Video -- Grab Bag Weekend

[recognize_an_opportunity]

[After some unseen fumbling with the communicator, it finally clicks on, and the face of a small boy fills the screen. He has a serious countenance, despite only being about six or so, and when he speaks, it's not with distress, but with slight confusion and a definite tone of politeness. At the moment, however, he's not speaking English -- he's speaking Yiddish.]

Can someone tell me where I am, please?

[After a few moments of no response, he decides to switch to a different language. Perhaps that will garner some kind of response. He chooses Russian.]

Is there anyone there?

[A long sigh, a far too world-weary one for someone so young, and then he shuts off the communicator. Maybe he'll have better luck tracking someone down to speak to them in person.]

[[Yes, Meyer has been de-aged, and thus, comments will come from recognize_a_curse . Oh, and he doesn't speak English. Good luck with that!

Comments

video;

[candothat]

[This response is from a tiny boy who is visibly excited to hear his native tongue on this device (which, from what he has learned from random button-poking, speaks mostly in English). In Russian:]

I'm here! But I don't know where here is or who you are.

[And, in tortured Yiddish:]

You are from Russia?

Action, maybe? :3

[theroyalshvibzik]

[Anastasia has been sort of just...wandering around in a state of confusion, because this is not the party she was at five minutes ago. And then she hears somebody speaking her mother tounge!]

Hello?

[And here she comes, running over with a small smile on her face.]

Hi!

Re: video;

[recognize_a_curse]

[The response makes him crack a slight smile, although it's a tentative one. He responds in Russian, although it comes a bit less easily to him -- he's fluent enough.]

I am from Russia. I don't know where here is either. Where are you?

Re: Action it is!

[recognize_a_curse]

[He startles a little when she runs up, but he cautiously gives her a smile. At least she's speaking a language he understands.]

Hello. Do you know where we are?

BABY RUSSIAN ACTION~!

[theroyalshvibzik]

Nope. I was at a party, and now I'm here...

[Right, she should probably act like a girl of her status should...so she puts on her best 'serious royalty' face.]

I am Her Imperial Highness, Anastasia Romanov, daughter of Nicolas II, Tsar of all the Russias.

[And the royal face is gone now.]

You can call me Nastya though. Who're you?

[recognize_a_curse]

[He's not sure whether to be impressed or not -- he's certainly heard the name, of course, but he's not sure whether she's telling the truth -- so he settles for unimpressed, if a bit curious.]

Nice to meet you, Nastya. I'm Meyer.

[No last name needed, so none offered. He's suspicious by nature.]

video;

[candothat]

I'm Pavel Chekov. I'm Russian, too... from Taganrog, and I live in Petersburg now. I know that that isn't where I am because this isn't my house.

[He waves the device around helpfully, showing his new friend the surroundings of the cottage he woke up in.]

This is where I am.

[theroyalshvibzik]

[She's rather pleased that he's not impressed. It's so hard to make friends when everybody treats you like a princess.]

Nice to meet you too, Meyer! C'mon, if we're gonna be stuck here, we should try to find out where we are!

[She grins and grabs his hand.]

video;

[saturniapavonia]

[Woah there little foreign child. Roman doesn't care a lot for kids. But he gets an unexpected feeling hearing a dialect he sort of kind of remembers hearing now and again at home. The dialect is different.

Should he dare? Should he try.

.........Nope.]

Hey.

[Brilliant start.]

You [pointing] lost? [Searching, sailor motion after that.]

Re: video;

[recognize_a_curse]

I'm Meyer. I'm from Grodno. And right now...

[He waves his device around, too.]

I'm by a fountain, I think.

[recognize_a_curse]

Okay...

[He's just a little skeptical. Holding hands isn't something he does, but it'd be rude not to. He'll follow along.]

Looks like a big city...

Re: video;

[recognize_a_curse]

[He stares at Roman curiously, not recognizing the words, but recognizing the gestures. He nods, very slowly, and responds in Russian.]

Yes.

[That should be obvious enough.]

[theroyalshvibzik]

[She nods, frowning a bit. And they're holding hands so they don't get lost!]

Do you think its as big as St. Petersberg?

video;

[candothat]

Grodno? It isn't a Russian City. [As an afterthought, as if this makes him an expert on the topic:] I have family there.

Do you want me to try to find you? I'm very good at finding things.

Re: video;

[recognize_a_curse]

Yes, it is. It used to be part of Poland, but it's part of the Russian Empire now.

[A slight nod.]

Okay.

[recognize_a_curse]

Probably not that big, but I've never been there..

[theroyalshvibzik]

It's really big there...but if this place isn't as big we'll be okay! C'mon!!

[And she's tugging on his hand, trying to get him to come into the City because there could be adventure!]

[recognize_a_curse]

[He comes along willingly enough, although he's still casting suspicious glances around for any signs of potential danger.]

How'd we get here, do you think?

video;

[candothat]

Russian Empire? There hasn't been a Russian Empire forever! Are you a time traveler?

[Without so much as a pause--]

Stay where you are so I can find you. That's the best thing to do when you're lost and you're not so good at finding things because you can get more lost when you don't know where you're going.

[theroyalshvibzik]

I don't know...maybe magic? Magic does funny things like this, I think...

Re: video;

[recognize_a_curse]

I don't know. Are you a time traveler? It's 1908.

[He's staying where he is with a little nod.]

[recognize_a_curse]

Do you really believe in magic?

[He sounds almost surprised.]

[theroyalshvibzik]

Maybe. There's no proof it doesn't exist, right?

video;

[saturniapavonia]

[Okay. So now what. Uh.]

Okay so.

[He rakes his fingers through his hair. Once again there is that pointing] You should go [long fingers in a walking motion] to...

[To??? Uh. How do you sign or mimic the Welcome Center?]

Hold on.

[Both palms up.]

video;

[candothat]

It's not 1908, it's 2247. No, wait--

[The connection cuts briefly. When it returns, Pavel's somewhere outside and making good time to... a place. He doesn't know where he's going. That's hardly important.]

It's 2013? We must both be time travelers! [less enthusiastically:] That's not possible. It's theoretically possible to travel in time, and I've read about people doing it, but that's mostly by accident. I shouldn't be able to time travel by myself, and I don't think I'm allowed to.