Translation: A Foreigner Was Here

Spoilers: The Counteragent

Author: GataFairy (the cat fairy)

Contact: See my profile

Genre: Humor

Rating: PG, just in case (I'm never sure, am I?)

Archiving: Sure. ^_^ Let me know where, 'kay?

Disclaimer: I don't own this world of sheer awesomeness.

AN:
Um…was I the only one who noticed Sydney's humongous accent when speaking Japanese? Yeah. Thought so… Err… Anyway. I checked out transcripts for translations to the longer Japanese sentences spoken, but could only find "speaks Japanese." *mutters things* I mean, I understand a bit, but, dang… We really could've used subtitles there!! *shuts up suddenly*

There was a gaijin (1) here yesterday.

It wasn't all too easy to tell at first glance. Her kimono was beautiful, I remember, and since we wear so much face make-up it's not very easy to tell who's who. But now that I think about it, her facial features were very Western. Also of note is that she did not return today, and that she was new to begin with.

How very odd…

I suppose I should be more specific. It might help improve my memory.

Takahashi (2) was helping me prepare for a massage I would be giving an older man, who happened to be Western. We actually began doing this together, but later on she left to complete another assigned task of hers.

Now, Takahashi is a very observant person. If my assumptions are correct, she might have run into the gaijin on her way out. Then again, it was just wishful thinking of mine, as I was proven wrong about this earlier today.

Oh, right. The details.

Yes. Well, I continued going about the man's massage after Takahashi left when suddenly I heard the footsteps of feet clad in wooden shoes up the small set of steps leading to the room the man and I were in. I tried not to divert my eyes from the task at hand and so caught a glimpse of intense fuschia-pink. It was only until she came up to me and spoke that I could truly see who she was.

Now that I remember properly, I had noticed that her Japanese was rather off. Actually, it was very off pronunciation-wise. There was a very heavy accent to it — English, I think. Well, her r’s and vowel sounds were something that instantly gave her away. But I didn't simply say so. It would have been inappropriate.

And so I left the man with her. At the time I didn't think anything would go wrong.

But then, a while later, the gaijin's voice rang out, asking for quick assistance.(3) After the man was taken away to the hospital, she disappeared (so to speak). Just like that.

After the incident, I began wondering if maybe it was my fault. After all, all the signs were there — the slightly awkward walk, the clearly evident accent, the obvious difference in facial features…

Takahashi said she didn't run into her yesterday. That's too bad. She might have been able to help me formulate some sort of accusation against the gaijin. Although I believe I'm getting extreme if I'm thinking like that! It was just an accident or something… right? Well, Takahashi said that maybe she got really nervous since she was new. I like to think that was the case. Maybe that explains why she never came back. Poor thing.

Still, I wonder how she got in in the first place. The pieces just don't seem to fall into place…

Oh, well. Wow. It's almost sunset. Time to go to the shrine and watch the sun disappear for the day.

Fin

(1) gaijin — foreigner
(2) Takahashi — that would be a family name
(3) okay, so I only understood "hayaku" (quickly/fast[ly]), but it's obvious she was asking for help

AN: Ignorance is bliss, but writing for someone completely in the dark is not. (Which explains how bad this was. *sigh* ^_^)