Poisoned Soil: Sister Tongue

Poisoned Soil — entry VIII. Strategy in Common, pressure in Japanese.

The meeting had ended an hour ago. The basement still held the after-pressure of too many decisions and insufficient sleep.

Shiya remained because systems were still settling. Hiyori remained to inspect load-bearing points after everyone else had mistaken the meeting for over.

「ギスは構造こうぞう を引ひ き延の ばしている。」 — Gis is stretching the structure.

「勇敢ゆうかん に。」 — Bravely.

「それはたいてい、高たか くつくという意味いみ でもある。」 — That is often another word for expensively.

They used Common for logistics until Hiyori said Reyneese’s name.

That was when the language changed. Not dramatically. The way a blade changes angle.

「彼女かのじょ は盤面ばんめん に乗の せるには柔やわ らかすぎる。」 — She is too soft to place on the board directly.

「柔やわ らかいんじゃない。しなやかなだけ。」 — Not soft. Flexible.

Hiyori conceded the precision.

In Common, people defaulted to kind and missed the structure. Japanese put the distinction exactly where it belonged.

「それでも、中心ちゅうしん に近ちか づきすぎると、全体ぜんたい の判断はんだん が鈍にぶ る。」 — Even so, if she gets too near the center, judgment across the structure dulls.

“You mean people become protective,” Shiya said in Common.

“I mean systems become compromised.”

“You mean people.”

“I said what I meant.”

「人ひと を勘定かんじょう に入い れない構造こうぞう は、最初さいしょ から欠陥けっかん よ。」 — Any structure that does not account for people is defective from the beginning.

Hiyori’s eyes flashed. Approval and irritation were roommates in her.

“When we do this,” Hiyori said, “the room changes.”

「皆みな 、私わたし たちが正確せいかく でいることに気き づくから。」 — Because everyone can tell we are being exact.

「秘密ひみつ というより、橋はし ね。」 — Less a secret than a bridge.

「橋はし であり、境界きょうかい でもある。」 — A bridge. And also a border.

“We will need both,” Hiyori said.

「同おな じ言葉ことば を話はな すことと、同おな じ場所ばしょ に立た つことは違ちが う。でも、橋はし は必要ひつよう よ。」 — Speaking the same language is not standing in the same place. But the bridge is still necessary.