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 Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:34 pm
The early afternoon temperature was quite pleasant and the weather was perfect. Lai decided that instead of lounging about in his room all day he would take his bicycle out to the training facility and ride around. He figured he wouldn't get yelled at that way. Several staircases later he was walking his bicycle down the hall, and zoning out to the rhythmic clicking of some gear tucked near one of the wheels.
At the facility's door he maneuvered his way in with the bicycle in tow, wondering where a door stop was so it wouldn't be so difficult. The Russian briefly glanced around the empty place, the only real thing standing out besides some dumbbells in a corner was an archery target set up some yards away. He regarded it as just another thing someone had left out and not bothered to put away, like the dumbbells.
He didn't feel the need to move the thing, it was in the near center of the room and he was only going near the walls. Plus, it probably would be a pain in the a** to move all by himself. Lai shrugged, adjusted his peddles with a kick of his foot, then mounted the seat and peddled off.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:32 pm
The sound of an arrow flying through the air was delightful to Einar's ears, and he smiled with satisfaction as he watched the feathers shake as the tip punched itself into the direct center of the target. It made a nice loud thunk as it contacted, and he lowered the bow to his side after making sure the last shot he released made a full and complete stop.
He'd been making a good show of it for the day, what with every shot he fired getting a direct bulls-eye or at least the ring closest to it, and Einar was determined to get a Robin Hood before his quiver was out and he had to go retrieve what had been shot out. He was about to knock another arrow against his bowstring when a squeaky sound he had never heard before caught his ears, causing the young Norwegian man to turn and try to locate the source.
"What the hell is that sound?"
He lowered the bow yet still had the arrow in his hands as he started to move around, ready to take aim at whatever it may be.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:50 pm
Lai realized that not only was that gear making a noise (it was supposed to anyway) but his handle breaks were squealing. Even a light press on either one rang out sharp. It made him flinch and he dearly hoped he could find some oil soon for them. He would look after he rode around, he wasn't going fast and could stop easily with the tips of his shoes if need be.
As he rode a shushing noise followed by a thunk confused him. It wasn't the bicycle. If there was a thunk he would feel it because his wheel probably would have popped off or something. He rode on still turning his head to the wall as if something behind it had caused it. Lai was not aware of the dumbbell right in front of the wheel until it was under the wheel and causing his bicycle to lurch forward and Lai to go a** over tea kettle over the handle bars to the floor.
"Oh you have...Got to be...Kidding me." The Russian was gasping as the wind had been knocked out of him. "Who...Leaves...What was...That?" He turned his head and saw the cause of his spill. The wheel was still behind the bar and the rest of the bicycle had fallen back and to the side in a slight heap. Lai screwed up his face, inwardly telling himself how spectacular that would have looked to anyone else in here had they seen it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:32 pm
Einar winced as he heard the sound of someone coming into heavy contact with the dirt, his mind now telling them that he had indeed seen Lai go moving through the air only moments before. He'd made his way over, bow still in hand, towards the Russian man who was on the ground and huffing to himself.
While Einar wasn't exactly the type to show concern for himself he did manage to now and then have some for a fellow comrade, and he stopped a few inches away from Lai's frame, only to kneel down for a more closer look.
"Hey, you okay? Looks like you went flying for a minute there."
Einar was still back enough that he wasn't all up and on Lai's private space, but he was close enough that he could reach out and offer a steady hand to the man should he be injured in some way.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:41 pm
The Russian was still muttering and gasping as Einar approached. That landing had really hurt. So much for falling on your side. At the sound of footsteps he gingerly turned his head away from his bicycle to look at the owner of the noise.
"I...Have been better." He wheezed. "I seemed to...Have...Knocked the wind...Out of me." Lai's eyes traveled from the knees of the person before him up to his face. He looked vaguely familiar, of course that might be the work of the spill he just took. Lai groaned and tried to move to his side so he could get off the ground. This proved difficult because his ribs shrieked at him when he attempted to roll over. With an embarrassed flush rising in his cheeks he turned to the man before him.
"Could you...Help me up...Please?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:57 pm
Einar chuckled a little bit at the Russian who seemed not unlike a turtle on its back, and with being asked he set his bow down and reached his hands out to help the other young man up. It wasn't that hard of a task as Einar felt that Lai was pretty light (or else he had good upper body strength), and he helped the man gingerly back to at least his knees.
"I'm not going to move you any further until you're sure that nothing else seems to be hurting or out of place. Taking a fall from any height is dangerous to your body and you may not even feel the extent of your injuries until after you move the first time."
He sounded like a textbook as he spoke, his eye moving up and down Lai's frame to check for any external injuries. While he was no expert on this subject by any means, Einar had seen enough falls during his time in the field to at least know what to look for.
"Please move slightly and tell me if anything at all aches when you do."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:25 pm
As Einar chuckled Lai couldn't help but not smile. What a predicament. He was happy that there was actually someone else here. He could only imagine what could have happened if he was by himself. As he was being lifted he was surprised at how quickly and painlessly that was done.
When on his knees he breathed deeply and slowly, trying to get air back in to his lungs. As the gasping grew thin and far between he turned to the other man and nodded at what he said.
"I understand." Another couple of breaths and then an embarrassed smile. "That was quite the spill, huh?" Lai looked over the top half of the other man since he had stopped seeing doubles. Noticing the other was looking him over, Lai felt a bit self conscious. At Einar's request Lai moved, turning everything from the navel up side to side. The only thing that bothered him was his back and the ribs, of course, he had landed right on them so that was to be expected. He shook his head.
"Nothing but my back and ribs, but that is normal from landing like that."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:58 pm
"If that seems to be the only thing that hurts then I'd say you're pretty lucky. Your face and arms didn't seem to take any injury from the impact so you don't have cuts or scrapes. Lucky you, no scars."
Einar rose to his feet and waited for Lai to find the strength to join him, though he still held his hand down towards the man just in case.
"What were you doing that made you fly like that anyway?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 10:07 pm
"Not this time at least. Next time I might not be so fortunate."
Lai watched the Norwegian stand and hold out his hand to him. To try and not seem totally down and dependent the Russian pushed himself up with his hands and rose a ways to his feet. Once getting no higher than bent knees he felt them tremble and took the offered hand in his own. His other hand went to his forehead and a rushing feeling stampeded on that spot.
The Russian rose slowly the rest of the way up until he was perfectly straight. When he was confident enough to think he wouldn't fall again he let go of Einar's hand. Lai, still holding his forehead, looked at Einar and colored rushed his face again.
"I heard a noise and it sounded like it came from the wall, so I was distracted and was not paying any attention to what was in front of my bicycle." He gestured to the uninjured metal and rubber machine lying on its side with his now free hand. "Thank you for helping me, by the way."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 10:27 pm
"You're welcome but,"
Einar placed a hand on his chin as he tilted his head to the side slightly.
"What's a bicycle? That thing over there?"
He pointed at the bike without much difficulty, but it was pretty obvious from his expression that he had no idea what the thing actually was. Could it be that they didn't have bicycles in his time anymore, or at least not in his area? He walked over to it after he was sure Lai wasn't going to fall over or anything any time soon, and he poked it with the end of his bow.
"Do you ride it or something? What's the point of it?"
...definitely hadn't ever seen one before.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 10:40 pm
Lai smiled at the 'You're welcome' but the 'but' caught him off guard.
"Hmm?" He turned, looked at his transportation then back to Einar. "You do not know what it is?" This puzzled the Russian. Bicycles were a very popular mode of transportation in his time. Was the other man from a time where these simple machines did not exist? It looked that way.
"Well," He looked at Einar's expression and decided to explain to him what it was. First things, first. Pick it up and put it on its stand. He followed Einar and after he took a jab at it with his bow...How did Lai not notice that before? Anyway he just brushed past Einar and picked the red contraption up, leaning it back and kicking the stand down before setting it up right. "Yes, you ride it. It is a simple machine that is used for transportation. It is fun to ride of course if you are not careful you could end up sprawled like I was." Another flush of embarrassment.
Lai stepped back from the bike to let the other man look at it. His was nothing flashy, just a rust red color with a metal rack over the wheel in back and a metal basket in front. It served him well and he treated it well in return. As he waited for another round of questions, Lai studied his face. It was oddly familiar.
"Have I met you before? I am sorry if I seem rude, but the fall jogged my senses a bit."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:08 pm
"It's not big deal, our meeting was really brief and we parted ways quickly. My name is Einar Willason, a new recruit like yourself."
He gave a polite bow and tip of his hand as he re-introduced himself to Lai, though he made no mention whatsoever of the condition he'd placed on the priest at the time in regards to his eye patch. Perhaps it was for the best that Lai had forgotten who he was since it gave him a mildly new start on whatever it was he wanted to accomplish with this man.
"I've never seen a bicycle so I don't know if it's because they don't exist anymore or no one in my area happened to own one. I may have seen something similar in a history book once, but that was probably long ago."
Talking like this made it only more evident to Einar that he really was from a different time then those around him, but ti didn't make him feel lonely like the thought it would. Instead...he felt powerful.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:24 pm
"It is to me. I usually make it a point to remember those who I talk to. Your name is ringing as familiar though, so that counts for something. I do not know if you remember me. My name is Lai Gorgonroff." He smiled and nodded at Einar. "Pleasure to meet you. Again." That felt odd to say and Lai did feel bad for forgetting. He had hoped he had not offended his counterpart here, even if the man said it was no big deal.
At Einar's mention of never seeing one, Lai was mildly taken aback before realizing it was clear that he was from a different time. He held out his arms at the machine.
"Well, this is a bicycle. And I am very happy to own it." He regarded the history book mention. "They have been around for a long time, and have had many forms, some looking vastly different from this one right here." Lai felt like a bit of a nerd but talking was helping to clear his head of any shock it had when he fell. Plus, the young man was always open for having a conversation and Einar said they had met briefly so the longer they talked the greater the chances he would remember the man later.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:45 pm
"I remember who you are. I never forget a voice over a face and a voice like yours with an accent like that is certainly something to not miss."
Einar's voice had a good-natured quality to it as he closed his eyes and mentioned that he had not forgotten Lai, and when he reopened them he had a thin-lipped grin that seemed to lengthen his features.
He listened intently as Lai began to describe the bike and a bit about it, and he nodded his head in a manner of trying to tell the older Russian man to continue.
"So people ride this to get from place to place? It hardly seems a safe mode of transport."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:04 pm
"Oh! Well that is good then." The Russian felt like an idiot though. He hoped the other did not regard him as stupid. Though the tone of his voice and grin made him think Einar did not. At the man's question Lai nodded.
"Yes. And if you have something like the basket on front or the rack on back you can use it to carry things as well." He put his hand on the rear wheel rack when talking. "You can tie things to this one." He nodded as Einar stated his opinion and at the same time turned an embarrassed red again. "W-Well it is. I was just an idiot and did not pay attention to where I was riding. Once you are efficient of keeping it in check, riding, and abiding by the bicycle laws it is quite safe. Fun too."
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