monaboyd | Straight Translators, Chapter Six

Title: Straight Translators
Author:

red_moon_rising (or Cai)
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Yes, please.
Note #1: I don’t do sushi, just so you all know. The information in here about sushi was found thanks to google, because google is a wonderful thing. *laughs* The same rules apply to the sushi stuff as applied to the German and the Gaelic (though the German doesn’t make much of an appearance in this chapter and there’s no Gaelic at all). Translations at the bottom and don’t believe what you read here is the real thing, because it’s not.
Note #2: Thanks go to

arabella_o for the beta, because she's wonderful like that.

Sorry! I forgot to put in the link to my memories so new readers might find all the chapters. *headdesk* Here is where to go to find all the chapters.

Billy waited until he was sure that Dominic had left the room before creeping down the hallway to the bedroom. He knew there was something else going on with whatever Dom had written on the scrap of paper, and he meant to find out what it was.

He bent down, searching the floor for the balled up bit of yellow paper. Billy finally found it behind the nightstand. He straightened it out, folded it neatly down the middle while trying to work out some of the creases Dom had made, and stuck it in his pocket.

When he stepped out into the living room, Dom was on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, remote control in hand, flipping through the channels on the TV. He stopped at The Food Network and just stared at whatever the woman on the screen was making with the rapt attention of one who was truly hungry. Billy thought the concoction looked like chicken. His stomach rumbled. He looked down, then back up, just in time to catch Dom watching him.

He shrugged, saying, “Didn’t have much for breakfast. You ate my bacon, the eggs were inedible, and you spilled my juice.”

“We could go out for some lunch,” Dom suggested, turning back to the television for a moment.

Billy glanced from Dom’s face to the TV and then back again, asking, “Are you ogling that woman’s breasts?” He could’ve slapped himself for the question.

“No, ogling the chicken. Looks good, even with all that green stuff on it…”

“Oh. Well, if you’d like to go to lunch, that’s fine. You’re paying.”

“But you ate my food this morning!”

“No, you ate your food this morning. I sipped your juice. And then you tipped it over.”

“Fine. I’ll pay.”

“Good. Where are my shoes?”

“Bedroom, near the end of the bed. Check under the comforter on the floor if you can’t see them,” Dom said, turning his gaze back toward the television.

While Billy was half under the bed, the comforter flung back over his legs, searching for his missing shoes he heard the shrill ringing of Dom’s phone. Dom yelled “I’ve got it,” picked up the receiver, and started talking, so Billy didn’t bother worrying about who was calling. Once he’d found his shoes and gotten them on his feet he went back into the living room. Dom was still on the phone and Billy caught the tail end of the conversation.

“Yeah, sure. We’ll meet you there.”

Billy arched his eyebrows as Dom switched the phone off. Dom answered his unspoken question with, “Viggo wanted to get some lunch. He suggested that new sushi place. I told him we’d meet him there.”

“Alright, then. Ready to go?”

“Whenever you are.”

“Let’s go,” Billy said over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

“Hey, you! Wait just one fucking minute,” Dom yelled back, scrambling to turn off the television and get his shoes. His only reply was Billy’s lilting laughter coming from somewhere down the hall.

“Hello, Dominic, Billy. It’s good to see you both. How are you two doing?” Viggo’s voice was quiet, gentle, and his smile was sincere.

“Hey Vig. Everything’s great. And how’ve things been with you?” Dom’s reply was quick, right, typical.

Billy repressed the urge to snort and roll his eyes. Instead he grinned and shook his head, pretending he was going to thump Dom over the head for answering for him. Viggo laughed and waved for them to sit at the table.

“Things have been going very well. I finished Hidalgo a month or so ago and everything’s been a whirlwind,” Vig answered just as the waiter came over to take their order. “If you two don’t mind, I’ll just order for all of us. I’ve been here a few times…”

He ordered the ayu, the ebi,, the hirame, and some kani. It wasn’t until after the waiter had left that Billy leaned over and stage whispered, “What, exactly, did you just order?”

Viggo laughed. “Nothing you won’t like,” Viggo assured him before continuing, “Though when the waiter comes back I’m tempted to order some kaibashira.” At Billy’s look of mock horror Vig just chuckled.

They were just finishing the ebi, which turned out to be boiled shrimp, when Viggo looked up at Billy and asked, “So how’s Ali? It’s been a while since I last saw her.”

Billy choked on the wasabi.

His face turned bright red while Dom pounded him on the back. When he could finally speak without wheezing Billy answered, “Fine.”

Even he could tell it was a weak reply.

Dom was staring at the table, studiously not looking at Billy, when he said, “I’ve got to make a run to the loo. I’ll be right back.”

Viggo stared at Dominic’s retreating back for a moment before turning to Billy and arching an eyebrow.

“What?” Billy’s voice cracked a bit and he coughed.

Viggo just continued looking at him.

“What?”

“What was all that about?” The older man’s voice was quiet, calm, and all Billy wanted was to tell him about all his problems. In truth, he couldn't figure out why he didn't want to talk about it. But he didn't. So he wasn't going to.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

Viggo just nodded and picked up a shrimp. He dipped it in the soy sauce and the wasabi before putting it in his mouth and chewing nostalgically.

“Nothing,” Billy muttered again, stabbing a bit of ebi rather viciously with his fork.

“I believe you,” Viggo replied, his eyes tracking back toward the hallway that led to the restrooms.

“No you don’t,” Billy accused, laying his fork down and pulling the piece of crumpled yellow paper from his pocket. “And you’re right not to. I’ve been bothered a bit by this. I thought it was a joke, something Dom just did because he was drunk, but then he acted so oddly this morning when I told him about it. The only problem is I can’t read it, and even if I could I wouldn’t know what it said. German.”

Billy inhaled as Viggo reached out and took the paper from him. He spread it out on the table, smoothing the creases, and scanned the illegible writing for a moment before saying, “Do you have a pen I could borrow?”

Billy blinked for a second before digging in his coat pocket and handing Viggo a pen. Vig stared at the paper for a little while longer, then began writing neatly below the chicken scratch. When he was finished he handed the pen and the paper back to Billy and smiled. Billy looked at what he’d written and then at what was scrawled above it, now able to see the letters a bit more clearly.

Ich liebe dich.

“Oh. Do you know what it means?”

“I’ve an idea, but it’s not for me to say.”

Billy sighed and folded the paper back up, putting it carefully in his pocket before asking, “Is it really that bad, then? What did he do, insult my mother?”

Viggo just shook his head and smiled gently, saying, “Oh, nothing like that. Did you try looking online for a translation?”

“Well, yes, but I didn’t have anything like what you’ve written. Got something about ‘I live fat,’” Billy replied, barely containing his irritation.

“Oh. Well, I’d suggest using dictionary.com’s translator. It’s not completely accurate, no online translator is, but it will get you what you need,” Viggo said, gaze sliding back toward the hall to the bathrooms. “And here comes Mr. Monaghan himself.”

Billy stiffened a little, not sure whether Dominic had heard the conversation, but Viggo just waved his chop sticks about in the air and exclaimed, “Brilliant!”

Billy just stared for a moment before he began shaking his head. Viggo’s eyes glinted in the evening light as he put his chop sticks on his plate and took a sip of his Asahi.

Dominic grinned at them, sat down, and predictably asked what was so funny.

Viggo waved his glass in the air and replied, “Billy was just explaining to me how—“

“Ali left me.” His quiet declaration made both Dom and Viggo freeze, but Billy just reached for his own glass of Asahi and finished it off in a few gulps.

It took him a moment to realize that “Ali left me” wan’t exactly something Viggo would’ve been saying “brilliant” to, so he set his glass down and continued, “But that’s not what Viggo was talking about.”

Dom settled into his seat with a thud and reached for his own glass, declaring, “That, my friend, is as good a reason as any to get well and truly smashed.”

Translations (for those of us who also don’t do sushi):

Sushi:
ayu – sweetfish
ebi – boiled shrimp
hirame – flounder
kani – crab
kaibashira – eye of scallop or shellfish valve muscles (now what, exactly, that is, I’ve not a clue…but you’d never catch me with that anywhere near my mouth…O.o)
wasabi – Japanese horseradish (very spicy, evidently)
Asahi – Japanese beer

German:
Ich liebe dich – I love you.

Chapter Seven is at the beta's, though the beta isn't there to beta yet. *grins* Work on Chapter Eight has yet to begin, as I actually do have German homework to do tonight, so that will need to get done and then Chapter Eight will begin. Joy. ;-)

~Cai

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Sand In My Shoes - by Dido

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Date: 2004-03-03 06:32 pm (UTC)

From:

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags