Languages

Date/Timing: 17 June 2006
Setting: Park near Gottlieb home; Berlin, Germany
.
== Revised text ==
The warm, strong breeze tickles.
Hermann's wings twitch.
He frowns, leans hard against the park bench he's using as a perch, squashing them to relative stillness. Even so, he hisses at the pinch.
「You well?」 calls Bastien from where he's spread-eagled on the grass, eyes closed against the bright sunlight.
「My back hurts a little.」
Bastien pushes up onto his elbows. 「Go home?」
「I want to finish this.」
Bastien thumbs up, flops down.
Hermann rolls his shoulders, touches pen to the daisy-covered paper resting on his Russian workbook.
- /Six flatmates?
That sounds positively /mental.
At least you'll have Vigsai and Rhys handy. (Did I understand correctly you'll be sharing a bedroom with Rhys? If so, that should keep you on your toes.)
Have you begun your job yet? I hope the planetarium is everything you suspect it will be. You certainly seem perfectly suited to guiding little ones through the universe.
As for me, I'm plodding through this last month of lectures. Programming is still a meditative exercise and, unfortunately, astrophysics continues to be uninspiring. What /is it about this city that's sapping my desire for the stars? It's clearly /this city, as Manchester didn't dampen my feelings and Glasgow has no effect on yours.
Maybe it's because Berlin is my father's city, Glasgow is yours, and Manchester was /ours.
In 357 days, perhaps it will be ours again. -
Bastien sneezes.
「Bless you.」
「What?」 He sneezes again.
「Bless you.」
「I don't understand.」
„Bless you.“
„Oh.“ Bastien snuffs. 「Thank you.」
「You're welcome.」
- (I heave a sigh.)
My summer is shaping up much like my post-holiday break, with intensive language study and reading ahead for my fall courses. The most notable change is Father has granted Bastien permission to join me in my Japanese lessons during his summer break, where they don't conflict with the summer courses he /insists Bastien take. 
I have a feeling Bastien will run away to Japan as soon as he's able. He's positively /obsessed with the place.
Rather like his brother and Great Britain, I suppose.
I have to close before Father comes looking for us.
My regards to your family and friends.
357!
All my love,
Hermann -
He carefully tri-folds the paper, slides it into a matching envelope, already addressed and stamped.
「Bunny.」
「Brother.」
「Time to go.」
Bastien groans, sits up, stretches his arms over his head.
Hermann pushes to his feet, straightens his jumper, tucks his textbook under his arm.
Bastien hauls himself to his feet, brushes grass off his backside.
「Ready?」 asks Hermann.
「Yes,」 sighs Bastien.
They leave the park and trudge toward home, with the barest pause at the post box to drop off the letter.
.
== Original text ==
The warm, strong breeze tickles.
Hermann's wings twitch.
He frowns, leans hard against the park bench he's using as a perch, squashing them to relative stillness. Even so, he hisses at the pinch.
「You well?」 calls Bastien from where he's spread-eagled on the grass, eyes closed against the bright sunlight.
「My back hurts a little.」
Bastien pushes up onto his elbows. 「Go back?」
「I want to finish this.」
Bastien thumbs up, flops back.
Hermann rolls his shoulders, touches pen to the daisy-covered paper resting on his Russian textbook.
- /Six flatmates?
That sounds positively /mental.
At least you'll have Vigsai and Rhys handy. (Did I understand correctly you'll be sharing a bedroom with Rhys? If so, that should keep you on your toes.)
Have you begun your job yet? I hope the planetarium is everything you hope for. You certainly seem perfectly suited for guiding little ones through the universe.
As for me, I've decided (and Father has kindly allowed me) to spend the summer working on my languages: Russian three days a week, Japanese and French one day each. I'd add Gaelic, but I haven't been able to locate a proper tutor.
Agus mar sin tha e a 'dol, yea?
Happily, summer studies means I should be able to finish my programme ahead of my cohort and get back to Britain and you.
/Unhappily, Father /insists Bastien take summer courses as well. He's off to a full-day, intensive chemistry camp starting next Monday, leaving me alone in the house from morning until evening.
Not that it will give me any freedom, as Father has made a pointed habit of returning at odd times.
Bastien's unhappy with it, too, since he's been sitting in on my Japanese lessons and enjoying them. I'm getting the feeling he'll run away to Japan as soon as he's able. He's positively /obsessed with the place.
Rather like his brother and Great Britain, I suppose.
I have to close before I'm late meeting Dr Mercier for today's lesson.
My regards to your family.
368!
All my love,
Hermann -
He carefully tri-folds the paper, slides it into a matching envelope.
「Bunny.」
「Brother.」
「Time to go.」
Bastien groans, sits up, stretches his arms over his head.
Hermann pushes to his feet, straightens his jumper, tucks his textbook under his arm.
Bastien heaves himself to his feet, brushes grass off his backside, sticks out his hand.
Hermann hands over the note; Bastien slips it in a pocket.
They sigh together and trudge toward home.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Edan (mention)
Category:Vigsai (mention)
Category:Rhys (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Conversations via snail mail
Category:Ficlets with images