002 | Video [Forward-dated to the 9th]

[t0uchy]

[The video feed is shaky, but then the boy thoughtfully sets the communicator on a table. Even though he's not a hundred percent sure what it is, the seven year old clearly doesn't want to break it, and he chews his lip worriedly for a second before scooting it a teeny bit back on the desk before talking.]

H-hello. Uh, ah, I don't... I don't want to bother anyone, but... [the young child's English is heavily accented, and he murmurs something in Arabic along the lines of 'kayfa taqūlu kalimah...', looking uncertain,] if someone can find my Ummi and Baba, please do. I'm not supposed to go places alone. I have an appointment tomorrow [he stumbles over the big words slightly] so I can get confirmed as the Seer and that's really important. People will be scared if I'm not there, and Ummi is probably scared already, so... please, get me home? Please?

[He starts to reach for the communicator to turn it off, then pauses to add,] If you have gloves that fit me, can someone bring me them? I need - I - I would like that very much. Um, thank you.

Comments

[t0uchy]

[The Humpbacked Horse was a Russian classic. Magic horses, spirits, and an ending with an implied awful death for the villain. Due to complicated reasons relating to the Ottoman Empire, Russian stories were more readily available in Arabic than English ones. Nashir's read some interesting stories, but the one with the magic horse is the best.]

I like stories where the hero is smart instead of just being strong. And ones where there's magic. What kind of stories do you like?

[jeesh]

[ The bookstore Bean was taking them to had a wide selection of foreign literature. It was part of what made it his favorite shop in the city. He could always find obscure texts in their original language there. If they didn't have The Humpbacked Horse, they would certainly have something like it. ]

I tend to read more nonfiction than fiction, [ he answers honestly, seeing no need to beat around the bush just because Nashir is a little kid. ] I like histories, research papers, scientific journals. Things like that.

[t0uchy]

I like both. Is that weird? I feel like everybody else I know only likes one or the other.

[Is that okay? He's a little unsure of himself, because he comes from an era where being academically minded is considered a virtue and he's not 100% into that. But he looks at Bean like he'll have all the answers, trusting in the older boy to give him an honest response.]

[jeesh]

It's okay to like both. That's probably better for you, anyway. Makes you more well rounded.

[ Bean knows there's plenty of people who think he should have more well rounded interests, more appropriate to his age. ]