Here, I can see ze vorld!

I’m glad to see someone appreciates the sort of thing I tend to collect. Usually people complain about allergies and things like that, so this is a good change of pace. Speaking of which, if you are allergic to anything just tell me, alright? I’d hate to drag you all the way to medical.

Oh, I vill be fine so long as you don't use a lot of silicone based vater-proofing for ze carpets. Zat stuff makes me antsy. But yes, I love plants-- I find zey are wery good company. I hope you von't mind eef I speak to zem ven I vork on astrometerics... Zinking to myself ees not neer as fun.

Scotty smiled back, lines forming at the corners of his eyelids as he turned to face the now-confirmed Russian boy.

Scotty's reassurance managed to calm him down, if only just a tad. Still, he couldn't help the clamminess of his hands as he reached for the other man's hand. He let go abruptly, attempting to wipe the sweat off onto his trousers, and grimaced.

Really? Only fourteen? Wow, well it’s a pleasure to meet you Chekov. 

Oh good, sir. Er--- I feel veird to call you sir... do you feel veird to be called sir? Anyvay, I promise I vill not touch anyzing sharp eef it is bigger zan my scalpel. And I am alvays wery careful around plants. Een fact, I vanted to zank you for breening zem!

Hello!! I guess ve are roommates! I am wery excited to see you here!

I am Pavel Chekov. Most everybody calls me kid, or Chekov. I prefer Chekov. Howewer, I am only fourteen years of age, but I can help you vith almost anyzing eef you ask.

Being in space was about as addicting as heroine. Once you had a taste of it, all you wanted to do was delve deeper into its confines,  learning new ways to use it, finding adventurous new angles to look at it, until it took up all of your time and money and you didn’t really give a fuck otherwise. At least, that was what Scotty thought it must be like. He’d never really been on drugs (purposefully) before, but he had a feeling its addictive potency couldn’t possibly be any greater than the fantastical allure of space. After all, he had been in space before, and his want to return to the stars was the greatest pull he had ever felt in his life.

Chekov smiled and relaxed. This man, for all of his gruffness, made him feel better in his own declaration of imperfection. 

"Yes, more or less. Reading a painting is like reading a book or a person. You have to look at the details. Just like with the Mona Lisa, her face and posture, you can tell many things about her. Same thing goes for almost all paintings, some more than others.”Nick had a ridiculous smile on his face as he spoke.

"I don't know," Chekov scratched his head, totally befuddled. "Zey are dressed een black, but so ess ze scared man." Think, think, think, Pavel... chaos, dark, frightening.... But he couldn't think of anything useful. 

Nick nodded, looking at the painting along with Chekov. “The dark colors could mean many things, but only da Vinci himself knew the real reason. People tend to lean more towards the fact that maybe it was cloudy and dark when he painted it, or maybe he was trying to use the colors to express the woman herself or how he felt about her.”

"You say I understand ze Mona Lisa enough," Chekov started, "does zat mean zat for class all I have to do ees speculate vat  each leetle gesture and posture and color scheme means?" This idea made his mood brighten significantly. He was good at reading people-- by this standard, he figured it was the same thing for his art classes. 

Her eyebrow raised in surprise, but it was nice to meet another cadet. It usually was. “Congratulations then.” She matched her words with a smile, he was clearly so very happy about it that she couldn’t help but feel happy for him. It was amazing that Chekov was so young, but yet  staying afloat in school and finishing it up. “For your age… how old are you?”

"Zank you," he offered, smile plastered to his face still. He always thought he'd begin to grow tired of hearing people congratulate him on doing what he'd always done. And for the most part, he did kind of sick of it. From Adrianna, though... maybe it wasn't so bad. She did seem to be earnestly... proud? Was the word to use? He wasn't sure, but he was glad this girl was happy for him, at any rate.

Unlike Chekov, Scotty was so exhausted that his own exhaustion whirled back around on him and made him so exhausted that sleeping was too much of an effort. Also unlike Chekov, Scotty had been here for a total of three nights, one of which was a bit emotionally throttling for him, and not really something he felt like reliving. So, in an attempt to avoid any blatantly awkward situations, he had taken to the idea of going outside and just avoiding people in general, which was a good idea, in theory, if no one was out there. But someone was, and that someone was a 14-year old Russian boy.

Staring at the stars made Chekov rather excited for his future. He knew, that at some point in the next three to five years that he would finally be out there. Every time he thought about it, his stomach would fill with butterflies of anticipation, and if he was lucky, his anxiety wouldn't bring down him down from the high. He just wanted so much to be out there, among the constellations that he could see from his spot in the Norwegian mountains.

Beut ! This is perfect, I would love to go into town. I don’t really have anything in particular, I love exploring so I am open to anything. How about you ?

Oh, um... zere are souweneir shops down zat vay. But, I zink zose can vait unteel later. Exploring vould be nice-- let's see vat ve can find here! So vere too? Ze village, or ze voods?

That’s a shame, from what I can see it’s very beautiful here. I can go and explore with you if you’d like.

Zat vould be vonderful! I have a map here, eet says zere are leettle shop around here---- zat vay! Come on Rosa, ees zere anyzing in particular you vould like to see?

Nick gave a quick huff and looked at the painting before looking back at Chekov. “Huh, I’ve never thought of that.” There was a beat of silence. “But you could be right. There was never an actual theory as to why her eyes are behind Leonardo, only her hands. Maybe he wanted it subtle but enough that the public couldn’t tell but outspoken enough for the man to give up.”

Chekov felt a warm glow of accomplishment. He hadn't really thought the idea was worth anything, but the way Castle had regarded his opinion made him feel better. And then the young cadet chuckled at the idea of the painter and his subject having a relationship of sorts-- it was a strange idea at any rate.

Adrianna blew a drop of water out of her eyes as it began to drip down her long lashes. “Pleasure to meet you Pavel Most-People-Call-Me-Chekov.” She smiled at him, remembering his earlier show of nerves and hoping that that would clear up. Eventually. Her arms came up to rest on the warm cement, the mixture of the hot platform outside of the pool and the cool water inside feeling unbelievably good.

Chekov laughed and rolled his eyes. "No," he replied. He was used to people asking him things like that. 'Are you on an orientation trip,' and 'have you lost your classmates,' were questions he was used to hearing. Although, he had to admit that her question was a new one. He chuckled at the prospect of being the child of any of his professors...

It’s a good thing you did then, this place is really beautiful. Well I’ve only ever seen Russia in pictures. Looks amazing though. It’s a pleasure Pavel, I’m Rosalind Kurts. You can call me Rosa or Rose, whichever you’d like.

Hello Rosa! Eet is very nice to meet you! No, I haven't yet gone! I deedn't vant to go alone, but I can't seem to find any of my ozer friends. I zink zey all already left. And someday you should see Russia-- eet is beautiful!