The guard thought for a few seconds.

"You're a bit early, but no sense standing around like idiot."

He opened the gate, holding it open to let the party through.

"Come in through. I will take you to Visa Section."

Josie gestured to the other girls, with "Okay, thank you."

The man led them through the small car park and the doors, then down a corridor to a room marked 'Visa Section' in Czech and German.

It was rather akin to a hospital waiting room, with a currently empty counter up the front, an array of plastic chairs and various posters on the wall, extolling the virtues of communist Czechoslovakia while also attacking US foreign policy, especially in Vietnam.

On tables betwen the seats were piled various books and leaflets about the country in English and German.

"You need to wait here", the man said and left them alone,

In reply to Control (msg # 44):

Josie waited with the other girls in the room, glancing around. She walked over to the table, and picked up one of the books in English, wondering what it was about, and flipped through the pages.

She hoped it didn't take long to get their visas.

The book was a guide to life in Bohemia, showing colour photographs of rural living in the Czech countryside, with various scenes depicting planting, harvests and tractors. Plenty of tractors. It was published in Prague and the text subtly but clear praised the communist regime.

A few minutes later, a middle aged woman in thick glasses came up to the counter, then reached under the desk to pull out various forms.

She called out to the others.

[Language unknown: Ee beith t aveoneday icheveere, be th ichnderes?]

The form was four pages long. The first was in German and had the standard sort of questions, including where you would be staying, but the rest was in Czech...

In reply to Control (msg # 46):

Josie stared at the form. The German part she could read, but the Czech..."I can't speak a single word of this language" She sighed.

Sarah came over and took a look at the form.

"I can help there. A lot of it is just identical questions to the German picture. They need multiple copies, you know... for their records."

Government bureaucracy it seemed was the same whatever country you were in.

She indicated the various fields.

"Surname, forenames, place of birth etc... where you are staying in Czechoslovakia... have you visited previously..."

She looked around for a fountain pen and passed one over.

"What are you planning to do in relation to this concert?" she whispered.

In reply to Sarah Novak (msg # 48):

Josie gave Sarah a thank-you smile and took the fountain pen. Then she filled out the form with the proper answers, and replied, "I'm not sure yet."

Sarah leaned in closer.

"I suggest you act as a roadie of some form. Someone's going to ask and we need someone to do the heavy lifting. Can't have our violinist carrying her own suitcases around, can we?"

In reply to Sarah Novak (msg # 50):

Josie smiled. "Good idea."

With the rest of the forms completed, Sarah handed them over and then disappeared into an interview room with Lieba to discuss the planned concert.

A member of embassy staff came over to Josie.

[Language unknown: "Ore Pl ersio tr thoestiouard of stithusti? Icacck wi som iou Naunpl itlopr anter ei u oulsa.]

In reply to Sarah Novak (msg # 52):

Josie looked puzzled, and asked "Could you say that in English?"

Sarah turned to the man and spoke to him.

[Language unknown: Prondewas, ta ivanss manandshe natiet Lestioyin. Si whifo icasomyin Butwilare?]

The man shook his head and Novak turned back to Josie, realising that she was going to need to do this a lot on the coming mission.

"He's offering us something to drink. Also, some snacks. Local ones."

She glanced over towards the door, where someone was wheeling a trolley in.

"Rude to refuse them."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Tue 09 July 2019.

In reply to Sarah Novak (msg # 54):

Josie smiled at Sarah and said "Thank you." Then she glanced at the trolley  and remarked,"You're right. We can't."

Ooc: It's Josie, not Jessica.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:22, Sat 06 July 2019.

In reply to Sarah Novak (msg # 52):

Lieba looked up as Sarah walked into the room.  She was thus far unsure about how she felt about this woman, or most of the ad hoc team she found herself a part of.  While it wasn't unheard of for operations to take this kind of slap-dash approach when needs required, but most operators preferred to at have a modicum of time together before trying to pull off something as complex and complicated as they were undertaking.  It was a good thing that Lieba had a bit of an adventure bug in her mixed in with her complicated Bohemian style and taste for finer things of life.  She expected that this was going to be a blast, of course, that was provided that they didn't all die horribly at the tyrannical hands of Brezhnev's bully boys.

"I sent a letter ahead from the train while we were in transit, letting them know that I was interested in playing after all, as per their request.  Hopefully, it has arrived and generated the expected response and interest."  She looked around the room they were in, trying to spot where the inevitable listening devices may have been placed. "I would be open to any event suggestions you might have,  if nothing else but to pass the time while we wait."

OOC:just hopping in cold;  i'll be running Ms. Moszkowicz moving forward...unsure of the actual plan laid out so far, so fishing a little here in the first post.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:04, Fri 19 July 2019.

The trolley had an array of sweet and savoury snacks, including open sandwiches with various meats and cheeses left over, potato pancakes and pastries.

The man took one of the second.

[Language unknown: M whan terur asest k yinla u. A ove satole ul olenc Ilnti Redrombutenc Whiredaveven niitme li e der mo nciv.]

He then took a bite.

In reply to Control (msg # 57):

Josie looked over the snack trolley, and selected a pastry, biting into it and finding it quite nice.

Lieba smiled warmly at the man's suggestion, then reached out to pluck a small open sandwich from the cart.

[Language unknown: "Andol ivinme ast se viriouand arfo, e se ncsti ivbut Rono Lonancof!"] Taking a delicate bite of the snack,  she continued. [Language unknown: "Pl vir thesheson ng ckhi ceta ilour al a linoreure?"]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:05, Wed 24 July 2019.

"[Language unknown: Ck ter tewa nent es derlatpro setck iosichom ithconwas. I art ngpeun mi ngeeus linito e whrice n urmo. Teris erlat evne urroreun a whmiri ac po elwhan?]" the man asked, "[Language unknown: Iv N fowas th thaereate dayintareive, Pe ast ekame whsica mo.]"

He took an open sandwich himself.

Lieba continued to smile politely at the man as he spoke. [Language unknown: "Tearwi waleac at ssplss, n la remoha.  Si ereoulred i oreur thie'iowa utulpo oerle E nde t nast itthhaho oseclito ingun ntiderainhis foil whfor!"] She tried to let some of her passion for music flow into her tone.  It might only be a cover story right now, but she did love music.  Hopefully he would feel her inspiration and be more helpful to her.

(Social Engineering Check: Rolled a 6)

[Language unknown: K mi ngarisnepo! La etear orepl si dinartare ssers se ate tireli nteblestaent poicatec wil!]

Straight away in this case meant thirty-five minutes. However, the three of them were all issued with two week visas for the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, valid from the following day.

Sitting there waiting for the man to return, Leiba smiled amiably and made meaningless small talk with the other women in the room.  Nothing of note, just a babble that kept her mouth working while her mind went to other things.  Plans and contingency plans rolled through her mind, halting abruptly as the man reentered the small interview area with their visas.  Two weeks should be more than enough time.

[Language unknown: Fiwise ar whfi m ilvir!  Nt koroervor dineveain eibe evmomi n nient t eeioaiar eslelo t ortdinereectstaeau tr p ckri sttrun lo m ome virstrast hasandoundin?"]

Listening to the man's suggestions, Leiba would remain polite and engaging until everything was finished being arranged.  Then she would suggest they depart to rest before their travels.

In reply to Control (msg # 62):

Josie took her visa, and sighed quietly in relief. Thank goodness that was done. She thanked the man who gave them their visas, and then said "Perhaps we should get going." to the other girls.

Sarah nodded.

"[Language unknown: Laany, tieril nd seil. M ul e ure ntul korthiint allhernot his str tioandame...]"

She looked around for the exit and after making sure she had all her stuff, she took one more sweet pastry then indicated for the others to walk out of the building.

The man nodded.

[Language unknown: Ion ilch wh ev proainreatio aiing Alfoic, sa ear ing wh sa ofbe pronla ll ughss onesntwene. Rea Il artlinave nc tinsomain of Astrutithingati? Ati ere nti o onsius.]