Scattered upon the face of the Earth 1/2
anonymous
May 27 2009, 19:42:32 UTC
America and China were 'discussing' economy loudly at one end of the table, while Hungary sat between them with a frozen smile on her face. The way she was stabbing her salmon looked especially worrysome to Germany and he was just considering whether to interfer or not when his lady at the table coughed politely.
He turned towards her and smiled. It was rare to meet so many non-nations that were neither his own, nor about to do battle against him, but Germany was doing his best to be polite company this evening. He had been against Americas idea, but now that they had voted through the "Have a dinner and nice bonding experience with each other's humans to battle the global economy crisis" he would do the best of it.
A crash of dishes followed by an angry "Aiyaah!" made him wince. A shame certain nations had been raised on food horrible enough to chase all kinds of table manners from their souls.
"I just have to ask," she asked and hardly even glanced at the scene behind him, "how can you all speak all languages? It would be very useful in my line of work, you see." Her smile widened and Germany noticed that she had rather pretty dimples. Not exactly what he had expected when he was told that his date for the evening was a British reporter.
"We don't."
"Really? But..." she turned openly to the fight now and Germany followed her gaze. He winced, things had certainly detoriated quickly.
Now Hungary was holding America in a headlock and cursing him out in Hungarian, probably related to the large sauce stain on hew dress. Meanwhile, Korea had shown up somehow - Germany was almost certain he'd been down at the other end of the table and he hadn't walked past, had he? - and was trying to get China to promise him a dance later that evening.
Austria was fluttering around Hungary and trying to get her to calm down, while France was yelling lewd comments about what America's position could be used for from down beyond Germany.
"Right now everyone is, ah, discussing in their own tongue," she said. "And yet, when you speak to me, I can understand things perfectly. And though French is not my strong side, I can even perfectly," she cocked her head and nodded hesitantly, "understand what your French counterpart is suggesting... oh my."
Germany blushed as France yelled out a very creative idea at that moment. "One moment, please," he excused himself. Discarding the used plate as too messy, Germany picked up a rather solid-looking glass ornament from the table and took careful aim.
"FRANKREICH! Halt die Klappe!" he bellowed. When France turned towards him with an affronted look at his face, Germany let the ball of glass fly and watched in satisfaction as the blonde man shrieked and dove beneath the table.
"I'm sorry, where were we?" he asked.
"Were you trying to hit him, or...?" the woman asked. Since he had not forgotten that she was, actually, a journalist, he quickly assured her that he had only pranked a little with the Frenchman and that there had been no danger of him striking the other at all.
"Our language, yes, right." Germany took a sip of wine and tried to remember how Prussia had explained it. Then he tried to forget all the cussing that had been involved in that explanation.
"We are not, as you are surely aware, actually human," he began and watched her nod quickly. Good, she was in the know then. "We are born from our mother soil and all know how to speak our the language of our kin from that moment on."
"You mean, those of us who live 'on' you?"
"Exactly. However, among ourselves, we also have another language and it is the one we use most often."
"Aha?"
"Right now, for instance, do you know what language I used to scold France with?"
"Why, German, of course." At his raised eyebrow she added, "I speak it, a little."
"Ah, that explains it. You expected me to speak German and so you heard that."
"Then what were you speaking?"
"Technically, I guess it could be called Old Babylonian. Though that might give you the wrong associations, because it is not the actual language of the kingdom Babylon."
"Then what-" Her eyes widened. "Are you refering to the Tower of Babylon?"
Scattered upon the face of the Earth 2/2
anonymous
May 27 2009, 19:43:57 UTC
Germany nodded, pleased that she had guessed it. "Yes. We are not children of men, after all, and so the newborn nations were not affected when the tower fell. Though the name of the language itself was lost over time."
"This is fascinating! But, just so I understand, was that the first nation? What about the flood?"
"I can't say," Germany admitted, "since not even China was around back then. As far as I know, all that can trace their lineage that far, were raised by descendants of Babylon. It is also likely that humans originated there, since they can understand us... when we speak Old Babylonian, that is. Most of the time, people don't even reflect on how come they can understand us so easily."
"This is amazing!" Her eyes were shining. "Couldn't you teach us that language? Imagine the potential for worl pea-"
"AAAAAAAAARGHGH!"
Splat.
"Damn." Wiping soup out of his eyes, Germany glared at Korea who waved sadly at him from the bowl.
"Sorry," the Asian said, sounding far too cheerful. "Austria looked a little like China from behind and then the maiden warrior claimed I was trying to invade her beloved's vital regions..."
"I think you mean the Magyar warrior," Germany said and grudgingly helped him off the table. "There's not much maidenish about Hungary."
This caused a hastily choked snicker from his conversation partner. As Korea ran back to ensure his beloved big brother that he had no intentions of playing with anyone elses vital regions, Germany continued.
"As you can see, it doesn't always help that we speak the same language. Quite the opposite, sometimes. And now," he removed his jacket, "if you excuse me, I think my useless ally is about to be molested by France, so I must save him."
"Of course, please don't let me detain you," she said. "Although... have you ever given a thought to programming a computer with Old Babylonian?"
Germany stopped, considered the implications for a moment, and winced. "I really don't know if that is such a good idea. Though, if you are truly interested, run the idea by Estonia. And- Hey! HEY! Leave Italy alone, you degenerate!"
Re: Scattered upon the face of the Earth 2/2
anonymous
May 31 2009, 13:19:11 UTC
THIS. IS. WIN.
I swear I've never loved France as much as I do after reading this. XD Also, "Germany took a sip of wine and tried to remember how Prussia had explained it. Then he tried to forget all the cussing that had been involved in that explanation." is absolute love. You couldn't have pegged down their personalities any better (and the thought of Germany chucking a glass at France made me giggle like a doofus). Thank you for such a wonderful fill!
He turned towards her and smiled. It was rare to meet so many non-nations that were neither his own, nor about to do battle against him, but Germany was doing his best to be polite company this evening. He had been against Americas idea, but now that they had voted through the "Have a dinner and nice bonding experience with each other's humans to battle the global economy crisis" he would do the best of it.
A crash of dishes followed by an angry "Aiyaah!" made him wince. A shame certain nations had been raised on food horrible enough to chase all kinds of table manners from their souls.
"I just have to ask," she asked and hardly even glanced at the scene behind him, "how can you all speak all languages? It would be very useful in my line of work, you see."
Her smile widened and Germany noticed that she had rather pretty dimples. Not exactly what he had expected when he was told that his date for the evening was a British reporter.
"We don't."
"Really? But..." she turned openly to the fight now and Germany followed her gaze. He winced, things had certainly detoriated quickly.
Now Hungary was holding America in a headlock and cursing him out in Hungarian, probably related to the large sauce stain on hew dress. Meanwhile, Korea had shown up somehow - Germany was almost certain he'd been down at the other end of the table and he hadn't walked past, had he? - and was trying to get China to promise him a dance later that evening.
Austria was fluttering around Hungary and trying to get her to calm down, while France was yelling lewd comments about what America's position could be used for from down beyond Germany.
"Right now everyone is, ah, discussing in their own tongue," she said. "And yet, when you speak to me, I can understand things perfectly. And though French is not my strong side, I can even perfectly," she cocked her head and nodded hesitantly, "understand what your French counterpart is suggesting... oh my."
Germany blushed as France yelled out a very creative idea at that moment.
"One moment, please," he excused himself. Discarding the used plate as too messy, Germany picked up a rather solid-looking glass ornament from the table and took careful aim.
"FRANKREICH! Halt die Klappe!" he bellowed. When France turned towards him with an affronted look at his face, Germany let the ball of glass fly and watched in satisfaction as the blonde man shrieked and dove beneath the table.
"I'm sorry, where were we?" he asked.
"Were you trying to hit him, or...?" the woman asked. Since he had not forgotten that she was, actually, a journalist, he quickly assured her that he had only pranked a little with the Frenchman and that there had been no danger of him striking the other at all.
"Our language, yes, right." Germany took a sip of wine and tried to remember how Prussia had explained it. Then he tried to forget all the cussing that had been involved in that explanation.
"We are not, as you are surely aware, actually human," he began and watched her nod quickly. Good, she was in the know then.
"We are born from our mother soil and all know how to speak our the language of our kin from that moment on."
"You mean, those of us who live 'on' you?"
"Exactly. However, among ourselves, we also have another language and it is the one we use most often."
"Aha?"
"Right now, for instance, do you know what language I used to scold France with?"
"Why, German, of course." At his raised eyebrow she added, "I speak it, a little."
"Ah, that explains it. You expected me to speak German and so you heard that."
"Then what were you speaking?"
"Technically, I guess it could be called Old Babylonian. Though that might give you the wrong associations, because it is not the actual language of the kingdom Babylon."
"Then what-" Her eyes widened. "Are you refering to the Tower of Babylon?"
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"This is fascinating! But, just so I understand, was that the first nation? What about the flood?"
"I can't say," Germany admitted, "since not even China was around back then. As far as I know, all that can trace their lineage that far, were raised by descendants of Babylon. It is also likely that humans originated there, since they can understand us... when we speak Old Babylonian, that is. Most of the time, people don't even reflect on how come they can understand us so easily."
"This is amazing!" Her eyes were shining. "Couldn't you teach us that language? Imagine the potential for worl pea-"
"AAAAAAAAARGHGH!"
Splat.
"Damn." Wiping soup out of his eyes, Germany glared at Korea who waved sadly at him from the bowl.
"Sorry," the Asian said, sounding far too cheerful. "Austria looked a little like China from behind and then the maiden warrior claimed I was trying to invade her beloved's vital regions..."
"I think you mean the Magyar warrior," Germany said and grudgingly helped him off the table. "There's not much maidenish about Hungary."
This caused a hastily choked snicker from his conversation partner. As Korea ran back to ensure his beloved big brother that he had no intentions of playing with anyone elses vital regions, Germany continued.
"As you can see, it doesn't always help that we speak the same language. Quite the opposite, sometimes. And now," he removed his jacket, "if you excuse me, I think my useless ally is about to be molested by France, so I must save him."
"Of course, please don't let me detain you," she said. "Although... have you ever given a thought to programming a computer with Old Babylonian?"
Germany stopped, considered the implications for a moment, and winced. "I really don't know if that is such a good idea. Though, if you are truly interested, run the idea by Estonia. And- Hey! HEY! Leave Italy alone, you degenerate!"
- The end -
Tower of Babel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_babel
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Thank you kindly anon. :D
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I swear I've never loved France as much as I do after reading this. XD Also, "Germany took a sip of wine and tried to remember how Prussia had explained it. Then he tried to forget all the cussing that had been involved in that explanation." is absolute love. You couldn't have pegged down their personalities any better (and the thought of Germany chucking a glass at France made me giggle like a doofus). Thank you for such a wonderful fill!
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