I don't know, actually. Enjoy the sights of Cianwood despite the rain. Listen to Cliff's latest composition praising the magnificent arc of Val's swing when she whacks things with her bone club.
Well, at least he's creative about her attack on me...
[GOOD, because he still worries about that making you sad.]
Alright. And you don't have to leave me and Astrid alone all the time, you know. I don't know what kind of company I'd be, but I'd be happy to be it, if that makes any sense.
Hey, it's masterful by viking standards. They have the same grace with words as they do with chewing food--and that's not a pretty sight, lemme tell you.
[what is this strange, unfamiliar feeling in his gut--OH, IT'S A CASE OF THE WARM FUZZIES.]
Even if there's a sale on nice, ankle-length red coats while you're out shopping?
That's another thing you're going to have to do for me this trip — tell me all about the viking standard of life. There's a je ne sais quoi to personal stories that you just can't get in books.
[Also, that gets her amused.]
I don't wear ankle-length coats. I like to show a little leg.
Je ne sais quoi? That's interesting, that it stayed in French; I wonder if that's because there isn't a particularly good English equivalent for it. It means "I don't know what", but in context, it's something to the effect of, "that certain inexplicable something".
And shin-length is fine, thank you. With my approval at your attempt to be precise.
[That reminds him of something, even if it's not exactly the same.]
Words don't always change here, though. Albert taught me how to write in code, and that stays. And it's hard, but I can still write like I did on Berk, if I concentrate enough.
I suspect it's the writing that has something to do with it. Zack knows a few words in an array of different languages, and when he types them they seem to hold. But when I try to change in speech, the most that tends to happen is a different accent.
...Albert taught you to write in code?
[The surprise seems to be more along the lines of, Albert taught you?]
Or easier to concentrate on, like you suggested. Most fluent speakers don't tend to think very deliberately about the words they're choosing; maybe a beginning student of a language would actually stand a better chance of maintaining it here, if only because he or she would have to think more about it as it was said.
[Eee, Da Vinci.]
Ah, his mirror writing. Simple, yet surprisingly effective. Though some think he wrote that way out of simple practicality because he was left-handed, and so writing right to left kept the ink from smearing.
Mirror writing was Da Vinci's "code" of choice. The words were written backwards, so they could only be read when reflected in a mirror.
[The more you know.]
Did he? Pigpen is what's called a "cypher". Codes traditionally involve the exchange of one word or concept for another — for example, you and I might decide to have a secret code in which we always refer to Albert as "duck". A cypher, on the other hand, is an alphabetical substitution, like Pigpen — each symbol represents one letter. And they both have their uses; the benefit of a cypher is that you can spell any word in the world, whether you have a pre-agreed "code word" for it or not. But the downside is that substitution cyphers are much easier to break.
Hmmn... [He's quiet for a moment as he tests out writing backwards in the margins of one of his design papers. Definitely didn't feel natural, but, as Carmen had mentioned, it did have its benefits.] Interesting... Wonder how long it takes before it stops feeling weird.
Why "duck"? [Personally, Hiccup would be more partial to calling him "Hen", but that would be pretty obvious.] Anyway, it's really just for fun. Not like my notes are particularly interesting, whether they're in code or not.
Why not? It's as good a word as any, and if you make it a word that's naturally associated with him in some way, it makes the code easier to break. If you and Astrid set up a code that always identified me as "Red", it'd be much less secure than if you decided to dub me "Footstool".
[Not that she particularly wants to be dubbed "Footstool", mind, but hey. An example's an example.]
And it doesn't matter what's in the notes. What matters is they're yours. Which means you also have a right to have people not read them.
Where we're from, innovation is valuable. People who come up with new ideas and technology have the right to sell it and profit off their creativity. So there's a certain personal interest in keeping some things secret — so someone else doesn't take what's yours and profit off it in your place.
But that's a perception that comes with our experiences. My guess is, yours has been different.
[Selling actual inventions wasn't anything new, even if the majority of Hiccup's contraptions were widely ignored, but an idea? Most vikings weren't too keen on taking the time to read design instructions, even if they had the proper skillset to put the thing together.]
Your guess is right. That sort of thing can happen back on Berk, but it's not exactly likely.
I'd imagine it's probably not that likely here, either — there isn't that same sort of intellectual marketplace of ideas that he and I are used to. So if you choose not to write your secrets in code, simply not sharing your notes will probably suffice to keep them safe.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Oh? What are you planning on doing, then?
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
I don't know, actually. Enjoy the sights of Cianwood despite the rain. Listen to Cliff's latest composition praising the magnificent arc of Val's swing when she whacks things with her bone club.
...Go shopping?
[HALP HOW DO I NORMAL PERSON LEISURE ACTIVITIES]
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Maybe his composition can include the size of the lump on my head. [Ugh.
But, uh, wow, Mom.] You're not thinking about home again, are you?
[YOU WERE SHOPPING THAT TIME.]
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OKAY.]
No, not in the least. But it'd be something to do indoors while it's wet out.
[Something that is decidedly not holing up in a coffee shop and harassing Coop for hours on end.]
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[GOOD, because he still worries about that making you sad.]
Alright. And you don't have to leave me and Astrid alone all the time, you know. I don't know what kind of company I'd be, but I'd be happy to be it, if that makes any sense.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
And as her father, sore, objects,
A growing lump upon his head
Is rapidly a-growing red."
[TRULY A MASTERPIECE.]
I'd like that. How about breakfasts?
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
That's actually...pretty good.
Breakfast with you would be great. Maybe throw in other meals, too, every once in awhile.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Let's put it this way. I'll always have time for you.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[what is this strange, unfamiliar feeling in his gut--OH, IT'S A CASE OF THE WARM FUZZIES.]
Even if there's a sale on nice, ankle-length red coats while you're out shopping?
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[Also, that gets her amused.]
I don't wear ankle-length coats. I like to show a little leg.
[GDI CARMEN.]
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[because wat]
Fine, fine. Is shin-length coats an acceptable description, or should I consider them higher than that?
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
And shin-length is fine, thank you. With my approval at your attempt to be precise.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[That reminds him of something, even if it's not exactly the same.]
Words don't always change here, though. Albert taught me how to write in code, and that stays. And it's hard, but I can still write like I did on Berk, if I concentrate enough.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
...Albert taught you to write in code?
[The surprise seems to be more along the lines of, Albert taught you?]
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[What with having a visible structure and all.
And face it, Carmen, this kid is MAGIC.]
Yeah, for my notes and stuff. Like Da Vinci.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[Eee, Da Vinci.]
Ah, his mirror writing. Simple, yet surprisingly effective. Though some think he wrote that way out of simple practicality because he was left-handed, and so writing right to left kept the ink from smearing.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[Although that does make him wonder if he should adjust how he writes. Smear-free notes sound nice.]
Albert taught me something called Pigpen, since we had been joking about barn animals.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[The more you know.]
Did he? Pigpen is what's called a "cypher". Codes traditionally involve the exchange of one word or concept for another — for example, you and I might decide to have a secret code in which we always refer to Albert as "duck". A cypher, on the other hand, is an alphabetical substitution, like Pigpen — each symbol represents one letter. And they both have their uses; the benefit of a cypher is that you can spell any word in the world, whether you have a pre-agreed "code word" for it or not. But the downside is that substitution cyphers are much easier to break.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Why "duck"? [Personally, Hiccup would be more partial to calling him "Hen", but that would be pretty obvious.] Anyway, it's really just for fun. Not like my notes are particularly interesting, whether they're in code or not.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[Not that she particularly wants to be dubbed "Footstool", mind, but hey. An example's an example.]
And it doesn't matter what's in the notes. What matters is they're yours. Which means you also have a right to have people not read them.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
[Where are you getting all these words.]
Yeah, I guess. I just can't imagine anyone being actually interested enough to try to read them--except you, and I guess Albert.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Where we're from, innovation is valuable. People who come up with new ideas and technology have the right to sell it and profit off their creativity. So there's a certain personal interest in keeping some things secret — so someone else doesn't take what's yours and profit off it in your place.
But that's a perception that comes with our experiences. My guess is, yours has been different.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21
Your guess is right. That sort of thing can happen back on Berk, but it's not exactly likely.
audio; | cianwood city | october 21