"On the other hand, I'm not sure I trust these writers to handle that appropriately."

"Hey. This is the result of fine creative minds!"

That gets him a very sarcastic look from 'Chelle.

"In his defense. I doubt either of us would be able to come up with this kind of plot on our own and then figure out how to drag it on through the length of a telenovela." Percy tells 'Chelle.

"-You do have a point. I'm pretty sure I've lost at least one of the threads going on here."

"Says the girl who watches Swedish crime dramas. In Swedish. Without subtitles. And can still explain how everything interconnects."

"That's something I can do. Never tried with Swedish crime dramas, but it's easy to intuit things from body language and facial expression."

"We should teach you Swedish. And then you can watch them with me. And we can confuse Lan by knowing what's going on!"

"Sounds fun!"

"You realise Swedish is kind of tricky to learn?"

"How so?"

"Mostly the sounds you need to make. It takes some practice. I'm sure you'll get there."

"Huh, could you try say something Swedish?"

'Chelle does, words as rapid as her English - perhaps a little faster, and an impish grin on her face.

He holds still for a moment and then mutters to himself a few times...

...the he recites the phrase back in the same speed and pitch.

"Now that's just unfair," Lan grumbles, although the effect is ruined somewhat by his grin.

"Maybe you'll find it a bit easier then," 'Chelle notes, sounding impressed.

"Thanks, I try."

"It'll be nice having more people who speak Swedish. Ange refuses."

"That's cause you laugh at her accent."

"You laugh at my accent and I still speak it!"

"Yes. But you're stubborn."

"Is your family from Sweden?" Percy asks Aaren.

"My mum was, yes. Spent quite a bit of my childhood there."

Percy contemplates the bittersweet emotions. "Happy memories," he says quietly, "have you taken 'Chelle or Lan there?"

"I've been a few times, mostly while Farmor - uh, my Grandma - was still alive. We've been a couple of times since."