✏ ᴏᴏ3 (ᴅɪᴄᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ) | ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ

[revolter]

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

[ she reads the words with a clear voice that can only be described as enthusiastic, she found them clever, exciting, as only a true lover of literature may think of words. ]

Is there a limit to the number of books we're allowed to burrow from the library at a given time? I wasn't sure and I couldn't find someone to ask.

If anyone knows where there are books that are written in other languages, I'd like to talk to them, please. I found study books but not novels. I want to practice my Russian.

Comments

[deltacain]

I never was a fan of Russian, but I found some books in Chinese. Some that are pretty rare.

[revolter]

Chinese?

[ suddenly she's so, so eager. ]

I am learning Japanese, they are similar in some ways, aren't they?

[deltacain]

Japanese Kanji uses some of the same symbols as Chinese, yes. I know Japanese, too, but not to the extent of Chinese. I can probably help you out with that, too.

[revolter]

Really?

[ see some kids need candy or cake or a new toy to be overly happy. For Matilda, it's learning something new. ]

I'd like that very much. I've learned forty six Kanji symbols already.

[ensorceler]

Russian, why? You should nurture your French or Spanish instead. Even German...

[deltacain]

Fourty Six?

[David sounds impressed.]

How old are you?

[revolter]

I have a teacher for Russian. After my lessons I kept reading the study books and then I found some others in the library. I can write sentences now, not wonderful ones like Tolstoy but they're still sentences.

[ she sighs, a smile in her voice. ]

I'd still love to learn French.

[revolter]

I'm six and a half.

[ as if it all makes perfectly good sense. ]

[deltacain]

And you know fourty six jōyō kanji?

[Genius children are everywhere.]

((OOC: Mouseover the Romaji for the translation.))

[ensorceler]

[ Who is Tolstoy she has no idea... Oh well, not important. ]

Then I will teach you.

[revolter]

Really? You'll teach me French?

[ it's like a gift for all the birthdays that she had ignored by her parents. ]

You will not regret it. I promise I will do everything you say, I'll read and write and I'll do my homework.

[ensorceler]

You most certainly will. And there will be no cheating with those tricks...

[revolter]

Yes. I've been learning them for the last two months.

[ a hum ]

I think I can say it in Japanese. I'm not sure if I can write it.

[revolter]

They're not tricks, they're powers.

[ but she's laughing, one day she will convince you, Anne. ]

And I won't cheat. You'll see, I'll work very hard.

[ensorceler]

I believe you. It is rare for a girl to know how to read so well despite, and at your age... You must indeed have a sharp mind; it merely needs proper guidance.

[deltacain]

Go ahead and try. I'll see if I can correct you if you get it wrong.

[Somehow he doubts he will need to.]

[revolter]

That's what my teacher said. Miss Honey, at my school.

[ and the fact that she says it as well, that she does for her what Miss Honey would, makes her smile, makes her feel special and not a little freak as her parents would so gently put it. ]

Thank you.

[onemistress]

I speak several languages, but not Russian sadly. [she hums, glad to hear a child interested in learning.] But I know where there are books in other languages. I have quite a few books in my chambers as well. Books of philosophy, romance and politics. Whatever you wish truly.

[heloise]

Do you agree?

[ensorceler]

Humility is as important as wit, especially when facing royalty. [ Since Matilda seems as clueless as the rest of them on how to really recognize her, but the girl's polite and young enough to get away with it. ]

You are most welcome.

[revolter]

Watashi wa ni kagetsu kan nihongo wo naratte...imasu.

[ she speaks slowly, slower than she would have, had it been Russian, which she found easier. ]

[revolter]

Royalty?

[ oops. she learned her history well only it never really clicked into place that she might be -

oops. ]

[revolter]

Yes. And no.

[ she hums in thought. ]

I think happy families all look alike to unhappy families. Because the unhappy families wish they could be happy as well and perhaps they spite them for it and say they are all alike. But I think happiness can be unique too. If there's a happy family -

[ and she can't speak from experience. Her family is anything but happy and she knows well what it means to be jealous of other families. ]

I think happiness is very subjective. Some happy families are not like others, their happiness is different. For example, one family can be just a husband and a wife and they'll be happy because they're madly in love! But then another can be a husband and wife and two children and they're happy because they're parents and their children are lovely! Or a family can be happy because they may not have much money but they have each other and their health and -

[ she stops herself. ]

I think happiness has many forms.

[revolter]

Do you think they have anything in French?

[deltacain]

Sounds good. Your pronunciation is good.

I'll say I'm impressed.