1st Memory ~ [Accidental Dictation]

[deltacain]

[There's the sound of a pen scratching, and a man humming softly to a, probably unknown, tune.

The next minute, however, comes the lyrics. Sung softly, as if to a child a parent wants to calm down and go to sleep.]

Một đàn chim trắng sắp hình chữ « v »
Buoi chiều tan học, cùng nhau bay về
Ôi nhớ về đây, các con đi đâu,
Ôi đàn chim trắng bay về mau mau,
Ôi đàn chim trắng bay về mau mau.

Một đàn chim trắng sắp hình chữ « v »
Buoi chiều tan học, cùng nhau bay về
Ôi nhớ về đây, bé chắng đi chỏi,
Không nhủ chim trắng la đà khắp nỏi
Không nhủ chim trắng la đà khắp nỏi

[As soon as it starts, the singing ends, the pen being the only sound. Looks like the owner of the voice isn't aware of what he does. He goes back to humming the melody again.]

((OOC: The song is a Vietnamese children's song about a flock of white birds. Source.))

Comments

[deductiongeek]

Vietnamese? [Conan could recognize the language, though it wasn't one of the ones he spoke.]

[deltacain]

[There's a pause in the scratching of the pen as David looks over to the journal and sees the script of the Vietnamese song scrawled over the page.

He stares at it for a long moment before answering.]

Yeah. You know it?

[deductiongeek]

I know what it sounds like!. I only speak English and Japanese. [Fluently, anyway.]

[deltacain]

How old are you?

[Because he sounds pretty young. Knowing two languages would be an achievement at that age.]

[deductiongeek]

Seven. [Seventeen]

[deltacain]

And you know Japanese and English? Fluently?

[deductiongeek]

Of course! My parents are in America, and I used to live with them.

[deltacain]

Really? How long were you in America?

[It's habit, asking questions.]

[deductiongeek]

A while! [Because a kid wouldn't remember that well.]

But I was in Japan for a year before I ended up here.

[deltacain]

So you're fluent in both?

[deductiongeek]

Well enough to translate.

[deltacain]

Pretty impressive.

[deductiongeek]

Not really. Lots of kids learn English.

/researched this

[deltacain]

In Japan? Only at late high-school levels where I'm from.

XD

[deductiongeek]

Its a required class in school. And some kids start learning even before Elelmentary.

[deltacain]

..What year are you from?

[deductiongeek]

It was 1994.

[deltacain]

...That explains it.

[deductiongeek]

Explains what?

[deltacain]

It was 1985 when I left.

[deductiongeek]

That explains some things.

[deltacain]

I also don't know that much about Modern Japan, admittedly.

[deductiongeek]

You're from America, right?

[deltacain]

Yeah. Maine. I teach Oriental Studies in a university there.

[deductiongeek]

Oh? That's in the north of America, isn't it?

[deltacain]

Yeah. It is. Pretty nice, quiet. Get to get a lot of reading done.

[deductiongeek]

What kind of books do you like?

[deltacain]

History, mostly. But I'll read anything I can get my hands on.

[silentrunning]

[Chell's never heard the song before. But she listens. There's so much wonderful singing going on over the journals today, and this song is particularly nice. When it's over, she speaks up.]

That's a very nice song. And a beautiful language. Where are you from originally?

[Simple question. Damn her curiosity]

[deltacain]

[David's answer is distracted. It takes a moment to come through.]

Uh. America.