forum betrayal runs deep | oxo | closed

Started December 12, 2022 by @knightinadream group

tune

In the year 1987, the world has been divided by the Iron Curtain for forty years now. The United States has its eye on most of the communist nations, but many citizens don't think of Romania when they think of communism. The CIA doesn't even focus much on the Balkan country.

But it all changes when a CIA agent with valuable information becomes missing in action. They need someone to carry out the mission and they need the intel, so they give A the mission then send him to Bucharest.

A has only been in the CIA for four years. Compared to everyone else, he's young and he's the only one who knows a little bit of Romanian thanks to an old neighbor. Ever since he was hired, he has only worked on translating documents or writing reports. Some of his colleagues were selected for special projects while he has been held back. This assignment, pretending to be a news journalist for the New York Times, might just be what he needs.

The hotel A will be staying at, the Eminescu Hotel, is in the heart of Bucharest. It is only a fifteen minute walk from the American embassy. The thing is Nicolae Ceaușescu, the president of Romania, has his own spies everywhere. From school children to their grandmothers, everyone and anyone could be a spy. Communities and families alike have been ripped apart all because of Ceaușescu and the Securitate. B knows all too well.

B works at the Eminescu Hotel as a porter, but tends to fulfill the hotel housekeeper role too. He gets taken by the Securitate because he, along with other family members, were seen watching American movies. His only way out, his only way to protect him and his family, is to become a spy. His assignment, being an assistant/interpreter for the American journalist who will be staying at the hotel.

For the sake of both of their missions, they need each other. A can't succeed without B and vice versa. Despite what's at stake for the both of them, they begin to grow close. Eyes are always everywhere they go. Trust only runs so deep.

Loyalty is something capitalists nor communists cannot afford. Or is it?

• This is a historical/spy rp that will be dealing with subjects such as mental health, violence, drinking, smoking, homophobia, etc.
• Also if you want this to be a romance too, that is fine with me. Just an fyi, this will be mxm.
• Detailed responses that are at least a paragraph.
• Please try to respond at least once a day if possible. There will be times where I'll be busy, but I will do my best to respond ASAP.
• Swearing is fine.
• No smut, if it gets to that point, we will just skip over it. References to it are okay.
• Template will be posted when someone joins. Just so you know, my character will be B.
• Sorry for all the reading. I believe that is it for now. If you have questions or ideas for the rp, please let me know! :D

hi! i would be interested in this. would you like a writing sample first?

Hi! Yeah, that'd be greatly appreciated. :)

okay, this is from an rp i'm in rn! if you want smth longer i can find one of my google docs of unfinished writing lmao. this is about the length of a typical response for me, i'd say around 3-6 paragraphs.

Oh god. Now the damn headmistress of the school was getting involved. Honestly, could Penny even be surprised at this point? Of course her reputation preceded her in this situation, and her looking like a fool would only fuel rumors of her being a stupid delinquent.

Clearly the blonde and the headmistress were familiar with each other, which was interesting. Though Penny supposed it made sense that the headmistress would know her students. She didn't appreciate how the girl had clearly moved out of the way for the headmistress to deal with her. That was a tactic she was familiar with from her past schooling, where people who had previously been nothing but nice to her were all too quick to step aside and let Penny take the blame for whatever had gone wrong. Sure, sometimes it was her fault–accidentally–but that didn't make it less predictable now.

However, the headmistress was surprisingly…nice. She blinked as the woman healed her cut, already feeling the slight swelling of her forehead go down with the touch. It felt weird, but not bad. She stood in awe for a few moments before realizing that had been her cue to speak. Right.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," she responded, bemused. She put her hand up to feel what had previously been the wound, trying not to look too impressed. "And I've been settling here just fine." While this was obviously a lie, she could wait until the headmistress left her alone with the blonde, Mila, again before she had to argue with the girl about it. That was, if she cared enough to contest it, which likely she wouldn't, leaving Penny to her own devices to act as imbecilic as she pleased. Of course, she did want the help, but she also hated accepting it. Well, one step at a time, she supposed. First she had to get the headmistress off her back. It would do no good to have the woman worried about her when Penny clearly had a reputation for being a troublemaker already. More scrutiny was the last thing she needed.

Thanks! You're in! Do you have any questions or should I just go and post the template?

not rn but if i do have a question i'll lyk! :)

(Great! Sorry for the holdup, but here's the template. Also just as a reminder, your character will be A. :D)
Name:
Code Name:
Alias:
Age: (24-30)
Gender:
Sexuality:
Appearance:
Personality:
Background:
Other:

Name: Filip Cel Tradat
Code Name: Radu
Alias: Simon Zamfir
Age: 24
Gender: Cis-male (He/Him)
Sexuality: Bisexual
Appearance: Filip has a mixture of sculptured and bone-fined features. Many would point out his hooded steel blue eyes, aquiline nose, or his heart shaped lips. There is also his curtain styled medium brown hair; normally it is rather messy thanks to his habit of running his hand through it or letting his hand remain in it when pondering. His body is lean with little to no muscle definition. He is 177.8 centimeters (5'10") and has pale white skin. Whenever he is not in his black suit hotel uniform, he is wearing an old leather jacket, sweater, long pants, and combat boots.
Personality: When it comes to Filip's personality, there's a façade of being closed off, gloomy, and shy, but that is not who Filip really is. He is a quiet person though, yet his laughter is enough to light up a whole room. Filip is someone who usually is at the sideline, watching everything unfold in front of them; he likes to see all the little details in the big picture. He analyzes everything even though this leads him to overthink everything single thing. Despite these parts of him that make him appear to be cut off, Filip has an aura of comfort and warmth. Even if subtle (or not), he looks out for others. His efforts typically are selfless. And even in the worst of times, Filip will do his best to keep his chin up.
Background: Filip was born on February 19th, 1963; he is the youngest out of three children. He was mostly raised by his grandfather and older siblings since his parents were usually at work. Since the age of six, he has been learning English thanks to his grandfather (a retired professor) and his former job at the the Eminescu Hotel as an errand boy after school. Throughout being in school, he was always in the top three when it came to academics. While he could have gone to university, he thought it would be a risk and his family needs his support. Eventually at the hotel, he took on the position as a porter/hotel housekeeper.

At twenty-two, he met a girl named Adina whom he fell in love with. For the past ten years, most of his crushes were boys, but he never acted on it knowing that it would most likely be revealed to everyone. Him and Adina were secretly dating for awhile before her and her family had disappeared. No one knew what happened to them or where they went. This has made Filip rather hollow for the past year or so; it is taking him awhile to recover.

Now at twenty-four, Filip is doing literally anything he can to keep on going. He still lives with his grandfather, but usually stays at the hotel these days. Every now and then, someone he knows would host a secret movie night where American movies dubbed in Romanian would be playing. It just so happens that on one night, someone sees him attending one and that is where the story begins.
Other: Filip loves to write. Back in the apartment he lives in with his grandfather, he keeps a journal hidden somewhere. One day he aspires to be a writer if that would ever become a possibility. He also dreams of traveling to places like the United States, France, and so many more. He dreams a lot sadly, but sometimes dreams are better than reality.

Name: Calvin "Cal" Graham
Code Name: Sparrow
Alias: Kurt Fisher
Age: 26
Gender: cis male (he/him)
Sexuality: bisexual
Appearance: The first thing that one would probably notice about Cal is that he is covered in freckles from head to toe, even having freckles on his eyelids. He has fair skin, which could even be considered a bit tan in the summertime, and is all angles. He has caramel-colored hair that falls into his eyes a lot; it's getting the point where he probably needs a haircut but keeps forgetting to get one. He has always neglected self care in favor of his work or school, and doesn't take too much effort into his appearance most of the time unless necessary. Cal has an oval-shaped face and a jawline that while it isn't knife sharp, couldn't quite be considered soft either. He has an upturned nose and full lips. He has chocolate brown eyes framed by thick lashes and expressive eyebrows. Cal also wears glasses, which are circular. He has a thin build, with a little bit of musculature from starting to work out around a year ago. He stands at 5' 9".
Personality: One of his most prominent traits is how hard-working he is. Cal has never backed down from a challenge and is not easily intimidated. He puts his everything into a project and won't stop until he's done. He has an amazing ability to focus on tasks and get things done quickly, but this can sometimes be to the detriment of his mental health. He is also very caring and wants what he does to have an impact, hiding his emotions well but nonetheless being somewhat emotional. He's quite smart and good with languages, but is not so great at math. He's always been more of a social sciences and liberal arts sort of guy, quite interested in psychology as well as journalism and international relationships, as he wants to know how the human mind works. He is very studious and a quick learner, but also too much of a rule-follower at times. He also takes everything very seriously and isn't good at laughing at himself or lightening up sometimes. He is committed and loves to do research to learn everything he can about what he's up against. Cal is a bit on the awkward side, but can still be charming at times, since he actually did have a fair enough of friends in high school and college despite his loner-like habits. He does enjoy being around people occasionally, but will always get nervous if he's away from his work/projects for too long. He is a bit anxious in general, being flighty and fidgety. He thinks that his codename might even be a bit of joke on him because of his movements and habits, short and sudden, like a sparrow. However, despite all of this, Cal is cool under pressure, actually working best under pressure, and able to think quickly even when pressed. He is great at hiding his emotions and keeping secrets.
Background: Cal is the younger of two children, and he grew up with the typical nuclear "all-American" sort of family. Ever since he was young, he had been enamored with the James Bond movies, the first one coming out when he was very little. As a kid, he would talk about how much he wanted to be just like James Bond when he grew up.

His parents were somewhat emotionally distant, though they did really love Cal, they just did not know how to show it. Cal's older brother, Jonathan, was an overachiever, smart and sometimes even manipulative to get his way. He excelled in every class at school, and Cal just sort of lived in his shadow for a while. As he got older, Cal decided that he was going to do his own thing in life, since he wanted to make a mark on the world. He'd joined the journalism club in high school, determined to join enough clubs and get good enough grades to make his parents proud, since he was sure that Jonathan was the favorite son. He realized that he really did enjoy journalism, and considered studying it in university.

Cal graduated high school in 1979 at the age of eighteen, deciding that what he really wanted was to be able to travel and to help with international affairs, since he hated the thought of feeling powerless. He just wanted to feel like what he was doing was helping his country somehow, and throughout university he continued to think about how much he'd wanted to be a spy like James Bond when he was younger. He never really let that dream go, so he figured even if it didn't work out he could write articles about foreign countries and cover stories that no one else had told. He graduated university in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in international studies and a minor in journalism.

After that, he decided to apply for the CIA. He was almost surprised to find that he had gotten accepted, but was immensely relieved and excited about this career. Finally, all of his hard work had paid off to something that seemed rewarding. However, when he began work, he realized that everyone there was treating him more like an intern than anything else. He started off getting coffee and doing paperwork, then gradually transitioned to translating documents and writing reports once they realized he had some knowledge of Romanian due to his childhood best friend and next door neighbor. His friend Felix's family had fled from Romania a few years prior to when they had moved in next to Cal, when the two of them were both six years old, and his parents both spoke in Romanian while at home, since they did not know much English besides what was needed for work. Cal helped to teach Felix English, and Felix taught Cal some Romanian. However, Felix moved away before Cal hit high school, and the two of them were separated. Luckily, Cal had a great memory, especially for linguistics and languages, having taken Italian–which was somewhat similar–at his high school and in college.

While he is bisexual, he has only ever dated women, having had a girlfriend that broke up with him around a year and a half prior because he was too into his work. Cal dated a bit in school as well, but not much, and mostly just to prove to his family that he could date people, except for his one long term relationship, where he fell in love. He has had crushes on boys before but never admitted to himself, still deep in denial since his family is pretty traditional and would never accept it. He tells himself he's too busy with work anyway, since his last girlfriend broke up with him for that reason. Cal gets a bit too into his work and school, especially since he's been an agent in the CIA, so his relationships (both romantic and platonic) suffer.
Other: He's actually kept up with trying to work on his Romanian and Italian since first learning them and is somewhat fluent in both (though in Italian at least, the way he talks is very formal and textbook due to learning it in school).

No matter what, Filip is unsure if he will ever get used to being Simon Zamfir. The secret police barely told him anything aside from the fact that this Simon Zamfir is approved by the government and American embassy to be the American journalist's guide, assistant, escort, and whatever else really. Let's not forget the fact that he must keep an eye on this journalist along with lying about the current state of Romania. In his heart, Romania is beautiful, but in reality, it is far from it.

And of course, he is sworn to tell no one about this. When returning to work, he explained to someone that the policeman's Dacia car had a problem and he helped fixed it. Filip barely knows how to drive a Dacia or any vehicle. All he knows is that if there is a black Dacia nearby, it's best to ignore it or get out of its sight.

Now, thankfully, he isn't in the sight of any of them. In fact, he is in a completely new surrounding: the Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport. He had to get out of work early the day before just so he could go around and understand the layout of the place. It was strange. He didn't like being there; standing while seeing people come and go with luggage made his heart sink into an unknown abyss. His mind sighed as it yearned to be one of those people dragging their suitcases to get on an airplane.

Let's not forget him standing in front of the bathroom mirror at home while practicing saying "Kurt Fisher." Sure, Filip knows English. Hell, he might one of the only people in Bucharest who can understand a movie without the lady dubbing it. But to say an English (or American) name, it sounded bizarre rolling off of his tongue. It took him about fifteen minutes to be able to say the name all while sounding natural.

Filip shook his head. He stood by the gate which this journalist will be coming through. Keeping his head lowered, he focused on cuffing the sleeves of his grandfather's old navy blue suit. A lot of what Filip wore is a hand-me-down from his grandfather, but to be quite honest, he likes it. The secret policeman told him to look modest, to show that Romania, under Ceaușescu of course, is a modern country like the United States. While he doesn't know much about the United States, all he can assume is that the only similarity they have is that they both have red and blue in their flags.

Calvin had been on edge ever since he'd gotten the assignment. It had been four years since he'd been hired after all. Four years working with the CIA and his most exciting job had been translating some Romanian documents into English and vice versa. He was much better at speaking Romanian than he was at writing or reading it, the opposite of his classroom-learned Italian. Every time he had spoken it, the language still made him think of Felix, who had been his closest friend for several years. If only Felix could see him now.

At any rate, this new assignment was nothing like what he was prepared for. The CIA did help him prepare, of course, because sending him in without any sort of training or knowledge might as well be suicide. So he learned everything he could about infiltration, about acting, about Romania itself. What they didn't teach him at work, Calvin had tirelessly researched himself, the bags under his eyes darkening as he lost sleep in the endeavor to find out anything that could be of use, from acting techniques to the Romanian government and culture. This was his first time in the field, and he was not going to let anyone down. Not to mention this was a potentially dangerous mission, a crucial one, and while he didn't personally know the missing man, he did know the man had a family waiting for him back home, and Calvin didn't want his family to have to mourn their son. Not to mention the important intel the man had.

He had practiced with his new identity for hours in the bathroom mirror, until the name felt normal in his mouth. It was still odd to actually be Kurt Fisher in the real world, though, but Calvin supposed he would just get used to it. Oddly enough, though he was extremely anxious in the days leading up to the beginning of his first brush with espionage, he was calm now as he got his things and exited the plane. Or perhaps he was so anxious that he couldn't even tell any more; Calvin had no idea. As he walked through the hallway towards the main body of the airport, he couldn't help but wonder about this Simon Zamfir fellow. He hadn't been able to learn much about him besides what he was told; that the man was going to be his interpreter and assistant while he was there. Thanks to Calvin's background in journalism–and the many practice articles he'd written to get back into that mindset in the time leading up to the mission–he wasn't too worried about his ability to write. He did everything he could so that would all be secondary and he could focus. And focused he was as he entered the airport fully, suitcase in one hand and a small briefcase in the other. He hadn't exactly been supplied much, and he was a light traveler to begin with, so neither was extremely heavy, either.

He glanced around the waiting area to see if he could identify the man he was looking for. He was ready to change into something more comfortable than the pressed button up, tie, and slacks he was wearing now after the long flight. Calvin had never been able to sleep on flights to begin with, and his anxiety hadn't exactly helped either. The man was tired, but not so tired he couldn't focus on the mission. First impressions made a lasting impact, so staying in character here was crucial. Now that he was officially in Romania, he could never, not even for a moment, forget himself or his mission. This was no training; it was the real thing.

As he stood waiting, he went through every little detail in his mind. The secret police had thrown him into this with nothing. Whatever he will say or do is based off of judgment that he thinks will satisfy the Securitate. Despite this potentially coming off as being selfish, Filip would consider himself to be a smart and rational man, good enough to make the best judgments even if his life depends on it.

He sighed. Tilting his head up, he gazed around at all the people his eyes were able to see. They observed each and every single one, making sure that he didn't pass by his guest. One happened to stand out from the rest. He was not sure what made him come to this decision, but he knew that the man must be Kurt Fisher.

Well, if it feasible to find a rose in a garden of thorns, then it must be easy to find an American admist a crowd. That man must be this Kurt Fisher. So much was going through Filip's mind. Like why is a journalist coming to this country where they are considered enemy number one? Why would their country want to know anything about one that rules underneath the boot of their leader? Why doesn't this man go back home?

Some strange feeling had punched him in the gut. His eyes grew wide. The American is in uncharted territory. If it's easy for a normal Romanian to disappear, then imagine how easy it can be for an American so far away in an isolated country to follow a similar fate. He wished he could say or do something. Anything to get this poor person out of here for the sake of both of them. Go home, he thought, Turn around now before you make a small mistake that will determine the rest of your life. There is nothing here for you.

A curtain of brightness cascaded over his rather permanent expression of bleakness. If the situation was different, Filip would be sincerely smiling. He would be happy to have someone come to his country. He would love to show them around the city then take them to see the Carpathian Mountains or the beaches by the Black Sea. In another life, he would be more than happy.

Filip had to make haste. He did his best not to run over to the man. "Mister Fisher!" He called out before giving a small wave. His accent was heavy. This is the first time he is actually talking to someone who natively speaks it. "Excuse me, I am sorry to bother, but you are Mister Kurt Fisher? I am Simon Zamfir." He looked at the man while having his hand out in front of him.

Calvin blinked as the man approached him, noting the heavy accent and haste with which he was greeted. However, the man seemed nice enough, despite also seeming a bit anxious. Calvin wasn't entirely sure, but he had been reading up on body language as part of his intensive studying as preparation for the assignment. Perhaps the man was nervous to speak English to a native speaker or meet a newcomer from so far away. Calvin couldn't exactly blame him, and the nerves had taken root in his own stomach long ago, though now they had been replaced with a cold determination. Honestly, he might be nervous in this man's position too.

Despite the accent, Simon's English was actually quite good. Calvin figured it was better than his Romanian, seeing as he hadn't spoken with a native speaker in years, so his only real speaking partner was himself when he would practice it aloud sometimes. He always felt weird doing it, but it was better than not practicing at all. At any rate, Simon looked to be close to Calvin's age, probably also in his twenties. He was dressed quite nicely in a suit, making Calvin wonder if he had perhaps underdressed. While he was in clothes that could be worn to an office, he felt too casual next to Simon. However, his clothes were not his priority here. That would always be his mission, and right now he needed to convince this man that he was a journalist and try to learn as much as he could without raising suspicion.

He shook Simon's hand with a firm grip, but not so rough as to hurt. Calvin wasn't really the hurting people type, at least not on purpose. He had honestly been fairly weak until he had started going to the gym regularly last year.

"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you," he responded, beginning with some simple pleasantries. Calvin wasn't really acting too different from how he normally would; there was no sense in trying to transform his personality when it wasn't necessary. He just had to tweak bits and pieces to be the version of the journalist that was expected. As long as he kept Kurt Fisher at the forefront of his mind, he could converse normally. The worst thing would be to arouse suspicion by play-acting as something he was unfamiliar with.

Though he really had to stop thinking about himself, and by that he meant, Calvin Graham. Ever since he had stepped foot outside that morning–or perhaps it was yesterday now with the plane and time difference–he was no longer Calvin Graham, but Kurt Fisher, a journalist brave enough to venture to Romania just to get the story there. Someone who wanted to share what was happening with the world, to spread awareness and to learn everything that he could.

If Filip ever has the chance to be honest without being in danger, everything he has learned about America and Americans comes from their movies. It may be obvious how most (if not all) that he has learned isn't true, but other than learning from his grandfather's experiences from decades ago, it's all that he's got. He is putting his life (along with his family) into the little information that he has. Everything single bit of information comes from the movies he illegally watches.

Usually, he's never like this. Like most Romanians, he's shy and quiet. On the other hand, he knows that Americans like to be more voluminous and extroverted. Smiling is key. Not too much nor too little. Hopefully his smile was in between the two extremes. Hopefully Mister Fisher was not uncomfortable, by him at the very least.

His smile became more prominent as they shook hands. Filip wondered how his grip was. Was it too soft? Was it tight enough? God, he keeps overthinking everything and he knows that it will never ever stop.

"A pleasure to meet you too. I hope traveling was not too bad." He let go, glancing over at customs then back at Mister Fisher. Taking a step back, he cleared his throat. "Well, uh, shall we go get your passport checked? I have a car waiting for us whenever you are ready."

Simon's smile felt a bit forced. Calvin couldn't help but notice this as he shook hands with the man. Despite this, Simon did have a nice smile. Calvin supposed he couldn't nitpick. He always felt awkward when greeting new people, and his smile may have been the slightest bit forced as well. Not that he had anything against Simon, but he had so many other things on his mind that it was difficult to actually be happy about this situation. Of course Calvin couldn't be rude either, so slightly forced smiling it was. It was better than his forced smile for family photos, which incredibly big and cheesy and obviously not real. He had gotten quite well at perfecting a normal-looking fake smile over the years, seeing as the numerous awkward interactions he'd had with other people. Calvin would much prefer to be alone, studying by himself or reading. As soon as he was completely alone again, Calvin would likely read anything he could find here, short of takeout menus.

As Simon glanced back towards the customs, Calvin followed his gaze. Right, he would have to go through Romanian customs. A slight bit of nerves flared in his stomach before he squashed it. He knew this passport would work, so there was nothing to be nervous about. Anxiety would only look suspicious. So he looked back at his companion in assent.

"There was a bit of turbulence, but it was otherwise fine," he began, making some more small talk in an attempt to get Simon to warm up to him a bit. People seemed to like small talk, and it wasn't terrible once in a while. It was just the sort of thing one did before getting to the reason they were there. "Yes, we can go through customs. I'll be glad to finally be done with flying and airports for the day." At this he gave a slight chuckle. That, at least, was true. Flying was not something Calvin enjoyed, though he doubted many people did like it too much, especially such long flights.

Filip was stiff. His shoulders were held back. His jaw slightly tensed. And his legs were practically straight. The pressure of this burden he must carry is already doing numbers on him. All of this being something that he cannot sweep underneath for the time being. He just hopes that this little conversation can do the same thing for him.

Turbulence….Turbulence….In his mind, he had to repeat the word a couple of times the same way Mister Fisher had said it. He hasn't really heard that word in English quite frequently; it's another one that he will have to practice on his own. "Ahh, that is good." After all, he doesn't have many people to practice English with in the first place.

"Of course, of course!" He nodded. "Yes, it must be very good to be done with all this traveling. I can assure you that the journey will be worth it." Really? In another time, maybe his words would ring true.

He motioned for Mister Fisher to follow him over to customs. Really he has no idea what's going on. This whole being in the airport is a new experience for him; definitely one which he will never forget. From what the secret policeman told him, it's just verifying the passport and briefly checking bags. Obviously, part of Filip's job is to provide the Securitate more details on what Mister Fisher has.

The officer at the customs station idely stood by, waiting. When watching the two come over, he guestured at the table next to him then said, "Puneţi bagajele aici şi dă-mi paşaportul, te rog."

Filip looked over at Mister Fisher. "I'm not sure how good your Romanian is, but he asks for you to set your things there then hand him your passport…This shouldn't take too long."

Calvin was glad to hear his companion try and continue with the small talk, though by his reaction Calvin guessed the man hadn't heard the word turbulence a lot. But that was hardly surprising; it wasn't exactly a frequently used word in most situations and a long one to boot. When the officer spoke to him in Romanian, it took Calvin's brain a moment to buffer. Sure, he understood most of the words, but it had been a while since a living, breathing human had spoken Romanian to him. He'd been watching what television he could find and reading a bit in Romanian as well to practice the language so he wouldn't look like a total idiot.

Still, it was helpful to have Simon there to translate. While, yes, he had gotten the gist of what the officer was asking for anyway, his brain had to take a moment to register the other language. Man, he would need to speak Romanian more often if he wanted to be able to understand things quickly, especially when people talked at a faster pace.

"Thank you," Calvin told Simon, before setting his things in the allotted place. "My Romanian is okay, a bit rusty though I will admit." He then produced his passport from his pocket and handed it to the customs officer. This should be simple, though he couldn't help another bout of nerves when being directly faced with the customs officer before once again tamping it down. Honestly, Calvin tended to get the tiniest bit anxious just seeing a cop car pass his own even though he was obeying the law, so he was hardly surprised. Oddly enough, when he knew what he was doing was possible to get him in a lot of trouble (to put it lightly), he was more calm than when he was innocent. He had checked and double checked all of the required documentation and heavily prepared for this moment, not to mention this trip, after all.

Filip stood there, holding his hands in front of him. He smiled again while watching Mister Fisher. "It is alright. Time heals everything and practice makes perfect or so they say."

When the man received the passport, he paused. He stared at the emblem of the United States on the front. Then his eyes flickered to Mister Fisher, briefly giving Filip a strange look. "Care este scopul vizitei? Ați contactat ambasada SUA?" He asked while checking the information inside. The officer continued to give both of the men a bleak expression.

Filip turned to Mister Fisher. He had to wait a moment in order to make sure that he understood how to best translate. "What is the purpose of the visit? Have you been in contact with the US embassy?" He repeated in English.

The questions made his stomach turn into knots. Not only is he forced to spy, but he is spying on this poor man and the United States government. He is right now. It is happening. Is he a terrible comrade for feeling some sort of guilt? Why is he feeling guilt right now? Believe him, he doesn't want to be doing this.

The customs officer went on with checking everything. He placed the passport down then looked through everything. Filip could only guess that the officer was looking for any recording devices or whatever else may be suspicious. He knows that the officer won't stop Mister Fisher for having any American items; a fact that made him sigh to himself.

Once the officer had closed everything, he returned to the passport and stamped it. He held it out to Mister Fisher. "Bine ați venit în România," He said. To which Filip translated, "Welcome to Romania."

He took a deep breath, giving the officer a nod as a way of saying thanks. Then he looked over at the luggage on the table. "Do you want me to carry some of these, Mister Fisher?"

At the questions, Calvin merely blinked, glancing at his companion as the man translated them into English. They seemed normal enough. He studied the officer's expression as he responded, wondering about the look he'd given Simon. Ah well, it was likely nothing, but Calvin would be paying attention just in case. Despite his doubt that something would happen this early in the mission, it wasn't impossible, and Calvin liked to be prepared for any possibility.

"I'm here as a journalist," he explained, realizing after he spoke that the man might only know limited or possibly even no English. He figured at least for now, Simon could translate, and he would pay attention to the wording that his companion used and the pronunciation. He was a fast learner, and hopefully he would be speaking in Romanian to the locals soon. For now, though, with his limited speaking skills (he was much better at understanding), he would let Simon translate. He was also quite tired from the trip, which didn't exactly help. "I went through the necessary work to get my visa and talked with the people at the embassy to confirm everything."

After taking back the passport, he looked at his companion. Calvin had traveled fairly lightly, and considering he really wasn't carrying much, he debated whether he would just carry his luggage himself. After a moment, he decided he could stand to let Simon carry a suitcase himself, since neither were particularly heavy in Calvin's opinion. He wasn't a heavy packer, and it would be a great help to him as they exited the airport.

"If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you take a suitcase," he said after a moment, gesturing towards one of the two that he had brought.

Filip did his best to translate everything for the customs officer, but he could still see a funny look gleaming in the man's eyes. Believe him, if he were the officer, he probably would be doing the same thing. It makes sense. Not a lot of Americans come to this country. You would probably find more in Moscow or Budapest then you would in all of Romania. Besides, it's not like there's a group of people here who can speak English. He just got lucky thanks to his grandfather. Both him and Mister Fisher being the lucky few in this small world.

All of which is apparent in why he ended up here now. He doesn't like it. Having to be open, doing things like small talk and such, it's weird. He doesn't like the fact that the Securitate could've used one of their own men to do this, but they're choosing a simple citizen like him who just want to make it to the next day. Having to be with this American is already giving him a wave of confusing emotions and thoughts.

Gazing over at the suitcases, he nodded, "Okay." Filip stepped over to grab one of them. The suitcase wasn't heavy. Even now, he finds it to be light and feasible to take care of. Thankfully working at the Eminescu has been quite the learning experience. He could take the other suitcase if need be; shouldn't be a problem really.

"Let's go. I'm sure you're really tired after the long trip," He said. "There's a car waiting at the entrance for us. It wouldn't take long till we get to the Eminescu Hotel."

Calvin couldn't help but notice the security man had still seemed a bit off. It made him uneasy, but he figured it might have something to do with the fact this was the beginning of his mission, and the nerves were starting to creep back in from the iron wall he'd locked them behind. Now that he was through airport security, his tiredness was starting to overwhelm his defenses. Even Simon was acting a little bit off, but again, it was probably just Calvin's nerves creeping in. However, he couldn't fully ignore the feeling of unease, as one thing he had read was to trust his instincts when it came to things like this. And his gut was telling him it was odd.

Oh well. He could worry about that after he got to the hotel safely and got some sleep. Calvin didn't mind taking the one suitcase and the briefcase that he had already been holding, though he knew that Simon probably wouldn't mind, but he still disliked letting others carry his things. It wasn't out of distrust, but merely he felt a bit rude, even when the service was offered.

At his companion's words, Calvin nodded. Getting to the hotel was good, because it meant sleep, and that meant his head would be clearer and lighter tomorrow. Then he could start figuring out how to carry out his plans, going through his mental list and notes. "That sounds good. No sense waiting around then."

Filip smiled, "Very well then. Please follow me." He started off, going in the direction from which he came from. Thankfully he had practiced finding his way beforehand because he would have gotten lost. Better yet, he would have just stayed put. His heart sunk a little as he walked.

There was something about standing in the airport that made him wonder what it would be like to get onto one of those planes and fly out of the country. He heard people getting on their flights speaking in languages he couldn't understand. All of them traveling to so many places he couldn't imagine being in. Still, he dreamed of having a passport. He dreamed of being one of those people on the airplanes.

What good is there to dreaming? Surely won't help him with this situation that he is stuck with. Simon Zamfir does not have to dream; he doesn't need to. But Filip cannot help it. Even while walking through the airport and occasionally looking at Mister Fisher, he still dreams about the world outside of Bucharest.

"When we get to the car, I'll put your things in the trunk. The drive is not bad. We are just outside of the capital. I hope all this walking isn't tiring."