[ Nova's messages are met first with a string of Cyrillic - Who are you? Vitya looks at his phone every five minutes [...] and then English: ]
English? Okay, English?
[ A video follows; in the frame are a slim, mousy, blond woman with round glasses and hazel eyes like Vitaly's, and a darker-haired man of around fifty, likewise similar in appearance. Both of them seem to be putting on their best efforts to look intimidating, but the man can't stop almost-laughing.
In the background, Vitaly can be heard laughing while half-protesting, half-pleading in Ukrainian.
It's the woman who speaks first in broken, half-remembered English. To her credit, she’s extremely confident in her attempt: ]
[Iryna:] What is your name - Nova? Nova, Nova, okay. Why you Vitya are wanting, eh? Is a nice photo-
[Andrii, correcting, his brow raising at his sister’s efforts. His own are much more coherent, his accent not particularly thick:] It is a nice photo. When was the last time you spoke English?
[Iryna, ignoring him:] - you are very nice boy for looking. At you always he is smiling. For why you -
[Andrii, in English, the Ukrainian, as he reaches for the phone:] Iryna, you sound like fucking Yoda. Let me talk to him if you can't remember how to speak English, he’ll think you’re stupid -
[Vitaly, off-screen:] Neither of you talk to him! Give me my phone! Max, let go! I brought you all chocolate, this is the thanks?
[Iryna, raising her voice and jerking away from her brother as she gestures brusquely at the phone:] I speak English, he is understanding, okay! Look at how he talks! That’s not correct, either, so why does it matter if all of my grammar is perfect? He’ll understand. Novako! For why you are wanting to Vitya this, mm, talking so? Vitya is looking like he is eating rocks.
[Vitaly:] Eh! Don't be rude! Give that back-
[ Andrii moves suddenly, reaching to shove away something behind the phone with a youthful laugh; there's a scuffle and the sound of a dog barking, as well as another female voice shouting about Dodo getting in the house. Iryna lithely ducks out of the way, phone now clutched in both hands. ]
[Iryna:] We are watching, Lover-Boy. Like the hawk! [ She points two fingers at her eyes and two at the phone. Then she lowers her voice to a stage whisper: ] He always your text is reading when he wake until he at night is sleeping with phone in his hands. Two nights like so!
[ She emphasizes with two fingers held up. ]
[Iryna:] Two! Maybe more nights than this. Vitya...Andrii, how do you say he is in love?
[Andrii, weakly from off-screen, possibly because Vitaly has him in a headlock:] ‘He is in love.’
[Vitaly, aghast:] Andrii!
[ There's a smacking sound and Andrii mutinously shouts Hey! ]
[Iryna, playfully musing:] 'In love.' Pretty! 'He is in love.' In love, in love. Good. Novako, I you am telling our words. Ya tebe kochayu. 'I you in love.' Maybe you are saying 'Ya tebe lyublyu', but so is not correct for Vitya. Not correct for lover. Is for family. Ya tebe lyublyu is for Dodo. Is correct how I you am telling. Ya. Tebe. Kochayu. Okay? I you in love, ya tebe kochayu.
[Vitaly:] Iryna, don't you dare, don't send that to him NO! -
[Iryna, smiling serenely now:] Is my number, okay. Text to me.
[ The video ends there; it's followed immediately by a phone number. ]
no subject
English? Okay, English?
[ A video follows; in the frame are a slim, mousy, blond woman with round glasses and hazel eyes like Vitaly's, and a darker-haired man of around fifty, likewise similar in appearance. Both of them seem to be putting on their best efforts to look intimidating, but the man can't stop almost-laughing.
In the background, Vitaly can be heard laughing while half-protesting, half-pleading in Ukrainian.
It's the woman who speaks first in broken, half-remembered English. To her credit, she’s extremely confident in her attempt: ]
[Iryna:] What is your name - Nova? Nova, Nova, okay. Why you Vitya are wanting, eh? Is a nice photo-
[Andrii, correcting, his brow raising at his sister’s efforts. His own are much more coherent, his accent not particularly thick:] It is a nice photo. When was the last time you spoke English?
[Iryna, ignoring him:] - you are very nice boy for looking. At you always he is smiling. For why you -
[Andrii, in English, the Ukrainian, as he reaches for the phone:] Iryna, you sound like fucking Yoda. Let me talk to him if you can't remember how to speak English, he’ll think you’re stupid -
[Vitaly, off-screen:] Neither of you talk to him! Give me my phone! Max, let go! I brought you all chocolate, this is the thanks?
[Iryna, raising her voice and jerking away from her brother as she gestures brusquely at the phone:] I speak English, he is understanding, okay! Look at how he talks! That’s not correct, either, so why does it matter if all of my grammar is perfect? He’ll understand. Novako! For why you are wanting to Vitya this, mm, talking so? Vitya is looking like he is eating rocks.
[Vitaly:] Eh! Don't be rude! Give that back-
[ Andrii moves suddenly, reaching to shove away something behind the phone with a youthful laugh; there's a scuffle and the sound of a dog barking, as well as another female voice shouting about Dodo getting in the house. Iryna lithely ducks out of the way, phone now clutched in both hands. ]
[Iryna:] We are watching, Lover-Boy. Like the hawk! [ She points two fingers at her eyes and two at the phone. Then she lowers her voice to a stage whisper: ] He always your text is reading when he wake until he at night is sleeping with phone in his hands. Two nights like so!
[ She emphasizes with two fingers held up. ]
[Iryna:] Two! Maybe more nights than this. Vitya...Andrii, how do you say he is in love?
[Andrii, weakly from off-screen, possibly because Vitaly has him in a headlock:] ‘He is in love.’
[Vitaly, aghast:] Andrii!
[ There's a smacking sound and Andrii mutinously shouts Hey! ]
[Iryna, playfully musing:] 'In love.' Pretty! 'He is in love.' In love, in love. Good. Novako, I you am telling our words. Ya tebe kochayu. 'I you in love.' Maybe you are saying 'Ya tebe lyublyu', but so is not correct for Vitya. Not correct for lover. Is for family. Ya tebe lyublyu is for Dodo. Is correct how I you am telling. Ya. Tebe. Kochayu. Okay? I you in love, ya tebe kochayu.
[Vitaly:] Iryna, don't you dare, don't send that to him NO! -
[Iryna, smiling serenely now:] Is my number, okay. Text to me.
[ The video ends there; it's followed immediately by a phone number. ]