Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 082: If
Title: Babel
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji
Prompt: 082: If
Word Count: 457
Rating: G
Summary: A lifelong passion born from an odd quirk.
Author's Notes: Setting the stage for another story arc here…plus I think Shinji would have a bit of an affinity for language.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was no secret to anyone that Shinji talked, and often. It was rare to find Shinji completely silent, and if he was, it meant that something was very wrong. Usually, if he wasn’t offering a running commentary on whatever activity was going on, then he was mumbling to himself on any variety of topics. This was basic general knowledge, kind of like everyone knows that the sky is blue and that the sun rises in the east.
What few people knew, though, was that Shinji’s mutterings were not always in Japanese. He was fascinated with language and languages, and in his desire to know more, he had taught himself Cantonese by eighth grade. His English grades had always been the highest in the school, and his friendship with Echizen Ryoma had only served to strengthen his fluency. On top of his growing English proficiency, sometime in ninth grade, Shinji decided that he needed to know Spanish and Greek, and started to teach himself those, as well.
When it came time for high school entrance exams, Shinji was one of the few people who wasn’t bemoaning the fact that Fudomine did not have an affiliated high school. All of Shinji’s exams were for schools that had strong language departments, and when he got into his first choice, he was thrilled. (The fact that five of his friends, Kamio included, were also going to that school made it even better.) Along with tennis and required classes, Shinji took as many language electives as possible, doubling, and in one case, tripling up, as well as continuing his private studies. By high school graduation, Shinji was fluent or functional in English, Cantonese, Spanish, Greek, French, Korean, and elementary German.
Shinji had never had any doubt that whatever he studied in university, language would be involved. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would do with it, but Shinji was certain that would become clear in time.
Even in his loneliest moments, Shinji had languages to keep him company. When the world got to be too much for him, too cruel, the languages were always there to retreat into. Sometimes, Shinji wondered if maybe, just possibly, if he had put all of his words aside, if maybe he would’ve been less lonely, but Shinji also couldn’t say that he completely minded the tradeoff.
The words couldn’t touch him, but they couldn’t hurt him, either. The words couldn’t interact with Shinji, but they could still talk to him all the same. The words didn’t leave him, or make him feel like he was less than anyone or anything else.
And for that, Shinji was more than willing to bury himself in a new language and learn the joy of words all over again.
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji
Prompt: 082: If
Word Count: 457
Rating: G
Summary: A lifelong passion born from an odd quirk.
Author's Notes: Setting the stage for another story arc here…plus I think Shinji would have a bit of an affinity for language.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was no secret to anyone that Shinji talked, and often. It was rare to find Shinji completely silent, and if he was, it meant that something was very wrong. Usually, if he wasn’t offering a running commentary on whatever activity was going on, then he was mumbling to himself on any variety of topics. This was basic general knowledge, kind of like everyone knows that the sky is blue and that the sun rises in the east.
What few people knew, though, was that Shinji’s mutterings were not always in Japanese. He was fascinated with language and languages, and in his desire to know more, he had taught himself Cantonese by eighth grade. His English grades had always been the highest in the school, and his friendship with Echizen Ryoma had only served to strengthen his fluency. On top of his growing English proficiency, sometime in ninth grade, Shinji decided that he needed to know Spanish and Greek, and started to teach himself those, as well.
When it came time for high school entrance exams, Shinji was one of the few people who wasn’t bemoaning the fact that Fudomine did not have an affiliated high school. All of Shinji’s exams were for schools that had strong language departments, and when he got into his first choice, he was thrilled. (The fact that five of his friends, Kamio included, were also going to that school made it even better.) Along with tennis and required classes, Shinji took as many language electives as possible, doubling, and in one case, tripling up, as well as continuing his private studies. By high school graduation, Shinji was fluent or functional in English, Cantonese, Spanish, Greek, French, Korean, and elementary German.
Shinji had never had any doubt that whatever he studied in university, language would be involved. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would do with it, but Shinji was certain that would become clear in time.
Even in his loneliest moments, Shinji had languages to keep him company. When the world got to be too much for him, too cruel, the languages were always there to retreat into. Sometimes, Shinji wondered if maybe, just possibly, if he had put all of his words aside, if maybe he would’ve been less lonely, but Shinji also couldn’t say that he completely minded the tradeoff.
The words couldn’t touch him, but they couldn’t hurt him, either. The words couldn’t interact with Shinji, but they could still talk to him all the same. The words didn’t leave him, or make him feel like he was less than anyone or anything else.
And for that, Shinji was more than willing to bury himself in a new language and learn the joy of words all over again.
--The End--