Sergei
Sergei brooded, fingers flicking over his guitar strings. Angelo turned another page in his book, then looked at his friend.
"Look, why don't you just go talk to her?"
A glare, and another riff greeted him.
"The worst thing she can say is no."
"No, the worst thing that can happen is that she will laugh," Sergei said.
"I..."
"Go and ask her."
Angelo smiled slightly and then returned to reading as Sergei put his guitar down and walked off, hands in his pockets. He roamed around the campsite, looking for and not looking for Shannon. He found her eventually.
"Hey, Shannon...can we talk?"
Shannon
Shannon looked up at Sergei from the book she was reading. Before, she hadn't liked reading much because it was so hard to get the correct meaning of the words. But now that she was getting control over her power it wasn't so much as issue any more.
"Sure," she replied with a smile.
She put her bookmark in her place and put the book down.
Sergei
Sergei smiled back at her nervously.
"So, what are you reading?"
Damn it, he really, really sucked at this.
Shannon
"The Swiss Family Robinson," Shannon replied.
She passed it to him so he could have a look.
Sergei
"Yeah?"
Sergei leafed through it, making sure her bookmark stayed in. He could understand some of the English.
"Looks good...do you like it?"
Shannon
"I am enjoying it, yes," Shannon replied, shaking her head. "This family gets shipwrecked on the island and it details how they survived. No pirates like the movie though."
Sergei
"Ah. I think that Russia has a similair tale, but I do not remember it..."
Sergei handed her the book back and scuffed his foot across the ground.
"Shannon...would you go out with me?"
Shannon
Shannon was silent for a moment. Then, feeling a blush sweep acorss her face, she shook her head.
"Yes," she said. "Yes I will."
Sergei
Sergei smiled happily.
"That's...good. I wanted to ask you for ages, but I didn't know if you would say yes..."
Shannon
Shannon smiled back.
"Hard to tell with someone who talks in opposites so much," she joked.
Sergei
"Da, like you say..."
Sergei sat down next to her carefully, smiling slightly and vastly relieved.
Shannon
Shannon chewed her lip.
"I'm glad you asked me..."
Sergei
"So am I."
Sergei watched her and wondered if...
Shannon
Shannon held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. Okay. This was awkward.
Sergei
Sergei chuckled briefly.
"Regretting it already?"
Shannon
Shannon looked back at him.
"No, no," she said softly. "Just... I... not really... used to this."
Sergei
"Tell you something...neither am I," Sergei said.
He fidgted slightly, looking at her then reached over and took her hand in his, noting how dark he looked against her pale skin.
"We'll just see how this goes..."
Shannon
Shannon chewed her bottom lip some more and nodded.
"Yes..."
Sergei
Sergei kissed her hand lightly.
"So, want to show me how to shoot a bow?"
Shannon
Shannon blushed.
"Sure," she said with a light giggle. "I brought mine with me, we can do some now if you want?"
Sergei
"Sounds good to me," Sergei said.
"Know somewhere we can without shooting someone?"
Shannon
Shannon nodded and stood, picking up her book in the process.
"There's an archery range just over there," she pointed.
Sergei
"Great."
Sergei nodded, standing up.
"But if Dawn walks across the range, can we shoot her in the leg and say it was an accident?"
Shannon
Shannon giggled.
"I don't think anyone would believe me if I were the one making the shot," she said, walking over to the tent so she could put away the book and collect her bow and arrows.
Sergei
"But if it was me, they would," Sergeu said.
Shannon
Shannon smiled, and walked towards the range, equipment in hand.
"Well, if it makes you happy," she said.
Sergei
"Getting Dawn back for the numerous small niusances she's caused to Tav, and the fact that she thinks she's the only one who's ever lost any family and has a right to act like a whiny bitch because of it," Sergei said.
"That's the main reasons. Borzhemoi, like she's the only one who has had family die!"
Shannon
Shannon nodded.
"The world does not revolve around her?" she suggested.
Sergei
"She thinks it does," Sergei said.
"That's what ticks me off the most. And Scott and Jean perpetuate it for her."
Shannon
Shannon paused thoughtfully as they arrived at the range.
"Take all kinds to make up a world. One must take the good with the bad," then she smiled. "But we don't have to like it."
She took up her bow and loaded it, barely requiring a second to take aim and hit the bullseye.
Sergei
"Very true," Sergei said.
"So how the hell did you do that?"
Shannon
Shannon smiled.
"Lots and lots of practice," she said. "Years even."
She tentatively handed him her bow and an arrow.
"Better to stand side on, and keep the arrow on eye level."
Sergei
Sergei took them off her and mimicked the stance she'd had before.
"Like this?"
Shannon
Shannon eyed him thoughtfully, then shook her head.
"Good," she said. "When you aim, pull the arrow as far back as possible and look down it."
Sergei
Sergei nodded slightly and followed her instructions.
The arrow clipped the top of the target and skimmed harmlessly into the grass.
Shannon
Shannon shook her head.
"Good," she said. "Try it again, and aim a bit lower. Today is a good day for beginners. Not much wind. Learn to counter that some other time."
Sergei
"Right."
Sergei tried again and this time managed to hit the target.
Shannon
Shannon smiled.
"Good," she said. "Sometimes can take awhile before you hit the target. Second shot is very good."
Sergei
"Flattery will get you anywhere," Sergei said.
"If I can manage to talk Storm into it, would you like to go see a movie?"
He released another arrow and it hit in the outside circle of the target.
Shannon
"S-sure," Shannon stammered.
She chewed her lip, looked at the group, then looked back up at him.
Sergei
Sergei smiled.
"Anything in particular you want to see?"
Shannon
Shannon nodded her head.
"Don't know what's on," she explained. "What about you?"
Sergei
"Mmm...don't know either."
Sergei thought for a moment.
"There's...Elf, Chainsaw Massacre, Mystic River..."
Shannon
"Elf," Shannon giggled. "Elf movies amuse me. They can be so far off."
Sergei
"Alrighty, Elf it is," Sergei said.
"What did you think of the Lord of the Rings movies then?"
Shannon
"Mmm... well they're a bit of a mix up..." Shannon replied. "For the most part it's pretty accurate, but there are just a few little things that aren't quite right. But it is a human written script after all..."
She shrugged.
Sergei
"Who as far as they know, elves do not exist," Sergei said.
"What I hate are mutant movies."
Shannon
Shannon tilted her head to the side.
"Oh?" she inquired.
Sergei
"Mutants are evil, mutants are the spawn of Satan, yah, yah," Sergei said.
"Like people don't hate us enough already. Without movies hyping the hysteria."
Shannon
Shannon paused for a moment.
" 'Waterworld' was alright."
Sergei
"This is true," Sergei said.
"But generally..."
Shannon
Shannon smiled.
"I know what you mean. It is odd, though... there is a great deal of human entertainment about people who are different in some fantastical way, but when they actually encounter such a one, they are afraid..."
Sergei
"Frightened of what they do not know."
Sergei's arrow hit the target.
"You can see it through their history."
Shannon
Shannon shook her head slowly.
"And yet... the only thing that don't know, is that they already know."
Sergei
"I feel sorry for the full human mutants," Sergei said.
"I at least am used to hiding what I am..."
Shannon
"We should not have to hide what we are at all," Shannon said sadly. "Perhaps one day..."
Sergei
"Yeah, maybe. You sound like the professor. Eternal quest for hope."
Sergei smoothed her hair away from her face.
Shannon
"Where there is life, there's hope," Shannon said.
She felt herself blushing again, and wished she would stop doing that.
Sergei
Sergei smiled.
"Perhaps. But I'm an eternal pessimist."
Shannon
Shannon smiled back.
"Good to have pessimists. They balance out the existence of optimists. Between us there should come some compromise."
Sergei
"Something along the lines of opposites attract?"
Sergei hesitated for a moment, then kissed her gently.
Shannon
Shannon sort of stood there limply for a moment, then tentatively responded.
Definitely not used to this.
Sergei
"By nastolbko kracibejshchi," Sergei murmured. (You are so beautiful.)
Shannon
"Diola lle," Shannon replied softly. (Thank you).
She wasn't entirely certain what he said (well, she couldn't speak Russian), but she figured that was probably a safe response. Note to self, learn Russian.
Sergei
Sergei smiled slightly.
"Sorry, I should speak English. But it is so much easier just to speak Russian, you know? I think better."
He stroked her hair softly.
Shannon
"Is okay," Shannon replied. "Perhaps then I should try to learn some Russian..."
She trailed off uncertainly.
Sergei
"You don't have to."
Sergei ran a hand through his hair.
"Russian is hard enough for the people who were born there."
Shannon
Shannon giggled.
"Well, I have plenty of time to practice," she said, thinking of elven longevity.
Sergei
"If you teach me some at least passable Elvish," Sergei said.
Shannon
Shannon smiled.
"I can do that," she said.
She paused for a moment, thinking.
"My name in Elvish is Sailacel."
Sergei
"Sailacel...that's pretty."
Sergei smiled thoughtfully.
Shannon
"Thank you," Shannon said.
She chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"And your name, I think, would be Varyarndur," she paused. "Maybe."
Sergei
"Sounds almost Russian," Sergei said.
"If you want to call me that, that is fine..."
Shannon
Shannon smiled.
"I'll call you Sergei," she said. "Your name is your name."
Sergei
"S'true. So, which name do you prefer?" Sergei asked.
"Your Elven one, or Shannon?"
Shannon
"Shannon, thank you," she replied.
She chewed her bottom lip tentatively.
Sergei
"They're both beautiful names anyway..." Sergei said.
They both flirted harmlessly a bit more, Sergei getting pointers from Shannon on archery until Storm came and got them for dinner.