(no subject)

[charring]

[headphones in, practicing Mandarin.] Ni hao.

Comments

[tts]

[ After some typing into his phone, a computerized voice says: ]

Ni hao ma.

[charring]

[Charlie has the volume low enough to have heard that so she looks up with a half-grin (seriously this is the biggest smile the girl has).]

Hao, xiexie. [And then a slightly worried wince. Does she have this right?]

[tts]

[ More typing... ]

You speak Mandarin?

[charring]

Uh...[She turns a bit red, hunching her shoulders some.] That's the extent of what I know. I only just started learning today.

[tts]

[ Typety type type. ]

Your pronunciation is good for a beginner. But what can I say? I barely know it myself. Do you speak any other languages?

[charring]

French and Spanish. The boring stuff people learn in high school.

[...not that she actually went.] But it's all self taught, so it's probably bad.

[tts]

[ Smiling, he does some more typing on his phone. This time, the voice is different, more suited to the language. ]

Hola, me llamo Ken.

[charring]

Oh, that's cool. [Charlie's half-grinning again, almost laughing as she looks from Ken to the device.]

Me llamo Charlie. [Now she's looking at the device again.] That's probably the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[tts]

[ It's your ordinary, every day iPhone 5, just with his own special software on it. ]

Thanks. It's how I talk.

[charring]

You're welcome. [It's still pretty awesome. But then, she gives him a semi-curious look.] How you talk?

[tts]

I have no tongue. Long story.

[charring]

Ah. [With the way this is said, that simple word probably suggests she has a long story, too. So she doesn't pry.]

I'm glad you have it. [That...might be a bigger smile than before.] Otherwise, I'd be bored silly with no one to talk to.

[tts]

[ He smiles back. It's always better when they don't ask or throw him pity, and she doesn't look like she will. ]

I interrupted you in the first place.

[charring]

I wasn't really focusing, anyway. I needed a break. It's probably the fifth time I've listened to that particular podcast and I'm still not getting tones right. So, thanks. I appreciate the interruption, Ken.

[tts]

[ He nods. ] Tones are hard. I'm having trouble programming them into the software.

Anyway, coffee?