Bubble Speech

DESCRIPTION

Bubble Speech is the language that is mostly used by the race of Nipik called Port but, depending on their origin, can also used by other Nipik races. Bubble Speech is not necessarily a different language but rather a departure in the manner in which the common Nipik language is conveyed. When some one speaks in bubble speech instead of saying something audibly they usually just make some kind of variation of a sound associated with their character like "Huff" which is then accompanied by a UI speech bubble displaying what they intend to say. While a great many who can only use Bubble Speech to communicate are envious of those who articulate when speaking Bubble Speech is the most universally understood of all Oob languages as the UI speech bubble always displays to the reader in a written language they understand. This has lead to many who speak in this manner being conscripted as interpreters. Bubble Speech can also be understood from vast distances as long as the text can be read (for example someone using binoculars could eaves drop on a conversation if it is being conducted in Bubble Speech).

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE

While Bubble Speech is not divergent in the content of the common Nipik language it does have some differences in how tone is conveyed. Since the emotional state of Port can be somewhat dubious due to their pixelated nature their tone is often conveyed through the shape of the speech bubble they generate and the font or format the text is written in. For example if the speaker is angry the speech bubble takes on a jagged shape and if the speaker is trying to say something sarcastically it is often displayed in italics. There are even some new variants of Bubble Speech that has been known to integrate small simple pictures of faces and strange looping image sequences. There have been cases where someone can speak Bubble Speech with such intensity and precision that they can manifest the speech bubbles generated as a tangible object though this is so rare it is mostly considered a myth. Sometimes in moments of great significance or emotional intensity a person who speaks in Bubble Speech will suddenly gain the ability to speak audibly for a short time before returning to their usual sound accompanied by speech bubble. It is not known why this happens but the words spoken in these instances are commonly regarded as being of great importance.