|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:48 pm
"Oui, je parle français. Mon oncle, Asmadai, m'enseigne parce qu'il ne veut pas que je soit un idiot inculte, et aussi parce que sa première langue est Français. Le mien est français, aussi," she said, a great deal more eloquently than she spoke in English. Asimov even conjugated her verbs correctly, which was quite incongruous with her speech in what seemed to be her native tounge. But she shook her head at the Russian. "Non, je ne parle pas. Mais, je parle français!"
Xavier simply looked very confused now, as his daughter popped up again. He didn't even bother to try and grab her.
"J'apprends l'italien, aussi," she continued. "L'italien d'etude est tres amusement."
(Yes, I speak French. My uncle Asmadai teaches me because he doesn't want me to be an uneducated idiot, and also because his first language was French. Mine is French, too.
No, I don't speak that, but I speak French!
I'm also learning Italian. Learning Italian is very fun!)
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:50 am
Alexandre clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes in harsh appraisal of this brightly-colored child. "(But you understand Russian?)" he said, letting a bit of his Smodrinan street accent slip into his Russian.
Grigorii was as confused as Xavier, even though he understood most of the conversation. "Капита́н?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:36 am
"Only a little," Asimov said in French. "I know when people are asking if I understand!" She smiled brightly. It was quite clear she hadn't understood the first thing Alexandre had said, and that people asking if she understood Russian was as far as her linguistic abilities went in that language. "I think I can say 'no'," she added uncertainly. "Нет?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:56 am
Alexandre wanted to say something inappropriate in Smotra, but given it was a mix of languages Asimov knew he resisted the temptation. "You have a very interesting daughter," said Alexandre impassively to Xavier. He leaned back and stretched his arms over the back of the bench, letting his right hand dangle almost protectively in front of Grigorii. The move confused Grigorii and he froze, which was exactly as Alexandre intended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:27 pm
"Er, thank you," Xavier said, entirely unsure if that was a compliment or an insult. His usual next line- It's not my fault- didn't make it past a vague urge this time. It somehow seemed inappropriate.
Asimov tilted her head. "Are we done talkin'n French now? 'cause that was fun, lotsa fun."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:56 pm
"Да," said Alexandre flatly, without the faintest hint of amusement. He hardly wanted to encourage Asimov. She was a pest by his standards, even more so because she spoke French. Alexandre had nothing against the language -- it was the tongue of his mother and his wife -- but for him it was a tool to be used around people who did not speak it, a method of openly secret conversation. Even on Smodrina, where a considerable proportion of the populace had French ancestry, he had been able to use it in such a manner because the majority of the population spoke only Russian and Standard.
Alexandre slid his hand down and ruffled Grigorii's hair in apparent affection. Grigorii was surprised further, not quite understanding the sudden change in Alexandre's behavior, but not knowing what to do about it. He sat quietly and tolerated the motion in a very good impression of a small child-shaped statue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:08 pm
She sighed, disappointed, and took the time to chew on a lock of her hair. It seemed to her like the poor green kid lived a fairly joyless existence, with a dad like he had. Hopefully his mama was a lot more fun, because he'd need it. If she had a language with which to secretly give Grigorii advice- but when had that ever stopped her, others knowing what she was saying.
"When my daddy decides to ac- acknow- eh..." Asimov paused over the word. "When he notices I'm alive," she started again, "it's fun to cling, 'cause then sometimes they feel all guilty but I don't really think he will 'cause I think he's-"
"-That's quite enough, Asimov." Xavier stood, clamping one hand over his daughter's mouth in such a fashion as she could not bite. "I think Alice will be quite eager to find out where you've gone. And maybe you can get Asmadai to teach you somethi-" She put all her weight on his hand, so it fell.
"-stupide," Asimov said darkly, "âne stupide." By the way Xavier went pale, he knew exactly what she had said. His jaw worked, but he didn't seem to be able to process conscious thought enough to work up a response.
[Stupid, stupid a**, says Asi!]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:29 pm
"Grigorii," said Alexandre sharply, the searing edge of his words directed squarely at Asimov, "you would do best not to use such poor language around Sylvia." With that said, Alexandre swept his arm down around Grigorii, picking the boy up and standing in the same motion. He placed Grigorii back down on the ground next to him momentarily, just to brush off his pants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:01 pm
"In-indeed," Xavier stammered, while Asimov made a face. "Where did you hear that?" He had a very harsh whisper, and it showed; his daughter flinched backwards slightly. "It wasn't from Asmadai, the man's a priest, for crying out loud-"
Asimov stomped on his foot, hard. "Yeah, well both of you have sticks up where the sun don't shine! Mama Aurelius said!" Xavier had a dawning look of comprehension on his face, as if he knew who had been teaching the rainbow-haired child to curse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:03 am
Stony-faced, Alexandre had totally run out of patience for Asimov, but like most of his emotions, he hid it behind dispassion. He leaned down next to Grigorii, said a quiet "up" into the little Illusionary's ear, and plucked Grigorii from the ground as if the boy weighed little more than a feather. He delicately draped Grigorii across his shoulders, holding his arms steady a long moment as Grigorii tried to figure out how exactly to sit on a person's shoulders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:20 pm
Unfortunately for Alexandre and Grigorii, Asimov had not run out of patience for them. Actually, it annoyed her that they would attempt to leave without her permission, so she made to grab a hold of a fold of Alexandre's cape. She fully intended to give it a swift tug, as she usually did with her father's jacket; usually, that annoyed Xavier so much he stopped and took the time to lecture her on proper decorum. Though she didn't have such hopes for Alexandre's reaction, she knew she'd at least get him to hold still for a minute. And that was really all she needed, because she was fairly sure she could come up with something to get him to stop (even if she had to resort to something illegal to do it).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:26 pm
This was never a good tactic to use on Alexandre, for like most officers, he despised people pulling on his cape. It was the utmost in insult to military ceremony, not to mention the height of bad manners on Smodrina. With one hand steadying Grigorii, Alexandre reached down and yanked his cape free without even the slightest flicker of acknowledgment on his face. He might have gotten the cape caught in a door for all the notice he gave Asimov's existence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:11 pm
Asimov lurched forward, into one of Xavier's outstretched arm. "I'm sorry," he said abruptly, picking up the child and ignoring her teeth as she bit him. "She really doesn't know any manners." With that, he dragged the girl away. It really was shameful the way she went on. He didn't know why he put up with it...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
