Uná O’Brian; Tabitha North “Professor North” & Nikolai “Demo” Markov
Uná wiped off the sweat off her forehead as she strained to keep the fight between Luke and Vader going on in detail a practically perfect replica of the movie. The light sabers looked a little flat to her but she'd work on that.
“Pause here Uná. Let's go to something that you're working on. Not that the scene from Star Wars was bad but I think if you pulled something out of yourself then you could get a better feel for it.” Professor North's voice came over the loudspeaker in the Danger Room.
The Star Wars scene faded as Uná let go of it. Breathing deeply in then out. Then slowly the sunsets and stars come out. Smiling Uná reached up and seemed to pull the stars from the night sky and smooths them on in the form of a dress much like the ones that Debbie Reynolds wore in Singing In The Rain. Giggling she started the number "Good Morning"
Nik stood back, his arms folded. He wore a simple tank top and pair of athletic shorts, both black in color. He seemed to mutter under his breath, shaking his head when Una made a mistake in the fight’s progression. As Professor North’s voice filled the room, Nik gave a slight nod, taking a seat on the ground and pulling out a metal marble. He tossed it in the air, tossing it up and catching it without looking.
The sight of the stars were an interesting sight. He wasn’t at all surprised Una would make that move, choosing to keep her head in the stars. Her switch to
Singing in the Rain was a bold choice, though not unappreciated. He gave a smile as she started the song, keeping his distance for now to let her focus.
Uná whirled as she dropped the song and fell back without fear as a cloud caught her. She sat up and smirking tossed a metal marble at Nikolai.
"Catch Nikolai."Nik tossed his own marble into the air, lifting his right hand to catch the new marble from Una while his left lifted up to catch his falling marble. He didn’t skip a beat, and he gave a somewhat boyish smile in amusement at his own reflexes.
”Nice trick, Red.”Uná grinned. She just thought of a great idea.
"So want to try something out Nikolai?" She had the cloud float down to Nikolai with her on it. She hopped off and stalked around him grinning.
Nik raised an eyebrow, sliding the marbles into his pocket as he slowly rose to his feet. He gave a grin as Una stalked around him.
”What do you have in mind?”Uná stood in front of him and looked up at him still grinning.
"Great. Do you know the game 'cups'?"Nik shrugged, tilting his head slightly.
"Uhhh... I don't think so. Unless it's a drinking game.""Nope not a drinking game. So it's a game where you try to guess which cup a ball is under. Normally it's played with three cups. You place a bet and if you win you get double your money. But let's make this interesting and IF you win you can get one wish. When...sorry if I win I get a wish. Now it has to be something that the other one can fulfill." Uná holds out her hand grinning.
"Agreed? Or do you have conditions?"Nik gave a small smile, nodding his head.
"Ahhh, the shuffling game? Sure, why not." In his mind, at that moment, he was confident. A little too confident. Years of baseball taught him to have a sharp eye and notice the slightest shifts in motion, especially as a pitcher. A simple game of figuring out which ball a cup was under... that wasn't difficult in his mind.
Uná grinned and walked behind Nikolai. She then walked from behind him. Then another Uná and suddenly there were three of her in the room all dressed the same.
"So which one is the real Uná?" They all asked at once.
Nik gave a defeated grin, his tongue pressing against his upper molars before releasing a deep sigh. He looked them all over before his eyes narrowed slightly, stepping out and circling to examine the three a little more closely. It was, in a small effect, a ruse. He was breathing in the air, trying to determine where he could detect the faint smell of vanilla and jasmine that often signified her presence. He kept circling until he finally stopped in front of one of the figures, taking a long step forward to place both hands on her shoulders and move his lips towards her ear to softly whisper three words.
"Again, nice try."Uná shivered lightly and tried to cover it by setting her hands on Nikolai's hands and laughing. It came out a little breathless.
"Alright what gave me away? So what is this wish of yours?"He shrugged his shoulders, backing off as her hands rested upon his. He spun around, his back to her.
"I don't know, I guess I'm just that good." Without surprise, his playful response reeked of overconfidence as he did his best to not laugh.
Uná banished the others with a wave and marched over to stand in front of him. She had a stubborn set to her mouth which he'd seen over the past month a few times. Her eyes blazed blue fire as she poked him in the chest.
"Nikolai Markov you are not that good if you don't know how you did it! If that's so you can prove it again!!"Nik shrugged his shoulders.
"Double or nothing, Red." He had the cocky grin of a man who knew he couldn't be beat, running a hand along the top of his stiffly-gelled hair.
Uná narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're on." Uná stalked off past Nikolai ticked as hell and threw up a wall for a second then waved a hand to make it vanish. Once again there was three of her to chose from. All of them had their arms crossed and looked miffed.
"Done." All three of them said in the same tone.
Nik followed the same method, walking past each figure twice as he used his nose to determine which one it was. He walked in front of one of the illusions, as if to signify that was the correct one, before spinning on his heels and point at the one he determined to be the real one by scent in his last walk-around.
"Una, I presume?"Uná waved the other two away and growled in frustration. She stalked over to Nikolai. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Yes. Technically they're all me. Alright what gives? What was it? What am I missing?" She looked at him seriously still a little pissed but more at herself now than at him.
Nik gave a deep breath as she neared, before finally tapping the bridge of his nose.
"If you're going to try and trick someone, you need to know yourself better than anyone else. That means knowing everything about how you look, how you act, how you move, how you stand... and how you smell. Vanilla and jasmine?" He seemed uncharacteristically analytical in that moment, before finally reverting back to his playful teasing.
Uná looked stunned.
"Vanilla and jasmine...but I don't wear perfume..." Uná looked up at Nikolai and blushed. He just described her shampoo and conditioner. She stuttered and was utterly flustered.
"You can...that's my...shampoo and conditioner." She could feel more heat creeping up her neck. She turned around and pulled her hair out of the bun it was in so that she could hide behind it. There was an audible swish and she cleared her throat.
"So what is your double or nothing wish Nikki, er Nikolai?" She tossed the comment over her shoulder casually. Much more casually than she felt. She hadn't meant to call him that it just kinda slipped out.
I am going to really embarrass myself if I don't quit making assumptions. Just a friend. I am just a friend....Nik gave a small smile, shrugging his shoulders even if she couldn't see it. He knew she was acting more strange than usual, most likely just from the embarrassment and teasing. Regardless, he had one final card to play.
"You'll find out later. You never said I had to request either of them now."Uná spun around her waist length hair fanning out prettily. She gaped at Nikolai.
"Not sportsmanlike at all!! Come on! I don't want to find out just before we have to turn in our term papers that I have to do yours as well as mine. At least give me some warning."Uná looked at him as she braided her hair slowly.
"You're not the greatest in Lit..."Nik shrugged, giving a devious smile.
"The only specification is that it had to be something you can do. But don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to help me cheat. I have other things in mind." At the last line, Nik wiggled his eyebrows to ruin the effect before spinning on his heels and calling out.
"Was that a good lesson, Professor?"Uná tugged on her braid and tossed it over her shoulder and grinned at Nikolai. She let the illusion fade away as Nikolai asked if it was a good lesson.
There was a chuckle and Professor North came back over the speaker.
"She almost had you Nik. But yes good lesson."
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