Iskaulit Mingle

[passingthrough]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Nah!
Action: Iskaulit
When: April!

[So many spaces to explore. So little time.]

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

Pavel, then.

[She glances around, considering that briefly. She's not one to talk about her past much, but it's also not a secret.

No need to dig out all of the details.]

Volgograd, originally. But I've moved around a lot since then. Don't get back often.

You?

[candothat]

[He won't ask for details that she isn't happy to provide without prompting, it's okay.]

Volgograd! I have family there. [And everywhere else in Eastern Europe, but.] Or I will, or I did. It depends on when you're from.

Taganrog, and then Petersburg. I've also moved around with few opportunities to visit, although I'm told that I don't sound like that's the case.

[outstandingbalance]

Twentieth century. Then the twenty-first.

[There is something vaguely infectious about his excitement meeting another Russian. Natasha's glad she could make him happy, even if it comes with a pang of guilt.]

It's not such a bad thing, to sound like you're from where you're from.

[candothat]

Ah, then they would be there. If you meet any Chekovs... don't say anything, I suppose, since they would think you were crazy if I asked you to give them my regards.

[He's so excited, though. There was a sad lack of Russians in the two previous prisons--not that the Ukrainian mobsters weren't great company!]

I'm usually proud to have an accent, which is fortunate since I could never sound the way that you do. I would have guessed that you were American.

[outstandingbalance]

Well. I had to move to the US a while back for work. I'm there mostly, these days. Or was.

[That is the highly sanitized version of the story, but not a lie.]

But your English is fine. Anyone who complains about it is just annoyed that everyone else doesn't sound like them.

[candothat]

And will be again, I'm certain, since none of us are going to be trapped here forever.

Thank you, Natasha. You're very kind. [Between okaying his accent and not laughing at his defeat-by-punching-bag, she has earned that.]

[outstandingbalance]

[Oh, Natasha isn't kind. She wouldn't consider herself kind, at least. But she does smile slightly at the comment.]

Not really. Call it a courtesy. For a countryman. [Her smile softens slightly, the corners of her lips curling.] Let me see you punch.

[candothat]

[Look Natasha, it's a low bar. Just accept it.]

Thank you anyway. [He's a little hesitant to demonstrate his subpar skills, but he nods and takes a swing at the bag. Even though he has clearly received some kind of instruction in the past, his form is terrible.

At least he doesn't let the punching bag hit back this time.]

[outstandingbalance]

[Not everyone is a fighter. Sometimes that's a good thing. She's also convinced he's not faking it; or if he is, he's real good at it.]

It's a start, I suppose. I think you can do better than that. Here, watch. [Natasha nudges him aside, taking his place and squaring up with the bag before delivering a text book punch, slowed down slightly so he can see what she's doing.] When you hit someone like this, it starts in your feet. You see that?

[candothat]

[Pavel has many, many talents. Neither fighting nor deception are among them.

He watches her intently.] Yes, okay. So the objective is to hit with your entire body, from the feet up.

[outstandingbalance]

The intention is to hit it with your fist. [The reply is teasing.] But with your whole body behind it.

[candothat]

You know what I mean. [He tries to look offended by the teasing and fails miserably at doing so.] May I see you do it again, please?

[outstandingbalance]

[A smile, because he's not convincing at all.

She holds up one fist, tapping her flat palm across her knuckles.]

Here. [Then she taps her foot, demonstrating where the force should come from.] And here.

[She punches the bag again,, a little faster, with more force.]

You follow?

[candothat]

[A nod. After watching her again, he taps his foot and his knuckles before mimicking her stance.]

I think that I do.

Also... if there is ever a fight, I would like to be on your side.

[outstandingbalance]

Let's hope it doesn't come to that too soon, either way.

[But with luck, he should be able to win against a heavy bag soon.]

Show me what you can do.

[candothat]

Or ever. I hope for no fighting ever.

[His next punch lacks any kind of ferocity or enthusiasm, but it's considerably better. At least he's good at imitation?]

I haven't done very much of this in years... almost a decade. Most of what I do at home will never involve fighting, hopefully.

[outstandingbalance]

I hear it works out that way for some people. Maybe you'll get lucky?

[She pats his shoulder once, giving it a quick squeeze to show her approval. It's not exactly high praise, but Natasha's not an incredibly emotive person either.]

Now try the same, but faster. With a little more force behind it.

[candothat]

It would take incredible luck.

[No, hey, that was plenty of approval. He smiles appreciatively before hitting the bag with more speed and vigor, a few times this time around. It's a work in progress.]

[outstandingbalance]

Does seem unlikely to me, but I hear some people go their whole lives without serious fights.

[That was a long way from Natasha's life though.]

That's one heavy bag that won't try starting something else with you though.

[candothat]

Who are these people? I would like to meet them.

[Joking, joking. He knows that plenty of them exist, just... not usually in Starfleet. Or wherever Natasha's from, apparently.]

Thank you for helping me exact my revenge.

[outstandingbalance]

I couldn't just let you lose, could I? Not when we're practically family.

[A joke, remembering his comment about having relatives in Volgograd.]

[candothat]

The entirety of our family would have been shamed if you had let your cousin from two centuries in the future be defeated in battle by an inanimate object, true.

Would you consider offering sparring lessons? My captain wants to teach me, but I'd rather not have him witness my embarrassment.

[outstandingbalance]

I think we could work something out, as long as you realize I won't go easy on you.

[So he better be prepared to spend a lot of time hitting the mat is what she's saying.]

Who's your captain?

[candothat]

I wouldn't expect you to.

[Maybe it'd be a nice distraction from things like thoughts and feelings?]

James Kirk. I'm sure that you've spoken with him.

[outstandingbalance]

We've met. I beat him up a time or two.

[The best distraction from thoughts and feelings, honestly.

Maybe second best.]

I think I can teach you enough not to have to be embarrassed in front of him.