russian intensifies

[constellates]

[When you wake up on this fine morning and check your Retrospec feed, you'll find... Russian spam? It begins - ]

Доброе утро. Меня зовут Аня. [ - and it continues on from there, resulting in a full paragraph.

For anyone who can read Cyrillic, they'll find the following message: Good morning. My name is Anya. Is anyone able to understand this? I recognize it as Cyrillic, as Russian, however I don't recall ever being able to speak this language. I woke up and suddenly it's all I knew. If the people on here remember horses, maybe they remember me speaking differently? Properly? Maybe? Please let me know.

In an entirely separate text, she tries again. In two more languages.]

おはようございます。私の名前はAnyaです。わかりますか？これは日本語です。でも昨日でAnyaは日本語を話しません。

[ - and that also goes on. An English message, with the same approximate fluency level as the Japanese, to explain the whole situation is finally provided at the end. Third try's the charm?]

good morning. my name is anya. i am sorry to try again but i am confused. today i know how to speak russian and japanese. the russian is easy but the japanese is harder. english is also harder now. even though yesterday i only spoke english?

??? why?

if the people here remember horses do they remember the anya that did not know russian? please help. please. thank you.

[ ACTION ]

[ a: авария

Normally Anya is full of life. There's a skip in her step, there's a smile on her face, there's a whole-hearted willingness to tackle the day and everything that it brings her. It was easy to call Anya cheerful and friendly.

That doesn't appear to be the case anymore.

She avoids her friends. She ducks her head and doesn't make eye contact at school. She doesn't open her mouth to speak once, brows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line.

Yet with her head bowed as it is, it's hard to steer clear of others, isn't it? Which is why she bumps into you - somewhere. She still wanders, even if she isn't at her best. Whether it's at school, at the dance studio, wandering around the city, she seems to have accidentally run right into you.

Startled, she exclaims in smooth Russian:]

Извините! [Then her eyes widen and she seems to pause, having to take a sincere moment to recall the words she's looking for. Even now, a distinct Russian accent colors her words.] Ah, um... I'm sorry...

[There's no helping the sad, defeated look on her face - but Anya is still a very gentle girl. Even though she wants to be by herself, she finds herself looking up to whoever she ran into uncertainly.]

Are you okay...?

[ b: секрет

Distracted as she is, Anya isn't really noticing any of the secrets that are posted around today - or her own. So there's a neat little sign posted on her back, whether it's detailing something small like:]

i ) Anastasia sometimes sneaks out to climb the rooftop of her house even though her mother has told her not to.
ii ) Anastasia used to be a cheerleader.

[Or something a little bit more telling like:]

iii ) Anastasia doesn't like to be left alone.
iv ) Anastasia is too scared to be an idol anymore.

[ ooc: anya's regain was her canon language tick! an example can be found here! complete with sprinkles of Russian and accent. an additional note is that if you hover over the different alphabets, the exact translation should come up! AND FINALLY, Anya's hair used to be the lightest shade of the blonde in the world - and now it's gone full silver, but that's the least of her problems.]

Comments

[appraiser]

да!

[ M...aybe this isn't the best time to sound so cheery in light of Anya's predicament, but forgive him... "yes," "no," "hello," "goodbye," "like," and "dislike" are Ryoji's very basic vocabulary for every language he's familiar with, so he lights up at the chance to actually use them properly in context, even if it's just answering yes or no questions. ]

You sound fine! Can you also speak Russian?

[constellates]

[ . . . . ah.

Despite herself, she smiles a little bit. Just hearing the Russian pronounced back to her - even if it's not perfect, even if it's very simple - makes her feel a little bit less alone.

So she parrots back, quietly but considerably less shy.]

Да.

It is... новый. Mm... New?

[piecing together her vocabulary now]

[appraiser]

[ The instant translation is immensely helpful, and reminds Ryoji of his own Russian lessons— formally taught by a tutor, but practiced most with young children around town who liked to tease more than teach. ]

Your Russian's so good! нравится! Will you practice with me?

[ Let's learn together ]

[constellates]

[ . . . wait, really?

Anya's silence is shocked and amazed, and she can't really find words for what she wants to say right away. Though when she does, it's quick and immediate.]

где... Where are you?

[RIGHT NOW, ANYA?]

[appraiser]

[ Right now!!! Ryoji's at his apartment with his blessedly free schedule compared to others who have work or school or actual hobbies to fill up their mornings, so he's more than happy to meet up wherever Anya wants. ]

Главная! [ This vocab word he knows. Terrible with directions as he is, he would have his hotel address printed on a sheet of paper to hand to a cab driver to "take home please"... ] I live at the Crimson Crest Apartments. Do you live around here?

[constellates]

Нет. Ah - no. [but you can probably already hear some shuffling, she'll probably grab her school bag even though it's a little haphazardly packed as she announces] But I will go there.

[though she actually pauses just as she's opening the door - ]

If... it is okay?

[at least she's still used to asking for forgiveness than permission]

[appraiser]

да! It's always okay! I'll meet you in front of the building.

[ Normally he would suggest meeting up somewhere else, like a cafe or somewhere people normally hang out to have fun, but it's too short notice for him to make sure the address is correct in his GPS and he leaves with enough time that he isn't terribly late getting lost on the way, so his apartment is fine unless Anya wants to go somewhere else after meeting up there. His mother is home, but they can talk in the living room. ]

[constellates]

Mm. Okay. [she's agreeing with that even as she locks the door behind her and begins her trek over to the apartment, at least she knows the city like the back of her hand by now] I am going.

[and it's quieter, something that she wants to say to him in person but she also sees no reason to refrain from saying it now:]

Ryoji... спасибо...

[and then she'll end the call so she can properly focus on taking every single shortcut on her way over]

[appraiser]

[ At least let him respond to that спасибо! But by the time he translates the word into English and the proper response back into Russian, he's holding onto a dead line, ah...

But he's there in front of the apartment complex waiting, meaning to greet her properly when she gets there, but he's distracted by one of the bushes in particular that had been trimmed into the shape of a dog. Yato did that. Apparently. ]

[constellates]

[you know, she would probably take a moment to also appreciate the bushes that are trimmed in the shape of something as cute as dogs, maybe even get an idea of who could manage such find handiwork

except Anya's Needy as Fuck when she's emotional

which is to say that she's just going to step forward when she notices Ryoji in front of the complex and give him a clinging hug without much other warning

her hair is also silver now, that's another surprise but it's probably a bit less compared to Sudden Hug maybe]

[appraiser]

[ Anya catches Ryoji off guard, so by the time he realizes she'd arrived, there are arms around him and a head of silver hair under his chin that he doesn't recognize and

oh

Okay, there's somebody hugging him. This somebody may or may not be Anya, but there is really no other person Ryoji is expecting so he's... just going to hug back. Okay. Because he tends to act before he thinks, wrapping his arms about Anya and pulling her close, dropping his head to press his lips briefly to the top of her head before pulling back but not letting go. ]

...Anya?

[ to make sure. belatedly. ]

[constellates]

[ryoji why

Anya was just about to lift her head, but the kiss to the top of her head manages to just make her blush? What? Don't do this to her when she's already confused, though admittedly this means that she's blushing and not lifting her head from where it's buried in his chest now. Wow.

There's just a little nod of her head.

But also.

Muffled and accented, but definitely:]

Don't kiss me please...

[lord]

[appraiser]

[ Because literally the only person who ever hugs Ryoji like this is maybe Minako, and he's known her for years. But habit's not an excuse, so after prolonging the hug for one more moment, he lowers his arms, finding it difficult not to smile because he wants to every time he sees Anya, but keeping it off his face so he doesn't ruin what's supposed to be a genuine apology. ]

Прости. Forgive me?

[constellates]

[Well, it's fine. It's enough of a neutral gesture that she's only slightly embarrassed as opposed to considering it an outright threat, which is why she just shakes her head as she steps back too and.

She's blushing still, but she doesn't find it hard to agree to that.]

I do... That was... Ah. ничего... It is nothing.

[Overall, it's nothing compared to what she actually wants to say. So she reaches out to his hands, again, taking them in hers and offering a smile to him even as her cheeks are still a bit pink.]

That is... not what I wanted to say to you.

[appraiser]

[ Hand holding never fails to make Ryoji smile again, and he does so again now, running his thumb over Anya's knuckles because why can she do that and he's not allowed to give her a platonic kiss on the head? Acceptable levels of intimacy are the sort of social norms he's supposed to have learned while abroad but apparently not smh ]

Что это?

[ Maybe reply in English, because even as he's determined to squeeze what little vocabulary he can recall from his memory, he can only handle Russian sparely peppered into one's speech like Anya has been doing. ]

[constellates]

[To be honest, Anya always intended to respond in English, but hearing his Russian manages to make her smile a little bit even as she holds onto his hands.]

аналогичный... [a brief little giggle and she can't help but comment] You sound like me.

[with the little bits of Russian in the rest of his speech, even if his vocabulary is more basic than hers? but ah, that does seem to be how she feels when she speaks in English and to be honest, she ran over here for a reason. a very sappy reason, but that's anya for you.]

If Ryoji wants to learn Russian... I will teach. What you already say... хорошо. It is good. And it makes me happy.

Ah, hm... не знающий о? [she tilts her head, trying to find out what she wants to say] You... do not know, I think. How much I... Благодарный. Um. Glad? Thankful? Mm... Grateful, I think.

[she lets go of one of his hands just so that she can rest her own hand over her chest]

Today is hard but... right now, my heart is happy.

[appraiser]

да! I would love to learn from you, Anya— I'd be glad and thankful and grateful! [ Assuming the word she used encompasses sentiments from each of these words, Ryoji parrots back ] Благодарный! Очень!

[ He still doesn't quite understand the sudden change to Russian, but he can imagine how hard it is not speaking a native language. Not understanding or being able to communicate, it's very isolating. But while it was like that almost everywhere he went, he could always rely on world languages such as English, Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese in hopes of bridging understanding with a common second tongue. ]

[constellates]

[It's cute... His energy is cute and it makes her feel better. Given the fact that he's so chipper about the subject - well. It's hard for Anya to not feel the same? So she gives a smile, reassured and happy as she steps forward to give Ryoji a hug again. At least physical affection is something that can still get her point across?

She's happy enough that she's giggling - good job, Ryoji.]

Mm! Ryoji is удивительно! Amazing!

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji will be her energy and cheer until she returns to her usual self and outshines them all. In the meantime, he hugs her back, tight as he can as if he could physically transfer all of his fluency in English... because crash course in learning Russian is full on English ban, no more English! ]

Anya... мой друг. Я люблю Anya!

[ there it is... ]

[constellates]

[NO MORE ENGLISH.

Anya still giggles at that though. She'll match him perfectly, even if he's embarrassing. Right now... hearing words in her mother tongue from someone who normally doesn't speak it - it's like they've switched and whether he intended to or not, it completely makes her feel better.]

Да. Я тоже подобно Ryoji.

[let her just. gently change the intensity there.]

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji has no idea what difference the word creates, but if it made Anya laugh, then he does too. His self-imposed rule of no English makes it hard for him to communicate exactly what he wants to say, but it's a ban he can lift whenever he wants, unlike Anya who is stuck with what she knows and learns so he stick with it... with only a little bit of cheating by the means of hand gestures because look, gestures are universal. ]

Поговорим потом? [ He holds his hand to the side of his head, thumb to his ear, pinky below the chin like holding a telephone. ] Школа?

[ And a gesture to her backpack, because after that broadcast this morning, he's sure Anya's classmates would be worried over what happened and even more so if she fails to turn up for class. Be a good student and don't skip school! If you think full lectures in English will make it hard, missing entire days will only set you back, Anya, don't mess up your academic future just to talk to Ryoji :( ]

[constellates]

[As much as Anya wants to talk to Ryoji, she will also admit that what he's saying is correct. So there's a nod as she pulls away from the hug, adjusting the straps of her backpack as she does.]

Да. Поговорим потом - вечерний. Evening time. [A wave of her hand as she tries to add in small words for him to learning.] Пока, Ryoji! Bye bye.

[If nothing else, when she walks off, it's with a smile and at least less shyness and apprehension than when she first faced the day. Even if not everyone understands her - enough people do that she feels considerably less alone.]