[Fic] Flashback: Body Language
He may not have much in the way of facial expressions, but he does have body language. And Kevin 11 has body to spare: pounds and feet and what feels like miles of it.
Most of it is pretty easy to translate; obvious. Things that are Kevin's size are rarely subtle. Kevin sees too much red to appreciate that kind of thing anyway. But bared teeth (and even just a few of those teeth go a long long way) mean anger. Stay away, they say. Don't touch me. Balled fists mean someone is about to get hurt. Even Kevin's shoulders can be at least vaguely threatening.
These are Kevin's most common topics of conversation, but there are others. When he's happy, his tail wags. Like the Universe's biggest, ugliest dog. He's stopped trying to do anything about it; there's no point. In the Null Void, no one can see you wag. It still burns him up inside with humiliation, but at least it means (usually) that someone (or thing) else feels worse off. Or no longer feels anything at all.
Some things are harder to read. He still rolls his eyes, like any boy his age would, but the one pupil he still has doesn't move right. He lets out annoyed huffs and sighs, but they come out of his gills; make them flare and give off the impression he's mad.
Close enough.
Sometimes his tail stretches out behind him: rigid and puffed up somehow. But not often. After all, Kevin 11 is not scared of nothin' or nobody.
Sometimes his tail drags on the ground. It's heavy and he gets tired of hoisting it up. Sometimes his lure droops too: down and a little to the left. It looks slightly pathetic. Sometimes his whole massive frame relaxes and hangs around him, limp and still. And he's quiet.
This is not a beast at peace. He's lost in these moments: losing. The full weight and horror of what he is presses down on him, and he is helpless against it. The future stretches bleakly out before him. His body as still as a statue as if if he doesn't move his extra limbs they might cease to be.
They never do.
He rages, of course, just like you'd expect something that looks like him to. But in space: no one can hear you scream.
Kevin 11 can scream without moving a muscle or making a sound.
Most of it is pretty easy to translate; obvious. Things that are Kevin's size are rarely subtle. Kevin sees too much red to appreciate that kind of thing anyway. But bared teeth (and even just a few of those teeth go a long long way) mean anger. Stay away, they say. Don't touch me. Balled fists mean someone is about to get hurt. Even Kevin's shoulders can be at least vaguely threatening.
These are Kevin's most common topics of conversation, but there are others. When he's happy, his tail wags. Like the Universe's biggest, ugliest dog. He's stopped trying to do anything about it; there's no point. In the Null Void, no one can see you wag. It still burns him up inside with humiliation, but at least it means (usually) that someone (or thing) else feels worse off. Or no longer feels anything at all.
Some things are harder to read. He still rolls his eyes, like any boy his age would, but the one pupil he still has doesn't move right. He lets out annoyed huffs and sighs, but they come out of his gills; make them flare and give off the impression he's mad.
Close enough.
Sometimes his tail stretches out behind him: rigid and puffed up somehow. But not often. After all, Kevin 11 is not scared of nothin' or nobody.
Sometimes his tail drags on the ground. It's heavy and he gets tired of hoisting it up. Sometimes his lure droops too: down and a little to the left. It looks slightly pathetic. Sometimes his whole massive frame relaxes and hangs around him, limp and still. And he's quiet.
This is not a beast at peace. He's lost in these moments: losing. The full weight and horror of what he is presses down on him, and he is helpless against it. The future stretches bleakly out before him. His body as still as a statue as if if he doesn't move his extra limbs they might cease to be.
They never do.
He rages, of course, just like you'd expect something that looks like him to. But in space: no one can hear you scream.
Kevin 11 can scream without moving a muscle or making a sound.