synanthrope | video;

[The camera shows a little girl with black hair and brown eyes - she looks eight or nine.]

Nanny....nanny! Onda fya ondjala!

[There's a pause here]

Tate?

[Another pause, as she considers. She looks like she's thought of something, though!]

Haai? Ek is verlore...ek het honger, ek soek na nanny...

[She pauses again, and speaks once more. Her accent is clipped and clearly a mix of South African and Namibian, pointed and almost Dutch and English mixed with a little bit of German thrown in: much stronger than Saya's adult accent]

Hello? I'm looking for my vade-my father, and I'm very hungry. I think my nanny lost me. Please, someone, understand English, my German is not very good. My name is Satya Daphne. My father works at the American Embassy. I'm not sure how I got here.

[And yet another pause, but she has to do this, she's looking slightly more unsure now]

Entschuldigung, Ich heisse Satya Daphne....

[But before she can finish, the video stops]

[ooc: She's speaking Oshiwambo, Afrikaans, and German, in that order. I don't speak any of these languages, so I apologize for any butchery! replies from

prewoven]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They have lions in the zoo here. Dinosaurs as well. [He looks at her a little strangely for a moment.] What language was that?

Dinosaurs died a long time ago. I learned that in school.

[She opens the door to a dining room and cries in victory before she remembers she's in a conversation]

Oshikwayama.

[Cinna laughs a little at the cheer, it's so gleeful and child-like.]

And who speaks that where?

[Heading to the table, he starts to set out a small fruit tray, two containers of piping hot waffles, some containers of syrup and a bottle of juice.]

In Namibia. My nanny speaks it to me.

Namibia. [The word is foreign to him but he smiles all the same.]

Where is that in the world, do you know? And see if you can find some utensils. I may as well join you before I have to leave.

It's in Southern Africa, of course.

[She digs about, and finally finds forks and knives]

[Nodding as if he understands perfectly, Cinna sets the table as best he can.]

Sounds nice. Do you like orange juice, it was all they had at the market I stopped at.

Yes, I'll drink it, thank you. Auntie always has some.

[She finds two glasses and offers Cinna one]

[Pouring the juice he motions for the girl to sit.]

Please, eat, Satya, it'll get cold.

[She eats like a little girl who is distracted - that is, taking every other bite and talking between them]

Did you make this yourself?

[He doesn't mind, but he has to take a sip of juice before he speaks.]

Me? Certainly not. There's a diner in-between where I was and here. Some of the best breakfast food in the City.

It's a bit like dessert.

I suppose it is, at that. Nice and sweet. Have you never hand them before?

My father took me to Belgium once, we had them there. He had a business meeting and I got to eat all the chocolate and wafel I wanted!

[Taking a piece of fruit for his plate, Cinna's smile widens.]

That certainly sounds like a treat. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any chocolate this morning. Perhaps you can find some this afternoon.

[She seems to remember her manners]

Oh, well, this is very fine.

Don't worry, Satya, you're fine. Enjoy your breakfast. Perhaps you can think of this as a vacation.

Because I won't have school?

Exactly.

[He held up his glass in a small toast.]

To vacations?

[She holds up her glass]

To vacations.

[He clinks his glass against hers and addresses the next topic.]

Only I regret to inform you that I'll not be able to spend much of it with you. I have obligations elsewhere. But I'll stay until you've gotten settled and leave you with a way to reach me, should you need it.

[She thinks about it]

And I can call you if I get frightened?

Certainly. Any time of day or night. I just have another young man I need to keep an eye on this weekend.

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