Anastasia eyes the young blonde woman incredulously, cherry lips pouting into the suggestion of a miffed purse as the youngster practically commands that she be escorted back to her home. It is a long moment before she acquiesces, proffering up little more than a nod as she once again saunters towards the museum's entryway. The drive to Calliel's residence is blessedly brief, Anastasia having so very little desire to pilot the vehicle any longer than was absolutely required of her. The Russian woman gives pause for a moment, however, as her companion quite nearly throws herself from the automobile and careens up the stairs of the building that she had indicated. Anastasia follows in due time, having been taught at a preciously early age that ladies of a certain class were never permitted to run anywhere- though this was, admittedly, a doctrine that the Duchess had disregarded with frequent and reckless abandon in the earlier years of her mortal life, much to the chagrin of her dear mother and a handful of surly governesses. Her father, Alexander, however, had always seemed to bolster the more rebellious attributes of his daughter in the quiet, expressive manner that had always been his custom.

It is unclear what expectations she had been harboring in regards to the young Calliel's quarters, but Anastasia discovers herself party to a feeling of pleasant surprise at the orderliness of the apartment. Despite the overall cleanliness of the place, though, Anastasia was hardly clothed in proper loungewear and thus mildly perturbed at the notion of sitting about in her fitted dress and impeccably-polished heels. And so it is for reasons that are far from the realm of true clarity that she meanders into the living room, as instructed and despite the unsaid misgivings, to perch herself just so upon an overstuffed lounge as the production that had excited her young companion so entirely flashes to life upon the glossy canvas of the television screen.

And a most inexplicable production it undoubtedly is.

Across the span of the decades that had transpired since the day of her family's massacre, Anastasia had bore witness to a grand managerie of speculation and proclaimed "recreations" of both her publicly-lead life and of all of the possibilities of what could have occured in the subsequent ruin of the once-grand Romanov Empire. This, however, was something entirely more liberal than any of the other fictious demonstrations. Admittedly, Anastasia is unsurprised by the appearance of Grigori, for even in life the appellations of Rasputin and Romanov were so oft mentioned alongside one another... a source of great irritation for the only surviving child of Alexander. At least here, in this childrens' cartoon, he was depicted as the vile charlatan that Anastasia had always known him to be. A monster swathed in the guise of human flesh.

The rest though was outrageous and peculiar, the Duchess' sage eyes narrowed and focused upon the tale unfolding as Calliel returned from the kitchen with a generous portion of popped corn- something Anastasia continued to find a peculiar choice of snack for the watching of films. Calliel's proclamation that the much-anticipated "white bat" was to soon make his debut is met with a far more immediate and perturbing query on behalf of the Russian woman. "Where on earth did that dog come from? And why is her accent not Russian?!" It is pride, perhaps, or a innate desire for at least some measure of accuracy that spawns this last query- though hardly does she expect an answer from her youthful counterpart. Again do her eyes fix upon the screen, Grigori's animated representation appearing once more, this time accompanied by a... comedically-disproportionate little white bat. "Why a bat?" She poses the inquiry almost to herself, though little time does she have to puzzle over this odd choice of sidekick before Grigori's entire hand detaches from his body... followed by his head. "Bozhe moy," she exclaims, turning again to the blonde at her side. "This film is meant for children?!"

Anastasia Romanova

Grand Duchess of Imperial Russia