LOG; On the way to the show; Kipling + Natalia
Who : Kipling and Natalia
What : Small talk
When : Before the recital
Dressing up was a necesary evil, and he was thankful that his job gave him the chance to actually get used to wearing clothing that clung too tightly and made him feel kind of itchy. As a result, Kipling didn't look too out of place as he started up to the girl's house. He actually bothered to pull his hair back and wore nicer shoes. It was partly because he wanted to make sure her parents believed his story, and partly because Ivan didn't need someone who looked almost like a hippie trying to get inside of his recital.
Upon reaching the door, Kipling knocked three times and then shifted uncomfortably. Hopefully, they would buy his story, and they would be on their way.
Natalia ran the brush through her hair once more before putting her signature red headband into place. She wore a simple blue dress with a white shawl, and the gold cross necklace she always wore on special occasions. Her parents and brother stood behind her as she answered the door, almost as if ready to attack if they saw an axe murderer. But Natalia knew Kipling wasn't like that.
Excuse, excuse, excuse. He straightened up and full smile to her family. "I'm one of the organizers for events at her school," he explained in Russian. "Understand that there's some liability in bringing her somewhere, but my superior wanted to ensure that the students without escorts would get there safely. I ... hope that's fine?" Kipling was probably the worst person for a role like this, but he did have some acting experience that made his lies roll off his tongue a little better.
Alisa Belova smiled politely and nodded. "Natalia did tell me about the event this weekend, and she told us you were a very nice young man."
Akim, her husband, eyed Kipling very sternly. "You promise you will take good care of my Natasha, and see that she is home safe as soon as the event is over?"
"She'll be perfectly safe," Kipling said, even if he wasn't absolutely certain if that were the truth. However, she thankfully had one of the more defensive abilities, and she would certainly be a priority if things turned into a mess in any fashion. "Make sure she doesn't get muddled in any trouble, but it is just an event, and she is an excellent student." As if he knew her well enough. Kipling hoped she was a good student, or else that statement would be awkward. His hands casually slid inside of his suit jacket and he offered another pleasant smile.
"Then you have our trust." Alisa smiled and kissed Natalia's cheeks. "You have a good time, and don't speak to strangers."
Akim smiled approvingly. "Especially the males."
Natalia kissed her father and brother goodbye, then grabbed her small black purse. "I will. Thank you, Mama and Papa, and I will see you later!" She walked to Kipling's side.
Professional, good, proper adult--it was rarely something someone would use to describe Kipling, good person or not. He offered her parents a final nod before turning around and starting down the path with her beside him. "Didn't do too bad, did I?" he asked in a low tone, and if her parents were still watching, it would look like he was simply greeting her and welcoming her along for the trip.
"You did just fine. Papa is not very quick to trust strangers, and he trusted you," Natalia said. She was a bit nervous as she tried to stay by his side as closely as she could, without clinging.
Trust. He liked having someone trust him, especially given his current flatmate's lack of trust. Kipling smiled carefully in response to that. "Probably won't be able to do this again," he admitted as they turned and started in the direction of where the recital was being held. It would be a few blocks, but thankfully, they got an early enough start.
"Feeling all right, right?" he asked, realizing he should have much sooner.
"I'm fine," Natalia said, "just a little nervous." She didn't want to ask if there was a chance Makar would be there, saying it aloud might jinx it into happening.
"Don't be." It was necessary to be a little confident about this. "Only one who should be nervous is Ivan, and he'll be brilliant up there." Kipling purposefully kept his strides a little shorter than usual in order to keep her at his side.
"I'm sure he will," Natalia agreed. Maybe Makar wouldn't show up...besides, either way, she felt safe at Kipling's side. "My father loves classical music, so I grew up listening to it and developed a fondness for it," she said.
"Always liked listening to it and imagining pictures to it," he said with a small nod. "Used to set full films to scores." Kipling wasn't always lost in imagination, but he did like to do it from time to time. It had been a while since he thought seriously about filmmaking, and he had a feeling he probably wouldn't again. Living through the year seemed unlikely, especially with how he was putting himself on the line.
"I always imagined that was difficult," Natalia said. In her favorite films, the music seemed to fit closely with the scene, perfectly in time. "That must take a lot of patience.
"It does," he agreed. "Never had much difficulty. Each song has a different feel to it, and sometimes listening to it before a scene makes it all the more easier. Easier to find a song and such." Kipling rolled his shoulders back and realized how comforting it was to casually discuss something like this before an event that could prove to be particularly problematic.
"I could never do anything like that," Natalia said, laughing a little. "My artistic talent only goes as far as drawing, and I could play the violin as a child...though not too well."
"Went to uni for it. Wasn't very good with what I was doing before that." It was almost a shame that Kipling wasted all his talent on an unfinished documentary that sat in a box underneath his bed. "Not doing much with it, but I don't mind it so much. Maybe next year."
Natalia nodded. "My family says I should go to nursing school, not university." She laughed, a little more loudly this time. "And they may be right. The thing I do best is care for other people."
"Might want to do that, yeah," Kipling agreed. "Do you know any first aid? If that's what you want to do, it might come in handy with us as time passes." He didn't want to say "as we start getting hurt," but he didn't want to worry her any more than he had to.
"Yes," Natalia said, "I know everything from CPR to wrapping bandages."
"Should be useful," he said. "Hope it doesn't have to be, but we have to be realistic, don't we?" Kipling would've liked to shrug off the idea, but he didn't want to alleviate too much of the pressure from the situation. The typical calm smile was there, but he didn't want to treat the next month as if they were nothing.
In the distance, he saw the building, as well as a number of people making their way inside. He didn't see the black haired boy yet, but he suspected he would. They still had a little to walk, anyway.
"Of course! If anyone gets hurt, I'll be right there to tend to their wounds," Natalia said, feeling a little more confident as the words left her mouth. I suppose it won't be as scary as long as I can help them out, she thought.
"Brilliant." It seemed that she would be useful in case they were heading into something where there could be someone hurt. The fact that she could remain invisible through the event was also useful. She couldn't be hurt in the process. Her safety would ensure other people's safety. That was what Kipling wanted more than anything.
As they reached the door, he glanced around the area carefully. "Head on inside and sit among a lot of people. See any trouble, slip out. And remain unseen. Don't need to break any promises. I'll be right in the back."
"Are you sure that's safe...? I promised Mama and Papa I would avoid strangers," Natalia said. "But I suppose that's what my powers are for, if someone is dangerous."
"Might be better if someone's not familiar for this," he said after a brief moment of thought. If she didn't know someone in there, that meant it was probably not an Angel that she had seen on the community. That could be useful, rather than hurtful. "Just want you to be safe. Can't imagine you'll have much of a problem just sitting." It was being outside that unnerved him the most.
"All right." Natalia nodded, trying to stifle her uneasiness.
Kipling opened the door and allowed her to go inside. He was just about to follow her when he saw a familiar head of hair in the distance--Makar's, he believed--and he decided it might be best if he didn't go in, not yet. "Be in there soon," he said before the door closed.
There was other business to worry about.
What : Small talk
When : Before the recital
Dressing up was a necesary evil, and he was thankful that his job gave him the chance to actually get used to wearing clothing that clung too tightly and made him feel kind of itchy. As a result, Kipling didn't look too out of place as he started up to the girl's house. He actually bothered to pull his hair back and wore nicer shoes. It was partly because he wanted to make sure her parents believed his story, and partly because Ivan didn't need someone who looked almost like a hippie trying to get inside of his recital.
Upon reaching the door, Kipling knocked three times and then shifted uncomfortably. Hopefully, they would buy his story, and they would be on their way.
Natalia ran the brush through her hair once more before putting her signature red headband into place. She wore a simple blue dress with a white shawl, and the gold cross necklace she always wore on special occasions. Her parents and brother stood behind her as she answered the door, almost as if ready to attack if they saw an axe murderer. But Natalia knew Kipling wasn't like that.
Excuse, excuse, excuse. He straightened up and full smile to her family. "I'm one of the organizers for events at her school," he explained in Russian. "Understand that there's some liability in bringing her somewhere, but my superior wanted to ensure that the students without escorts would get there safely. I ... hope that's fine?" Kipling was probably the worst person for a role like this, but he did have some acting experience that made his lies roll off his tongue a little better.
Alisa Belova smiled politely and nodded. "Natalia did tell me about the event this weekend, and she told us you were a very nice young man."
Akim, her husband, eyed Kipling very sternly. "You promise you will take good care of my Natasha, and see that she is home safe as soon as the event is over?"
"She'll be perfectly safe," Kipling said, even if he wasn't absolutely certain if that were the truth. However, she thankfully had one of the more defensive abilities, and she would certainly be a priority if things turned into a mess in any fashion. "Make sure she doesn't get muddled in any trouble, but it is just an event, and she is an excellent student." As if he knew her well enough. Kipling hoped she was a good student, or else that statement would be awkward. His hands casually slid inside of his suit jacket and he offered another pleasant smile.
"Then you have our trust." Alisa smiled and kissed Natalia's cheeks. "You have a good time, and don't speak to strangers."
Akim smiled approvingly. "Especially the males."
Natalia kissed her father and brother goodbye, then grabbed her small black purse. "I will. Thank you, Mama and Papa, and I will see you later!" She walked to Kipling's side.
Professional, good, proper adult--it was rarely something someone would use to describe Kipling, good person or not. He offered her parents a final nod before turning around and starting down the path with her beside him. "Didn't do too bad, did I?" he asked in a low tone, and if her parents were still watching, it would look like he was simply greeting her and welcoming her along for the trip.
"You did just fine. Papa is not very quick to trust strangers, and he trusted you," Natalia said. She was a bit nervous as she tried to stay by his side as closely as she could, without clinging.
Trust. He liked having someone trust him, especially given his current flatmate's lack of trust. Kipling smiled carefully in response to that. "Probably won't be able to do this again," he admitted as they turned and started in the direction of where the recital was being held. It would be a few blocks, but thankfully, they got an early enough start.
"Feeling all right, right?" he asked, realizing he should have much sooner.
"I'm fine," Natalia said, "just a little nervous." She didn't want to ask if there was a chance Makar would be there, saying it aloud might jinx it into happening.
"Don't be." It was necessary to be a little confident about this. "Only one who should be nervous is Ivan, and he'll be brilliant up there." Kipling purposefully kept his strides a little shorter than usual in order to keep her at his side.
"I'm sure he will," Natalia agreed. Maybe Makar wouldn't show up...besides, either way, she felt safe at Kipling's side. "My father loves classical music, so I grew up listening to it and developed a fondness for it," she said.
"Always liked listening to it and imagining pictures to it," he said with a small nod. "Used to set full films to scores." Kipling wasn't always lost in imagination, but he did like to do it from time to time. It had been a while since he thought seriously about filmmaking, and he had a feeling he probably wouldn't again. Living through the year seemed unlikely, especially with how he was putting himself on the line.
"I always imagined that was difficult," Natalia said. In her favorite films, the music seemed to fit closely with the scene, perfectly in time. "That must take a lot of patience.
"It does," he agreed. "Never had much difficulty. Each song has a different feel to it, and sometimes listening to it before a scene makes it all the more easier. Easier to find a song and such." Kipling rolled his shoulders back and realized how comforting it was to casually discuss something like this before an event that could prove to be particularly problematic.
"I could never do anything like that," Natalia said, laughing a little. "My artistic talent only goes as far as drawing, and I could play the violin as a child...though not too well."
"Went to uni for it. Wasn't very good with what I was doing before that." It was almost a shame that Kipling wasted all his talent on an unfinished documentary that sat in a box underneath his bed. "Not doing much with it, but I don't mind it so much. Maybe next year."
Natalia nodded. "My family says I should go to nursing school, not university." She laughed, a little more loudly this time. "And they may be right. The thing I do best is care for other people."
"Might want to do that, yeah," Kipling agreed. "Do you know any first aid? If that's what you want to do, it might come in handy with us as time passes." He didn't want to say "as we start getting hurt," but he didn't want to worry her any more than he had to.
"Yes," Natalia said, "I know everything from CPR to wrapping bandages."
"Should be useful," he said. "Hope it doesn't have to be, but we have to be realistic, don't we?" Kipling would've liked to shrug off the idea, but he didn't want to alleviate too much of the pressure from the situation. The typical calm smile was there, but he didn't want to treat the next month as if they were nothing.
In the distance, he saw the building, as well as a number of people making their way inside. He didn't see the black haired boy yet, but he suspected he would. They still had a little to walk, anyway.
"Of course! If anyone gets hurt, I'll be right there to tend to their wounds," Natalia said, feeling a little more confident as the words left her mouth. I suppose it won't be as scary as long as I can help them out, she thought.
"Brilliant." It seemed that she would be useful in case they were heading into something where there could be someone hurt. The fact that she could remain invisible through the event was also useful. She couldn't be hurt in the process. Her safety would ensure other people's safety. That was what Kipling wanted more than anything.
As they reached the door, he glanced around the area carefully. "Head on inside and sit among a lot of people. See any trouble, slip out. And remain unseen. Don't need to break any promises. I'll be right in the back."
"Are you sure that's safe...? I promised Mama and Papa I would avoid strangers," Natalia said. "But I suppose that's what my powers are for, if someone is dangerous."
"Might be better if someone's not familiar for this," he said after a brief moment of thought. If she didn't know someone in there, that meant it was probably not an Angel that she had seen on the community. That could be useful, rather than hurtful. "Just want you to be safe. Can't imagine you'll have much of a problem just sitting." It was being outside that unnerved him the most.
"All right." Natalia nodded, trying to stifle her uneasiness.
Kipling opened the door and allowed her to go inside. He was just about to follow her when he saw a familiar head of hair in the distance--Makar's, he believed--and he decided it might be best if he didn't go in, not yet. "Be in there soon," he said before the door closed.
There was other business to worry about.