"Phrasebooks, sure. I assume you aren't going to want to ask where the bathroom is and whether they take American dollars, what are you going to want to say?"

Conversing conversing.

D:  If you're going to be sticking around, the best shot might be to ask for a message we can memorize phonetically.  But our stays in different places are almost always too long for that to be the best thing; we could memorize a few of them before we came back but probably not dozens.
MA: It might be best to stick to things that are a little more immediate.  Maybe just a basic, friendly greeting.

D:  I'm thinking Latin for the first language, or Ancient Greek.  If we have to pick a set of Europeans it's better to sort by education than geography.
MA:  Do you know, or can you find out, which one was spoken more?  Throughout all of history.

"I can try, I don't know how hard estimates by experts will be to find or if those estimates are any good. I think Latin for hello was 'salve' but I don't remember how I know that. - do longstanding ghosts get rusty on even their native languages?"

MA:  People almost always try and talk to us at least a little.
D:  I think the time-skipping helps with that.  The older you are, the more you skip, so the less time you have to forget things in.

"I guess that makes sense."

D:  What sort of things are you planning to do now that you know about ghosts?

"Research and groundwork for going public. There are a lot of implications and applications but I don't know what they all are yet, it deserves thought."

MA:  It most certainly does.
D:  You kids be careful.

"That's the plan."

MA:  Did you bring a camera here today?

"I did not, sorry."

MA:  Seems more an inconvenience to you.  It's not as if photos can't be faked, but you'd get better ones tonight than any for a while, and then you'd have something to show folks so they'd know that you're putting in at least enough effort to be serious about it.

"I expect to be able to convince my dad, and to want longer before I'm telling anyone other than him."

MA:  Suit yourself.

Always. No, he's being less snarky. "Will you want to help stage photos if you're around whenever I get to that?"

MA:  I don't see why not.  Could be fun.

"Could be. I don't have any specific photos in mind, besides the very basic 'stuff floating'. Video will probably be better anyway."

D:  We'll think on it.  Though we'll have less time to than you two.

"Still, more" heads - how about not that actually! - "people on it is better."

D:  How involved do you expect your dad to want to be in this?

"Oh, basically not at all, I expect him to mutter a lot and then provide logistical help while giving me weird looks, but like, it's fine, I'm a grownup."

D:  How old are you?

"Eighteen since September."

MA:  You might do better to bring in a circle of people you can really trust and who are interested, if you can source any.  This is big stuff and eighteen isn't as old as it might feel.
D:  With respect.
MA:  With respect.
D:  And it might still be a good idea even if you were a little older.

"I will certainly be seeing who I can pick up as I go, but I am an introvert and do not come equipped with a posse already."