anti-OTP: Sam Spade/Vera

[naturestrangled]

The sound of gunfire can be heard, coming from somewhere on the grounds. Vera has chosen a tree and drawn a target on it with a bit of chalk, and is practising her shooting with a rather antiquated (though fine for her time) pistol. She pauses to reload and shoots again, intent on her task and unlikely to notice much else for the moment.

Comments

[mancalledspade]

"What is it women have against trees today?" he asks, wryly and without preamble.

[mancalledspade]

"What'd Kotemkin do?"

[naturestrangled]

"He took my brother to Siberia, and hunted me for years. Said he would have flogged me to death at the roadside if he'd known what I would become." She sounds more than a little proud of that.

[mancalledspade]

"Worth a good scare, at least," he concedes.

[naturestrangled]

"At least."

[mancalledspade]

"You want somethin' to drink?"

[naturestrangled]

"That would depend on what 'something' refers to. I'm -- not exceptionally fond of strong drink." Her wry look just may suggest bad past experiences.

[mancalledspade]

"Maybe just a small glass of wine, then?" He grins. "Or water, there's always that."

[naturestrangled]

"I suppose a little wine would be all right." It's hard to manage much tolerance for alcohol when you're only an inch or so over five feet.

[mancalledspade]

"Come on, time to leave the poor tree alone for today."

[naturestrangled]

She looks amused. "Protecting the forests now, are you? Very well, then."

[mancalledspade]

"Miss Cuthbert taught me the word 'environmentalist' the other day, and I thought I should give it a try."

[naturestrangled]

"I don't think I've heard it before."

[mancalledspade]

"I hadn't either. No idea what it means, except looking out for trees."

[naturestrangled]

"Ah." She glances back at the bullet-ridden tree. "In that case, I'm fairly certain I'm not one."

[mancalledspade]

He laughs. "Guess not. Come on." And he starts heading back.