Because Someone Has To...

Green Lantern Salaak, formerly of Sector 1418, currently stationed on Oa. Make this quick, I haven't got all day.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Hey, Salaak! What are your resolutions for 2013?

...What does that even mean? Sector 2013 is of minimal concern to me.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Dear Salaak: what is YOUR first reaction when I say "Ion"? Be honest!

Honest? "What have they done now, and how long is it going to take me to sort out?"

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

[ring transmission from 2814.4] Okay. Tell Mogo I said hi. Oh wait you said not to -- [end transmission]

*face palm combo x4*

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

[ring transmission from 2814.4] Hi Salaak. The Red Lantern issue on earth is nearly concluded. I've made contact with Blue Lantern 0002 as you directed. Thanks for your help! Will send you report once it's resolved. [end transmission]

-Ring transmission- Very good, Lantern Rayner. Consider me impressed that all of you have managed the situation with little to no incident. I expect to hear nothing more until your report.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

-Insert interesting HC proposition for Lanterns-

So it occurred to me that the lanterns basically ALWAYS hear their alien friends through a translator. It’s one of those things I consider when dealing with Salaak. When you look at him, in a LOT of his drawings (they’re very inconsistent), he has no visible mouth. At most, he has a slit at the lower end of his head (what would be his face I suppose).

Consider his anatomy a moment

Look at the protrusions on his head. In one they look like hard bone pieces, in the other they’re tube like, something like a bunch of nostrils perhaps? Also, since he has an extra set of arms, his torso has a different structure than a human’s. There’s probably less space for organs, so they are possibly elongated in some way. All of this would lend to the idea that maybe his species communicates much differently than humans. Whether he actually does is kind of irrelevant. Mostly, I think that whatever sounds half the aliens make wouldn’t sound like language at all to the human ear. More like growls, grunts, clicks or squeaks, or some combination.

Example. Only part of this movie i liked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raHAXKtbyIU

So here’s my thinking: do the rings impose a ‘voice’ on them? We’ve already established that all the lantern rings have their own voice and manner in our HCs, so what about the things they translate? I wanna hear what you guys think on this.

[infearfuldayarchive-2b-deactiva]

I actually thought about this back in July when I sat there and watched a whole bunch of nature and astronomy programs on TV! I’m with you with the thought that the rings actually impose a voice or accent on those species whose  method of communication is vastly different from humans’. And it’s funny that you mention growls and clicks..etc because in my opinion, Sinestro’s voice without translation sounds very animalistic with many hisses and, whines, growls, chuffs,…etc. I just thought it would be rather ironic that to a human’s ear he would sound a bit like a wild animal despite being a control freak/ about order. I actually wrote a little fic about it since I couldn’t get the idea out of my head! Anyway, the ring automatically changes Sinestro’s voice to something resembling a British accent to those on Earth (who speak English anyway) but in reality, his native Korugarian accent sounds nothing at all like an accent from Earth.

For Sinestro, the sounds made can be from several different animals like yelping and that guttural of wild dogs to the hissing of snakes though this is going to sound lame and typical but I think Korugarians sound most like cats since they have such a large range in sounds they can make!

ETA: Also, I so think Sinestro took the time to learn English, but it was supremely difficult to do and he needs a lot of help from his ring. When he actually speaks English, he doesn’t have a British accent though! I haven’t quite decided what it should sound like though.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Your animal talk got me thinking, so off to youtube I went. I think Salaak would probably make sounds that would sound rather birdlike to the human ear, and I don't think he could even begin to speak any human language if he tried. There's no evidence that he has a sufficiently mobile jaw or a tongue, or hell even pliable lips.

I think he'd make kind of chittery noises, like a woodpecker (another here), and probably some other bird-like noises as well. I think his species is very intelligent, so they need a wide array of ways to communicate with each other. I would think that body language also had a great deal to do with it, since their arms all move independently of each other, and they have rather lithe bodies (which is a little strange in comparison with their big chunky heads). It also occurs to me that part of the reason he looks down on Earthmen the way he does could have something to do with the fact that, by his perception, they are far less capable of communication (only four limbs total and no other visible noise maker but their mouth? MUST be a lower life form). This could be backed up following Sinestro's HC that Korugarians make similarly animalistic noises, and thus would merit a little more respect for their range of expression.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

-Insert interesting HC proposition for Lanterns-

So it occurred to me that the lanterns basically ALWAYS hear their alien friends through a translator. It's one of those things I consider when dealing with Salaak. When you look at him, in a LOT of his drawings (they're very inconsistent), he has no visible mouth. At most, he has a slit at the lower end of his head (what would be his face I suppose).

Consider his anatomy a moment

Look at the protrusions on his head. In one they look like hard bone pieces, in the other they're tube like, something like a bunch of nostrils perhaps? Also, since he has an extra set of arms, his torso has a different structure than a human's. There's probably less space for organs, so they are possibly elongated in some way. All of this would lend to the idea that maybe his species communicates much differently than humans. Whether he actually does is kind of irrelevant. Mostly, I think that whatever sounds half the aliens make wouldn't sound like language at all to the human ear. More like growls, grunts, clicks or squeaks, or some combination.

Example. Only part of this movie i liked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raHAXKtbyIU

So here's my thinking: do the rings impose a 'voice' on them? We've already established that all the lantern rings have their own voice and manner in our HCs, so what about the things they translate? I wanna hear what you guys think on this.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

[mogolives]

fourtimesgrumpier 2012-07-27 09:45

GREETINGS, LANTERN SALAAK. THIS IS MOGO.

Aah, Mogo. Pleasant to hear from you, old friend.

AND TO YOU, MY FRIEND. I FEEL I SHALL BE NEEDED SOON.  AS THE EARTH LANTERNS ARE SO FOND OF SAYING ‘THERE IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE’.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Oh please do NOT start picking up their bad habits. I know they’re more amusing than the Sha’kra dancers in sector 682, but really…

At any rate, please, go on.

[mogolives]

I UNDERSTAND, LANTERN SALAAK. THOSE FROM SECTOR 2814 DO NOT SUIT EVERYONE’S LINE OF PREFERENCE.

HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS REGARDING THIS VERY SAME SECTOR. WHAT NEWS HAVE YOU HEARD, SALAAK?

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Hm....Well, Lantern Gardner did say something about possible Red Lantern activity. I was hoping it was nothing, but it seems I could be wrong now.

[mogolives]

fourtimesgrumpier 2012-07-27 09:45

GREETINGS, LANTERN SALAAK. THIS IS MOGO.

Aah, Mogo. Pleasant to hear from you, old friend.

AND TO YOU, MY FRIEND. I FEEL I SHALL BE NEEDED SOON.  AS THE EARTH LANTERNS ARE SO FOND OF SAYING ‘THERE IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE’.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Oh please do NOT start picking up their bad habits. I know they're more amusing than the Sha'kra dancers dancers in sector 682, but really...

At any rate, please, go on.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

GREETINGS, LANTERN SALAAK. THIS IS MOGO.

Aah, Mogo. Pleasant to hear from you, old friend.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Ring Tx: Lantern Rayner's awake, seems back to normal. You wanted to be kept informed. Give him a few hours of peace and quiet before ya hound him for a full report, okay, Sal?

Return Message from Protocol Lantern Salaak: Understood. I hope he doesn't take his time in recovery. Kindly inform him that so long as he is not incapacitated, he's still expected to perform his duties.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

hotheadedlantern:

[hotheadedlantern]

Guy let the insult to his home planet slide, for Kyle’s sake, and mulled over how much or little was wise to share with Salaak at this point in time. It was probably best to not mention Kyle’s twenty ring-copies he’d made without remembering doing so, or the fact he’d destroyed them all with no real repercussions…or answers.

“What about contact with a Red Lantern, Sal?” Gardner asked, forgetting the administrator disliked that nickname. “Is there any known incident of some kind of delayed reaction that could have that could block his ring?  I mean, we’re in the same room with him but you can call both me or Hal. So, that rules out a dampening field or some kind of directional interference.”

“Red Lanterns!?” Salaak’s voice rose a note or two. Two hands went to work immediately, pulling screens over to check Red Lantern activity in the past week. There were a few isolated incidents, but all in the borders of the far sectors. Nothing significant, and NOTHING close to 2814.

“There are no reports of activity near your sector, Lantern Gardner,” he said after a moment. “That’s quite the conclusion to…Hang on, what’s…” He went to work again, flicking the construct screen with a hard nail. “That’s odd. There’s some kind of anomaly on your planet. Either way, though, I don’t know of recorded incidents of Red rings interfering with Green. And certainly not to the point of incapacitation. It seems highly unlikely.”

“Understood, thanks for the info, though. We only suspect Red Lantern Corps activity, possibly a dormant ring at this point. We’re still investigatin’; the suspect’s gone into hiding, an’ he’s a highly-experienced, former police agent.  He knows how to cover his tracks well.”

Guy scratched at his unshaven cheek, and eyed the Medbay room Kyle was in.  Hal was trying to talk to him again, and he longed to get this call done and over with so he could rejoin him. “Salaak, could you upload to me whatever info ya got on that anomaly ya mentioned?” he asked absently.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

"I hardly see how that can out class a Green Lantern," Salaak scolded. "I'll send you what I have, though it's very little. I expect you to follow up on this lead and give me a full report the second you learn more." He paused a moment, once again trying to contact Kyle's ring. The non-function message was unnerving to say the least.

"Also keep me updated on Lantern Rayner's condition." Somehow, his voice sounded softer, almost gentle with concern. As gentle as a slightly dull knife, anyway.

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

hotheadedlantern:

[hotheadedlantern]

He rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s been making constructs too, while like that. I’ve never seen anythin’ like them. I tried ring-textin’ him, an’ it came back with an out of service message an’ then somethin’ in an alien language my ring could translate, but not identify. You gettin’ the same thing on your end?”

As he listened, Salaak adjusted his monitors again, getting a look at the two other Earth lanterns through Guy’s ring. The explanation was sufficient, but no less irritating. High risk behavior seemed to be a characteristic all humans shared. Still..they did make for some of the best lanterns the corps had ever seen. Their ability to feel a wide range of emotions with such depth and acuity was fascinating to say the least..and often irritating. Dealing with the four humans felt like dealing with 4 completely different species.

“I’ve been unable to establish a connection with Lantern Rayner’s ring,” he said when guy finished. “It’s almost as though something’s blocking it. I would say that’s impossible, but we already know just BEING on that dirtball makes anything about 80% more likely.”

Guy let the insult to his home planet slide, for Kyle’s sake, and mulled over how much or little was wise to share with Salaak at this point in time. It was probably best to not mention Kyle’s twenty ring-copies he’d made without remembering doing so, or the fact he’d destroyed them all with no real repercussions…or answers.

“What about contact with a Red Lantern, Sal?” Gardner asked, forgetting the administrator disliked that nickname. “Is there any known incident of some kind of delayed reaction that could have that could block his ring?  I mean, we’re in the same room with him but you can call both me or Hal. So, that rules out a dampening field or some kind of directional interference.”

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

"Red Lanterns!?" Salaak's voice rose a note or two. Two hands went to work immediately, pulling screens over to check Red Lantern activity in the past week. There were a few isolated incidents, but all in the borders of the far sectors. Nothing significant, and NOTHING close to 2814.

"There are no reports of activity near your sector, Lantern Gardner," he said after a moment. "That's quite the conclusion to...Hang on, what's..." He went to work again, flicking the construct screen with a hard nail. "That's odd. There's some kind of anomaly on your planet. Either way, though, I don't know of recoded incidents of Red rings interfering with Green. And certainly not to the point of incapacitation. It seems highly unlikely."

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Guy sighed and stepped out of the Watchtower’s medbay to somewhere he could speak in private with the hologram floating above his ring. Usually he would be less courteous, but the GLC administrator is, for all intents and purposes, Guy’s parole officer, at least until his trial is set and he returns to Oa.

“…Hello, Salaak. What can I do fer ya?”

“Just checking in,” Salaak said. His wide eyes narrowed, a long finger touching the screen showing GL Gardner and dragging it closer. “You know I have to keep an eye on you, and it’s a task I loath undertaking.” Who really wanted to watch a man ape all day?

“My purpose in contacting you was to check the status of Lantern Rayner. Communication with his ring is proving problematic.”

[hotheadedlantern]

Guy dropped his head in momentary defeat. Where to even begin? “Kyle’s…not doin’ so great, Salaak.” He started walked back through the Medbay, up to the observation window to briefly show Hal at Kyle’s bedside, before stepping away again to give them privacy.  ”Kyle was thrown back by a powerful force when he tried to wake an injured, dormant alien symbiote of one of Earth’s Justice League heroes, and he’s been unconscious since. We think he’s in some kind of induced stasis, but we’re still tryin’ to figure it out what’s causin’ it.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s been making constructs too, while like that. I’ve never seen anythin’ like them. I tried ring-textin’ him, an’ it came back with an out of service message an’ then somethin’ in an alien language my ring could translate, but not identify. You gettin’ the same thing on your end?”

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

As he listened, Salaak adjusted his monitors again, getting a look at the two other Earth lanterns through Guy's ring. The explanation was sufficient, but no less irritating. High risk behavior seemed to be a characteristic all humans shared. Still..they did make for some of the best lanterns the corps had ever seen. Their ability to feel a wide range of emotions with such depth and acuity was fascinating to say the least..and often irritating. Dealing with the four humans felt like dealing with 4 completely different species.

"I've been unable to establish a connection with Lantern Rayner's ring," he said when guy finished. "It's almost as though something's blocking it. I would say that's impossible, but we already know just BEING on that dirtball makes anything about 80% more likely."

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Special Ability: Multitasking

[fourtimesgrumpier-blog]

Guy sighs and steps out of the Watchtower’s medbay to somewhere he can speak in private with the hologram floating above his ring. Usually he would be less courteous, but the GLC administrator is for all intents and purposes, Guy’s parole officer, at least until his trial is set and he returns to Oa.

“…Hello, Salaak. What can I do fer ya?”

"Just checking in," Salaak said. His wide eyes narrowed, a long finger touching the screen showing GL Gardner and dragging it closer. "You know I have to keep an eye on you, and it's a task I loath undertaking." Who really wanted to watch a man ape all day?

"My purpose in contacting you was to check the status of Lantern Rayner. Communication with his ring is proving problematic."