latin tattoo

She came from Argentina, he was from Portland, Oregon. Her parents hated Americans, his were dead. Her name was Natalia, his, Ryan. There wasn't much to say, except that it was love at first sight. She'd entered his tattoo shop with such determination carved on her face that he'd been immediately entranced. A second person had come in after her, a man, and he'd almost glowered at the guy, but then she'd spoken, captivating him entirely with her innocent voice.

"Hello," she'd said with an accent and he'd smiled. "I want to do me a tattoo."

Ryan nodded, but the words she said, the way she spoke was so funny he barely stifled the urge to laugh. Her pronunciation was so cute; her accent was, too.

"Here my brother, but he no stay. He come back later." Then she addressed her sibling. "Mira. Si no hacés lo que te dije, te juro que mama se va a enterar de todas tus amiguitas, ¿me entendés?" The boy nodded, looking quite scared, and Ryan felt like cursing because he couldn't understand a word of what was being said. "Ahora," the girl said next with a threatening tone, "a ver si me has entendido. Vos te vas a ir y me vas a dejar a solas con este bombón, ¿está claro?"

"Si, pero sólo te quiero decir una cosa: sos una perra!"

"Haha, que chistoso sos vos. Eso significaria que vos también seas un perro. Al fin y al cabo somos hermanos, o no?"

The guy shrugged and showed her his tongue. A wave of relief washed over the young tattoo artist as he watched his no-longer-potential-rival leave the shop.

Natalia wanted the Kanji for 'Ai' tattoed on her shoulder. She'd been to Japan once, had instantly felt connected to it in a strange way, and felt that the Japanese symbol of love was the most appropriate to lie on her skin. Ryan understood that completely – for some reason he loved everything about Japan. Their conversations went on smoothly, even with her choppy English. She confessed she'd only wanted to have this tattoo done in order to get to know him – she'd been curious about his long, white hair. He told her he'd first dyed it that way at fourteen and had felt it was part of him ever since. She told him all about her overprotective parents, her prohibition of entertaining relations, not to mention friendships with any Americas, seeing as her mother hated them with a passion, reason unknown. Even this short trip to America had been won at a local contest, otherwise they would have never visited the states.

After finishing the tattoo, Ryan invited her for a coffee. She accepted, and returned the next day for another one. And the next. And the next, until she was to leave.

They had only two more days together and they'd already own up to their feelings: a young couple in love. However, fates were cruel on them, as they could never be together unless he moved to Argentina or she cut all ties with her family. She wouldn't do such a thing and he would never leave his business so easily. The nights they spent together were bittersweet; no words were requested, none were needed, so the only thing that enveloped them was the other's passion. They lay entwined in an array of tangled limbs, their hearts not yet ready to be torn.

But then she left and nothing would ever be ok again.

einehexe chuckles: I did it again, didn't I? Oh, you must so hate me, but I love Argentinian Spanish. It's part of me. It's actually the language closest to my soul :) Again, I felt like I had to write a chapter using it. I was thinking about writing a story in Spanish for a long time, but I don't know what's kept me from it. It's probably that I haven't had very 'Spanish-y' feelings in a long time, but I might just get in the mood. Now here's the translation:

o Mira. Si no hacés lo que te dije, te juro que mama se va a enterar de todas tus amiguitas, ¿me entendés? - Look, if you don't do as I say, I swear mom's gonna find out about your lady friends, understood?
o Ahora - Now
o a ver si me has entendido. Vos te vas a ir y me vas a dejar a solas con este bombón, ¿está claro? - Let's see if you understood me. You are going to go and you are going to leave me alone with this piece of hotness (I really don't know a better word for bombón), is it clear?
o Si, pero sólo te quiero decir una cosa: sos una perra! - Yes, but I only want to tell you something: you're a bitch
o Haha, que chistoso sos vos. Eso significaria que vos también seas un perro. Al fin y al cabo somos hermanos, o no? - Haha, how funny you are. That'd mean you were a dog. We're siblings after all, aren't we?