psl: polychromatic AU | sneaking out

[sleepingstar]

[Pai sits outside of Chekov's office, her skirt swishing as she swings her bare feet. She knows about the tracking devices Hei put in her shoes, of course, so she left them at home, along with a note saying she was going to spend time with a friend and she would be back around 11, so he should take the opportunity to have sex. (Creepy, perhaps, but there are a distinct lack of boundaries and innocence in the siblings.) She knows he probably won't listen to her, but it's worth the effort. She doesn't want her brother to find her with Chekov.

She likes the young Russian. He's kind and friendly and smart, and still friends with her brother, even knowing the truth about him. This makes him the perfect person to teach her how to blend in better. She knows enough to pass for short periods of time, enough to escape from enemy soldiers or to charm her way into a camp to kill, enough to comfort her brother, but she can't sustain it. She creeps people out when she spends too much time with them.

Hopefully he'll come out soon. Unlike her brother's other friends, Chekov's schedule is impossible to predict.]

Comments

[candothat]

[Erratic schedules are all part and parcel of working for Delacroix. She's a moody drunk (or perhaps she's always moody) and moody drunks don't always appreciate Chekov's presence when he's not completely engrossed in a project.

Today, Chekov leaves City Solutions just after six. He smiles at Pai the moment he sees her and jogs over.]

Pai, hello! [Seeing her is a pleasant surprise. Chekov liked her immediately--that may have something to do with her willingness to listen to science babble--but hasn't sought her out. Hei had behaved strangely around her, and Pavel has decided that, when he doesn't know how to interpret Hei's behavior, it's safest to be cautious.] Are you waiting for someone?

[sleepingstar]

[Pai is grateful that she didn't have to wait long for him to show up, though she is capable of uncanny patience. She smiles at him, pleased to see his pleasure.]

He just arrived.

[She's trying to imitate the way Amber used to flirt with Hei.]

[candothat]

[Chekov knows that there's no one behind him. That doesn't dissuade him from turning a full circle and feigning (obviously exaggerated) surprise upon finding that she has to be talking to him.]

Me? How may I help you?

[sleepingstar]

Hmm. [She taps her chin mock-thoughtfully.]

You could take me to dinner.

[candothat]

[Could he, then? That's rather forward, but it's not as if Chekov has anything exciting planned for the evening.]

I would be happy to. Where would you like to eat?

[sleepingstar]

[Pai is quiet, but she's never been shy. She's grown up knowing that you have to take what you want -- nobody will offer it to you. (Nobody but a brother, and she has only one of those.)]

You know the City better than I do. Any recommendations?

[candothat]

[He gives this some silent consideration.] Do you like American food? Hamburgers?

[Because there's nothing that fourteen year-old girls love more than hamburgers. If it wasn't already wildly obvious that Pavel has remarkably little dating experience...]

[sleepingstar]

That sounds perfect.

[candothat]

[He offers her an arm and a smile.] How did you convince your brother to let you out unescorted?

[Chekov could be wrong, of course, but Hei seemed awfully protective of Pai. It seems unlikely that he would be happy to let her run around on her own, however capable and self-sufficient she is.]

[sleepingstar]

[Pai wiggles her bare feet with a little grin.]

I didn't.

[candothat]

You will get me in trouble.

[He's joking, mostly. Kind of.]

[sleepingstar]

Don't worry; I'll protect you. [She knows how to manipulate her brother; all it will take is a frown, perhaps some moist eyes, and Hei won't dare mess with Chekov.

There are advantages to having a doting, obsessive older brother.]

[candothat]

If anything happens, I will hold you to that. [He kicks off his shoes and carries them. If Pai is barefoot, she won't care if he is, too.] The restaurant is approximately a block from the Square.

[sleepingstar]

[She takes his arm and lets him lead the way.]

How close is it to Cafe Santine? [She's still trying to adjust to the geography of the City. Not easy to do with a protective older brother who wants to keep her safe and all to himself.]

[candothat]

A quarter of a kilometer, maybe slightly more. [He can't be more exact without some kind of tool, but he's not off by much.] Do you need something from there?

[sleepingstar]

No, but my brother is working tonight. [So, you know........might want to be careful.]

[candothat]

Ah. [He pauses thoughtfully before heading down a side street, pulling her along with him.] Then we can go this way and avoid that street entirely.

Do you go out without permission often? [Not that Chekov objects to sneaking about. He's curious.]

[sleepingstar]

Not too often. [Otherwise Hei would step up his security measures even more, and she doesn't want to get into an arms race with her brother.] But it gets so boring when he's at work. I'm not an encantada.

[candothat]

[...No arms races.]

Encantada? Is that English?

[sleepingstar]

[She smiles a little -- a more genuine sign of amusement than a laugh.]

It's a Brazilian myth. Someone who is trapped in another dimension, cursed to live an eternal but unfruitful life for doing some bad deed.

[candothat]

I'm sure you've done nothing to deserve a boring existence like that.

[Well... he's not that sure. She's from the same world as Hei, after all, and it isn't a pleasant world.]

[sleepingstar]

[Bai just smiles, amused by how little he knows.]

[candothat]

What? Am I wrong? [He doesn't really expect an answer.

They're fast approaching Galaxy Burger, a rather quaint place with a distinct fifties-diner look to it.]

[sleepingstar]

It depends on who's the judge. [He knows her brother; he can't be completely naive. But it's still not in her best interest to give Chekov too many details about her past. Fortunately, they're close to the diner.]

Is that it? [she points to the shop]

[candothat]

[Interesting answer. He's not curious enough to ask and, honestly, would rather not know. Life would be happier if he didn't know about Hei.]

Yes, it is. Will it do? If not, there are several other places nearby.

[sleepingstar]

It's perfect. [Her stomach grumbles agreement.]

[candothat]

I'm glad that you approve. [He lets go of her arm to grab her hand and lead her into the diner.

It's not too busy. A waitress seats them at a booth and leaves them with their menus.]

Order whatever you like. I promise that I can afford it.

[sleepingstar]

[Despite herself, Pai's eyes light up. You may end up regretting that offer, Chekov. She takes in the menu, reading it like it's a Stephen King novel, and when the waitress comes back, she immediately says]

I'd like the buffalo wings appetizer, the Triple Decker Burger with two extra orders of fries, a Doublethick vanilla milkshake, and a glass of water. Please.

[She can't pack it away quite like her brother can, but she has the same instinct to pack away as much food as possible because you never know when your next meal will be.]

[candothat]

[Fortunately, Pavel has a well-paying job and nothing against spending his money. He's amused, though; he was under the impression that most girls don't eat very much.

He orders a cheeseburger and fries, as much as it pains him to be out-eaten by little Pai.]

Does your brother not feed you?

[sleepingstar]

Of course he does! [What a stupid question! She looks mildly offended, not realizing that it's a joke, or that this amount of food is particularly unusual for a girl her size.]