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 Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:19 pm
"Ah, thank you," Efi said, giving the braid a quick inspection and sighing happily. It felt and looked much better for the attention. He leaned against the seat, really relaxing for the first time since he'd woken up to find a baby in his care. He'd been expecting it, but not really certain what to expect.
Tosa parroted back sound from both languages with equal ease; he was not yet old enough to have lost the flexibility of palate required to learn more than one language.
Efi, on the other hand, blinked at the switching, angling his ears to try to catch the unfamiliar words.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:22 pm
"We speak both Japanese and English in this house," Shiromaru explained when he saw Efi trying to hear the words. "If you want, we could help teach Tosa how to speak Japanese, too."
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:34 pm
"I'm sure he'll pick some up, so he may as well learn it," Efi replied, faintly bemused. "I'm not bilingual," he admitted.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:43 pm
Leaning forward, Shiro draped his arms loosely over Efios' shoulders in a friendly, familiar fashion, grinning as he watched the children. Etain was very patiently trying to teach Tosa how to say 'neechan.' "I could teach you as well, if you like," he offered quietly.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:46 pm
Efi jumped slightly, ears flicking back with surprise then returning to their usual position. "I wouldn't mind, if you could be patient with my slow self," he answered, nodding thoughtfully. "I've never been as good with languages."
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:50 pm
"Of course! It's easier if you're right-brained... If this bothers you, Efi, just tell me. I'm like this with all my friends," Shiro added, his tone almost worried.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:57 pm
"Rather than light on brains?" Efi quipped back. He shook his head, careful of the point of his horn. "No, you only startled me," he answered.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:10 pm
Plunking his chin down atop Efi's head, Shiro just grinned. "You're not light on brains," he informed the yuniko.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:15 pm
"Solid stone's fairly heavy, you're right," Efi snorted, watching Tosa waving his hands around and doing his best to produce syllables like Etain's. The baby's lack of proper teeth was hampering him to a certain extent, but he was certainly trying.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:36 pm
Knuckles lightly rapped on Efios' head, and the water demon snorted. "That word she's trying to teach him, 'neechan,' is 'big sister,' by the way." If Shiromaru was going to teach, then he could start immediately!
Etain, enthralled, beamed at Tosa, then cast about and picked up a pencil. "Enpitsu," she announced. "Pencil."
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:45 pm
"Nee-chan." Efios sounded out the unfamiliar word, testing it clumsily. "What would 'brother' be?" he asked curiously.
"Pppppppp," Tosa said. Pleased with the sound, he did it again, then aded, "Ts!"
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:56 pm
Etain giggled, repeating the word more slowly. "En... pi... tsu. Almost there!"
"Well, 'onee' is big sister, and 'onii' is big brother. 'Imouto' is little sister, and 'otouto' is little brother. The 'chan' is a diminutive," Shiro explained. "Mother is 'okaa' and father is 'otou'. So, instead of Papa, Etain might call me 'tousan'. The 'o' is a sort of honorific as well."
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:05 pm
"Ppp-tsss-blblblblblb," Tosa said, the last part coming out with extra spit.
"Too much at once," Efios protested. "I think I need to be taking notes here. Is there going to be a quiz, teacher?" He grinned impishly.
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:13 pm
Grabbing a hanky out of her pocket, Etain dutifully cleaned Tosa's mouth up. Slobbery baby!
Laughing, Shiro hugged Efios' shoulders. "Call me 'sensei'. And no, no quizzes, don't worry."
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:32 pm
Tosa tried to grab the hanky. He could bite that!
"Thank you, Etain," Efi smiled, before chuckling at Shiro. "Yes, sensei," he answered. "Good thing. I was always terrible at quizzes. Stare at the page, and my mind goes blank."
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