable! And that's awesome that he's smart enough to learn sign language. Augustine was saying they were intelligent and self-aware, just needed to communicate. What else can he do? And if he wants food, what does he eat?

[feistytrader]

It would be easier to list what he can't do. Unless you're asking about magic abilities. He's all about ice.

[And... Stealing, but-]

He'll eat anything, but he'll have my head if there aren't any eggs in the house.

[standalonehuman]

Oh wow, ice? Where's the limit with these? That's incredible.

Sorry, you're Elda's son, right? I'm Officer Hitori Togusa. I guess you can tell I've met Augustine, he had mentioned someone else in the city was receiving friends like his.

[scythegun]

You really do have the most interesting friends!

Regrets though... I suppose I have a few from my youth, but they've led me to where I am now, so I certainly can't complain too much! I wouldn't say there's anything I really regret. I suppose I'm just lucky like that! ☆

[feistytrader]

You didn't have to share some big serious regret. Some embarrassing childhood story would be fine with me.

[scythegun]

That's implying I have any embarrassing childhood stories! ☆

[why is he like this]

[elevelvetor]

[ ...Someone's full of regrets today, huh. ]

you're quite bold to think people will speak of their regrets with their names attached to such things, Silver
...however, thankfully i am one of those people, so your post will hardly go to waste
i regret not buying this wonderful hat that was on sale the other week.
it was short and fat, very round... a sort of black-felt beret, but it was decorated lavishly with feathers, rhinestones around its hem. it was quite incredible
but now it's gone, and as far as i can tell, it was simply one of a kind

[feistytrader]

That does sound like a one of a kind loss.
But that just means that we'll have to hook you up with a bigger, better hat, right?

[A charming hat, if you will-]

[elevelvetor]

[ YOU THINK YOU'RE SOOO CUTE AND CLEVER, CAM.

...well you are ]

well, i certainly won't say no to one
and if you find it for me, all the better
i'm curious as to what sort of hat you think suits me anyway

[matchbreaker]

Should I give you some dayquil...? I might actually have some other similar drugs, actually?

Have you been ill?

[feistytrader]

Yeah. I've been trying to brush it off, but it's just not happening.

Mind if I come over? I promise I won't get you sick.

[matchbreaker]

No, of course! I was out actually but not far, I'll just swing right back to meet you.

[twostringsonebow]

Is that why he was trying to make motions at me when I was cooking...
I'd ask what caused this, Silver, but I'll leave it be for now and grill you later.

[Because if you get to grill him about his Moods he gets to grill you about yours.]

I regret not tiering for my favorite boy in the last event. Now I have to wait for the revival to come around, and he's so gorgeous I could cry.

[... He has serious regrets but this. This is it.]

[feistytrader]

You can always download a picture of him.

[Instead of addressing how grilled he's going to be, it's time to highlight that mobile games are a waste of time and money--]

[twostringsonebow]

[fucking spoilers everyone goro's actual best boy is probably rank this event, why is knock off sena the worst.]

Silver, I know you don't understand these types of games, but let me try once more:
They may be just pictures to you, but to me that are proof that I worked tirelessly against tens of thousands of other people to obtain him. Not just one copy, no, but many of them.

[... It's dedication..? No, if it got to a certain point, it'd be unhealthy.]

[maskreant]

maybe he's actually a weasel and not a cat? i think it's cool that you taught him sign language though. it'll help in the long-run.

i regret not playing the Last Fantasy victory sound effect into voice chat when my team won a difficult competitive match on Overlook. same for when we lost, i should have played something on my cello. i've noticed that some fun in the voice chat makes people less tilted and toxic, making the environment overall healthier.

[feistytrader]

Do they forget that there's a person playing with them or something?

[Liz complained quite a bit about toxic players as well. Maybe they go for it because there's no way someone can deck them through the internet.]

If they get nasty, they're not worthy of your cello playing.

[courageofheart]

[She has some Very Serious regrets, but she's definitely not going to air those.]

I regret droping out of highschool. Getting a job was very hard!!

[feistytrader]

Why'd you drop out?

[He's not going to deny that it's difficult- he certainly lucked out in the job department- or that graduating high school is probably a good idea, as little as he cared for it the whole way through.]