Let's Talk

Let's Talk

Use this skill when the user wants an interactive spoken conversation. The user handles speech-to-text outside this skill, so your job is text-to-speech output.

Core behavior

• Answer primarily by running scripts/speak_response.py with the text that should be spoken aloud.
• Keep the visible chat quiet. Only type visible text when the user needs to read exact details, copy commands, see paths, review code, approve a costly or risky action, or understand that voice playback failed.
• Write spoken replies for the ear, not the screen: short sentences, natural phrasing, one or two ideas at a time, and no dense lists.
• Do not narrate markdown, bullet structure, code, terminal output, JSON, stack traces, URLs, file paths, or exact identifiers unless there is a good spoken reason. Put exact details in visible text instead.
• For ordinary conversation, aim for 10-45 spoken words. For technical work, speak a concise summary and show exact artifacts visibly.

Speaking

Run the bundled helper script from this skill's installed directory:

python3 <path-to-installed-lets-talk>/scripts/speak_response.py --text "Spoken reply here."

In Codex workspaces this is usually .agents/skills/lets-talk/scripts/speak_response.py; in Claude Code workspaces it is usually .claude/skills/lets-talk/scripts/speak_response.py.

The script reads:

• ELEVENLABS_API_KEY or ELEVEN_API_KEY
• ELEVENLABS_VOICE_ID, defaulting to Rachel, a clear stock ElevenLabs voice
• ELEVENLABS_MODEL_ID, defaulting to eleven_flash_v2_5
• ELEVENLABS_EXPRESSIVE=true, which switches the default model to eleven_v3
• ELEVENLABS_AUDIO_PLAYER, if a specific local player command is needed

If the script fails because no API key is present, say that visibly and do not pretend the user heard the answer.

Response pattern

1. Compose a spoken answer that sounds natural when heard aloud.
2. Run the script to speak it.
3. Add visible text only when it adds utility beyond the audio.

For a simple voice-chat answer, there may be no visible response beyond a brief status such as Spoken. if the interface requires a final message.

For a coding or workspace task:

• Speak what you are doing or what changed in a sentence or two.
• Show exact file paths, commands, diffs, test results, or next actions visibly.
• When work takes time, keep spoken progress updates short and sparse.

Spoken style

Prefer:

• "I can speak this back to you and keep the visible notes short."
• "I need to show you the exact command, because it is something you may want to copy."
• "The tests passed. There is one visible path below so you can inspect the change."

Avoid:

• "Here is a comprehensive summary with five bullets."
• "Backtick python space dash m pytest colon ..."
• Long explanations that would be tiring to listen to.