[open post: Kei ryezich Ravkayash?]

[ravkanwitch]

Nina makes friends very easily. This is a known fact. Despite what's going on internally, she's friendly, exuberant, and silly when she's around others. When she moved to the Little Palace from the orphanage, she immediately made a few fast friends with other Grisha who were around the same age. One was a young girl from Fjerda -- rescued from the Drüskelle, who would rather burn their own at stake than admit that Grisha were human -- and they were best friends. Her friend didn't know the Ravkan language that well, so Nina began learning Fjerdan to bridge the gap. Her instructors immediately saw promise and placed her in multiple language courses where she thrived. Fjerdan (the language of the enemy) ironically became what she excelled in, to native fluency. Her Kerch (the language of commerce) is near perfect. Shu and Zemeni were next, potential rivals or partners of Ravka. Kaelish because it was fun. Suli was the most difficult to grasp, a dialect of Ravkan but also entirely different. In any case, she didn't see it as work, she saw it as a way to connect more deeply with others.

Since arriving, Nina has noticed that everyone at the mansion has a different accent, if you can call it that. It's clear that none of them share the same language, but she processes everyone's language the same, somehow. She started experimenting, speaking Fjerdan with Laertes, Shu with Binghe and Lan Wangji, Kerch with some of the other residents like Nightingale and Janet. It's possible it changes her accent to something closer to theirs -- she thinks it does -- but it doesn't seem to change what she's saying. At least it's a way to maintain fluency, just in case...

She has also noticed that there are some areas of the grounds, some little pockets, that don't seem to translate what she's reading or saying as clearly. She first noticed this when she wandered a little too far into the woods and pulled out a book to read in an attempt to be more cultured (before she became swarmed with bugs and had to give up) -- but there was a moment where the language in the book seemed to be entirely different. It's been happening more frequently lately.

In the wake of a successful (?) talent show, Nina has found one of those pockets. She is sitting at a desk strewn with books about languages, deep into studying English, French, and Chinese simultaneously. She would absolutely welcome company, whether to discuss the talent show, languages, or anything else.

Comments

[sagramore]

"Lady Nina!" It hasn't been so long since they lasted talked, but now Sagramore has an errand, among other things, and he's delighted to have found her. "How dost thou?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Sagramore," Nina says, looking up with a smile. She puts a finger down on the page that she's currently on as she tries to find a scrap of paper to bookmark it with. "I'm doing well. How are you? I barely caught anyone after the talent show but I wanted to tell you that your poetry reading was amazing."

[sagramore]

"It was a pleasure. I'm glad thou didst invite me."

[ravkanwitch]

"I'm glad we had so many people attend. It all started when Aziraphale-- or should I call him Mr. Fell --showed me a demonstration of his magic, you know," she says with a little smile. She does feel bad that he looked rather down-trodden after his performance but she enjoyed it.

[sagramore]

He laughs. "It didn't seem as if it went off too badly with Crowley."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji remembers very little of the talent show following the drink he accepted from Claudius; his memories pick back up only back in their quarters, Wei Ying laughing with such a particular tenor to it that Lan Wangji has no doubt he made a fool of himself. This is typical, and he should have known it would happen. Excessive shame would be counterproductive, but he does need to make amends.

He is relieved to find Nina relatively quickly, and he dips into a bow as he approaches. "Young mistress Nina. I apologize for my behavior."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina hadn't noticed him falling asleep during Asmodean's performance because she was too focused on everything happening on the stage, but she was a little worried at the start of his "performance", mostly because it wasn't anything like him. Luckily, it seemed as though his husband was used to it...? Amused by it? And now that he's here, there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage.

"Lan Wangji," she says, though her brow furrows a little remembering her conversation with Magnus. "Should I be calling you Hanguang-jun? --in any case, it's okay. There's nothing to apologize for."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji's expression remains somewhat on the grim side, although he is beginning to take in the volume of books strewn about her. "You may address me either way, or as Lan-er-gongzi." He folds his hands behind his back, contrite, and stands very straight. Nina has now suffered two failures of his self-control in a row. "Alcohol has a strong effect on me."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina tilts her head a little. "Alcohol. That makes sense. Does it always make you do..." She trails off and waves a hand vaguely, not wanting to rehash exactly what he did. "Something like that?"

[timebethine]

Laertes is actually looking for a book that he's mislaid when he stumbles across Nina at her desk. "Hallo!" he calls from the door. "Hast thou seen a book entitled Émile? I seem to have lost it."

[ravkanwitch]

"Laertes!" She waves from where she's sitting. She does have a lot of books in front of her, so she peers through them all quickly. "No, I don't think I've seen it, unfortunately... These are all books on language."

[timebethine]

If he were a dog, his ears would prick up. He comes over to the desk to peer at her collection, and he immediately sees her point. "They aren't translated," he says, his excitement mounting--"but we are. A pity; I should like to hear thy Ravkan."

[ravkanwitch]

"It seems to... come and go. There are small areas of the grounds where nothing gets translated but that changes from day to day. Here," she says, pulling a piece of paper to her and writing a couple of words down. sho sol, zyeshostash "Hello and goodbye in Ravkan. What language do you typically speak? The accent... I don't know, something about it sounds a little similar to Fjerdan."

[involuntaryturncoat]

Asmodean wasn't specifically looking for Nina, but had made a mental note for such point at which he were to actually come across her, and the occasion qualifies, so he steps into the room. "Congratulations on putting together a successful show."

[ravkanwitch]

She looks up, mildly startled by his entrance, but gives him a small smile. "Thank you. Your performance was great. Asmodean, was it?"

[involuntaryturncoat]

He nods. "Asmodean it was and Asmodean it remains. And my performance was far, far too long in coming."

[ravkanwitch]

"How long have you been playing music?" Nina asks, curious.

[untamedantinous]

Enjolras is, as ever, on the hunt for reading material. In a fit of inspiration brought on by a recent discussion with Laertes, he is looking for books about Denmark. Feuilly would be proud.

He stops when he sees a familiar form, however, and clears his throat. “Enjoying yourself?”

[ravkanwitch]

Nina looks up from the books and the papers and brightens upon seeing him. "Enjolras," she says. "Good to see you. Great talent show performance." She's trying (most likely unsuccessfully) to hide a mischievous smile.

[untamedantinous]

He sighs a little, but -- as at the talent show, he is not angry, just mildly disappointed. "I am better when well-prepared," he says without any trace of pride, but nods. "But thank you. What are you looking for, here?"

[ravkanwitch]

"There's clearly something here that's translating what we're saying," Nina explains. "There are some moments where that-- breaks a little." She scribbles a little something on a piece of paper, Kaelish this time; she slides Kep ye nom over and he should be able to read it in its original Kaelish rather than the translated version (what is your name). "See?"

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe was looking for Nina, in the aimless way of knowing he wants to talk to her but not quite knowing what he'll say when the moment comes. He flops down in a chaise longue near her desk with a sigh, still wearing Shen Yuan's Naruto shirt—now a bit rumpled—and jeans. "Nina. Can we talk?"¹

¹It does not occur to him that she might be in the middle of something—he loves Nina, but he is still recovering from a lifetime of being the undisputed protagonist.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina pauses in the middle of copying down a translated phrase, ready to tell him to hold on one second, please -- but then she sees his expression and the clothes that he's wearing. She herself tries to hide everything under a guise of friendliness and jokes but he's an easy book to read. Something is bothering him; she just hopes it isn't Shen Yuan.

"Luo Binghe," she says, in greeting. "Of course we can talk."

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe sighs. "I admire you greatly, you know. The counsel that you gave me on the matter with Claudius has proved invaluable. You were right in saying that, when we are all trapped here together, it is wise to make peace. I told you that... it was difficult for me, that I have little practice showing mercy." And Nina promised to help, but it would be too needy and petulant to remind her of that directly.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina nods. She hasn't forgotten those words and she's been telling them to herself as well. Make peace. Don't make a stir about Aleksander otherwise you'll be a hypocrite, Zenik. "I remember that conversation clearly," she says. It was a difficult one but every one since then has been easier. "Did... something happen?"