[Hei has evaluated Chekov. He's broken the young man down into assets & liabilities, calculated the risks with the cool efficiency of a Contractor.
But he's not a Contractor. His emotions do get in the way of his better judgement. That's why she's a few blocks away from Chekov's office, pretending to be window shopping. She'll do her own assessment of the young Russian, thank you very much.
[Chekov is heading out to grab something to eat--not because he wants to, but because it's necessary. He had a dream about eating hamburgers and Neil McCormick was in it, so, clearly, it was a magic cure dream. Not as pleasant as the one for Ginny, infinitely nicer than Kirk's. There's a fourth dream--Nyota's, he thinks--that he needs to puzzle out a cure for, but he's ready. He has a list.
He's examining that list on his way to the nearest burger joint. Perhaps he should pay more attention to his surroundings...]
[Under normal circumstances, he's more aware of the people around him and eager to talk to anyone he knows. This sickness is distracting. Chekov doesn't want to misinterpret a dream and get in the way of someone's recovery.
His name pulls him away from his thoughts--what is Uhura's dream asking him to do?--and he backtracks. Pai gets a smile. She isn't intimidating now, not like she was when he first approached her and Hei. She's just a girl. (The sister of an assassin and, he would guess, someone who is less innocent than she looks, but a girl nonetheless.)]
I agree. [Interesting is a bit of an understatement, but she's from an insane post-apocalyptic world with no sky and supernatural killers. Perhaps Pai isn't so easily fazed.]
Only to lunch. Or dinner. [He glances up at the sky to determine which meal is closer. It's later than he thought; that's the danger of working in a basement.] Dinner, yes. And you?
[Her eyes brighten in a way which might actually be sincere.] I love hamburgers! [Portable, easy to eat, and cheap to get in bulk -- hamburgers are a great food for the perpetually hungry.]
Then you can help me with this mission! [To... eat hamburgers. Whatever. Surely people who are drafted into performing an essence ritual count, so the more the merrier (and if Pai's appetite is anything like her brother's, then she will likely require several people's worth of food).] I will pay. Maybe it will help to make up for all of the times that your brother has fed me.
[And he could be in far worse company. Pai no longer seems inclined to hurt anyone and, while it might be an act, it's convincing enough for Chekov to pretend that she probably isn't just as bad as Hei (who is kind of terrible; Pavel will admit this even if he fails to act on it). Being around someone younger than him is refreshing, too. It doesn't happen often, even in the City.
He veers off of the sidewalk and holds the door to an unremarkable fast food joint open for Pai.]
Yes. There is a sickness in the City, and we need to perform actions specified in dreams to cure it. Two of the dreams I've had were clear; the other two... I'm still thinking about them.
[He places his order--four hamburgers, which seems excessive but it's for a cure--and motions for Pai to do the same.]
[Pai takes the opportunity to quickly reassess her surroundings, triple check that nobody followed them in. (She's also curious to see if Hei is tailing them. During the rare down times in South America, it had almost become a game between them -- she would go out, he would follow, and she would try to spot him in the crowd.) No sign of him, which doesn't mean he isn't here.
She smiles at Chekov when he comes back, and immediately starts digging into the stack of burgers. Hei would know how to fake small talk, but that's never been her purview.]
[Chekov half expects Hei to be nearby. He's paranoid enough to spy on his "assets"; surely he would want to keep an eye on his sister.
Small talk is overrated and, for the moment, Chekov is too amazed by her ability to inhale burgers to start any himself. Seeing Hei eat his weight in food is fascinating. Watching little Pai tuck away enough food for a small village is nothing short of awe-inspiring.]
[Pai isn't socialized to blush and feel embarrassed.] She just shrugs in answer to his question. When is she not hungry? She's never really felt full. When food was plentiful, she'd eat to the point of queasiness, where she couldn't eat any more without throwing up, but there was never that sense of satisfaction and "I don't need any more." Her body is always trying to prepare itself for the next famine.]
How did you meet my brother? [Returning to the purpose of her mission.]
How? [She's astute enough to notice how he's dodging the question, but she doesn't have Hei's ability to charm and soothe and wheedle an answer out of people.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action;
But he's not a Contractor. His emotions do get in the way of his better judgement. That's why she's a few blocks away from Chekov's office, pretending to be window shopping. She'll do her own assessment of the young Russian, thank you very much.
And if he's a threat to Hei, she'll handle him.]
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He's examining that list on his way to the nearest burger joint. Perhaps he should pay more attention to his surroundings...]
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Oh well.]
Pavel!
[She waves at him with girlish enthusiasm.]
action;
His name pulls him away from his thoughts--what is Uhura's dream asking him to do?--and he backtracks. Pai gets a smile. She isn't intimidating now, not like she was when he first approached her and Hei. She's just a girl. (The sister of an assassin and, he would guess, someone who is less innocent than she looks, but a girl nonetheless.)]
Pai, hello. How are you finding the City?
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Where are you going?
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Only to lunch. Or dinner. [He glances up at the sky to determine which meal is closer. It's later than he thought; that's the danger of working in a basement.] Dinner, yes. And you?
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[And he could be in far worse company. Pai no longer seems inclined to hurt anyone and, while it might be an act, it's convincing enough for Chekov to pretend that she probably isn't just as bad as Hei (who is kind of terrible; Pavel will admit this even if he fails to act on it). Being around someone younger than him is refreshing, too. It doesn't happen often, even in the City.
He veers off of the sidewalk and holds the door to an unremarkable fast food joint open for Pai.]
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[He places his order--four hamburgers, which seems excessive but it's for a cure--and motions for Pai to do the same.]
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Are you sick? [She's confused by what he said.]
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Sick? No, no, not me, but many people are. Those of us who are well and receiving dreams should do what we can to cure them, I think.
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[WORST PLAN EVER. There aren't any better ones.
Their number is called and Chekov retrieves their food.]
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She smiles at Chekov when he comes back, and immediately starts digging into the stack of burgers. Hei would know how to fake small talk, but that's never been her purview.]
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Small talk is overrated and, for the moment, Chekov is too amazed by her ability to inhale burgers to start any himself. Seeing Hei eat his weight in food is fascinating. Watching little Pai tuck away enough food for a small village is nothing short of awe-inspiring.]
Are you hungry?
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How did you meet my brother? [Returning to the purpose of her mission.]
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I met him several times.
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