Boris watched Mina draw in the dirt at her feet with a twig she’d found somewhere. He’d not been awake long, and she didn’t know he had awoken. He enjoyed watching her while she didn’t think she had to put up the front. 

Her nose wrinkled whenever she concentrated on something and she stuck her tongue out ever so slightly. It was kind of adorable. Okay, it was a lot adorable. She leaned forward slightly, studying whatever she’d drawn and then brushed it away with her foot and sighed. 

Mina held her hand up and a butterfly materialized on her finger, its wings moving slowly. A soft, gentle smile graced her features. 

He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but the sun was just above the horizon and they’d need to get moving soon. 

He groaned and sat up slowly, not facing towards her. He wanted to give her a chance to slam her facade back down. It wasn’t up to him to try to break that barrier. That was for someone that truly cared about her. 

When he glanced back at her, that cold expression was back over her face. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head. “Morning.”

“Good morning,” Mina responded. She stood and tossed the twig into the remaining embers of the fire. She brushed off any dirt on her pants and walked over to where her bedroll and bag sat. She bent down and pulled out one of the ration bars she’d gotten from William and then turned towards Boris.

“Why did you decide to come with us? The real reason?” She crossed her arms. 

He paused and blinked, tilting his head at her. His ears were perked forward and his tail swayed lazily. “I told you already. To get money back.”

“That can’t be the only reason. You’re risking your life doing this, is your life really worth five hundred thrones to you?” She shook her head.

She was smart, but it wasn’t like he had any dastardly ulterior motives. He really did want his money back. “Is not good enough reason? Is reason. Do not know what to say if you don’t believe me.”

“If you say so,” she grumbled.

He sighed and started to roll up his bedroll. “What do you want me to say? That I am coming because I think you are beautiful? While true, is not reason.” 

Yeba. Why did he say that? Why the fuck did he say that? Just push the girl away more, fucking smart. Stupid. 

“I…that is not…what the fuck?” she blinked, staring at him with wide, amber eyes.

“What? You don’t believe me when I say something, and then get insulted?” Fucking typical of his luck. He rolled his eyes, his tail fluffing up slightly. 

“Insulted? Why wouldn’t I be insulted that a random fucking man that I’ve known for all of a week tells me I’m beautiful?” She scoffed and kicked at the dirt.

“Typical woman,” he grumbled and tied the bedroll together and placed it on his bag. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Mina demanded.

“Exactly what sounds like. Can never win. Call one beautiful and is bad thing, don’t say is beautiful and is also bad. There is no winning!” he threw his hands up. “I give up.”

She just stared at him, blinking rapidly. “That…is not what I said.”

“Nyet? You got upset when said you were beautiful. Bozha moin ti nikoda na smozesh pobed’ zhensichoy. Ah daze na znau, pocemha ah dazei pytatus. Yebani smesno.”

“I did not get upset, don’t put words in my mouth. I just didn’t know why that is what you decided to say. You could have said anything else, but you picked that.” she stook a few steps towards Boris.

“Look, reason is reason. Money and curiosity. Is all.” He shrugged and hefted the bag after taking out his own ration bar. 

“Curiosity? Curiosity about what? You hadn’t mentioned that before.” She hurried to catch up with him. 

“Weird thing is happening. Want to know about weird thing. Is all.” He glanced down at her. What did she want him to say? He couldn’t give her a reason other than that when there wasn’t one. He made it a habit to not to lie to people, for the most part. 

“Oh, dear chap, just confess your love to her! She’ll fall head over heels and you can run off into the sunset and live happily ever after!” Percival piped up from his shoulder. “Just tell her you have a crush and all will be well!”

“Nyet. I am not saying tha-”

“Honesty is the best policy.”

“Don’t care.”

“Then I shall tell her for you, dear chap.”

“Don’t you dare.” He froze when he saw Mina watching him with an arched brow.

“Percy,” he said simply.

“Ah, right.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “You two don’t seem to get along very well.”

“That is not quite true, my lady. We get along quite well! The chap just refuses to admit he has a crush on you!” Percy appeared on his shoulder. 

Gods dammit.

“Bozhe…Percy!” He glared at the small robot.

“What? You need to be more forward! You shall never get a girlfriend if you don’t put yourself out there!” Percival crossed his metallic arms and returned the glare.

“No.” Mina shook her head, both Boris and Percival turned to look at her. “I don’t have time, nor the want for a relationship.” 

Boris wasn’t sure what the look that crossed over her face was, but it seemed like one of guilt and regret. 

“Da. I understand. Do not have time for love either. To many things to make. Must advance science.” He nodded to himself. 

“You can make time for ladies and science,” Percy shook his head and let out a long-suffering sigh. He glanced up at Mina, “If the lady says no, however, that is a no. What a pity. My poor chap shall die alone.” He placed his hand over his brow and faded from sight as he fell backwards. 

“He is…interesting,” Mina noted.

Boris nodded, “Da. I like him. Would be a hard life if did not.” He chuckled.

“I can imagine.” She was silent and started to chew on her lip again.

“What? You want to ask something else?” 

“How did you…” her brows furrowed.

“You chew on lip when you are nervous. I can only assume is about question you want to ask.” Boris shrugged. 

She let a breath out, “How did you Awaken him?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. She’d been nervous about asking that? 

“Is very short, interesting story.” He grinned. “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t?” She stared up at him. “Then how is here?” she waved her hands around.

“He woke self up when I was five. Has not shut up since.”

“They can do that?”

“Da, apparently. Never met anyone else who had Spirit do that. I don’t think they’re supposed to.”

“Of course not. I am special. I am the only one with the pure, overwhelming power and intelligence to do such. Of course only one of my caliber is capable.”

Boris snorted. “He says that is is special and only one of his caliber could do something like that. I think he full of shit.”

Mina couldn’t help but laugh, “He seems like an interesting person.”

“Nyet, don’t say that. He will get big head. He does not need ego boost.” Boris couldn’t help but to look horrified at the mere though of Percy growing even more arrogant.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” She replied between giggles. 

The next several hours found them in a comfortable silence. He watched as she played with butterflies she manifested out of her fire. They danced around her and the joyous look on her face, the way her eyes lit up as she watched them, it stirred something inside of Boris that he didn’t recognize.

One of the flaming insects landed on her shoulder and she gently placed a finger where its head would be and it climbed up her digit, fluttering its wings slowly and she held it up to her face. 

“You are good at making those. Why butterflies?” He asked, finally breaking the silence.

She glanced over at him and shrugged. “Don’t know, honestly. It just seemed natural to me. I’ve done other animals, but they’re never quite right. There’s something wrong with them or they’re nowhere near as detailed.” She held her hand out and the butterfly flew over to him, keeping far enough away as to not burn him. 

It really was insanely detailed. The lines, the curves, even the antennae. It was truly impressive the amount of intricacies in such a small thing. It – and its siblings – all vanished in small puffs of smoke. 

Stars shone high in the sky, twinkling in and our of existence. The moon was filled to the brim, illuminating the world around Boris and Mina with soft, pale light.

Firelight flickered against their faces, casting them in shades of orange and red. Two hares – skinned and gutted – were impaled on sticks and set over the flames, their flesh beginning to singe and brown.

They both had a mug of kyfe in their hands, the dark liquid steaming. The air had started to become frigid, so much so that their breath could be seen in the air. 

Mina shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her body.

It always amused Boris when he saw someone shivering. He loved this. He had his head back and his eyes closed. His tail swayed slowly and his ears rested happily, twitching occasionally. 

He started to hum a melody under his breath, one that his mother had sang to him as a child to help him sleep. He opened his eyes and placed the mug next to him. He pulled a cube out of his pocket and started messing with it, turning the sides. 

“What is that?” Mina asked. She watched him with her head tilted to the side.

“Oh, is puzzelanator.” He held it up so she could see it better.

“It’s a rubix cube. Call it a rubix cube dammit.” 

Boris ignored Percy.

“Puzzelanator? That’s a horrible name.” she shook her head and gave a soft chuckle.

“I’d like to see you give better name,” Boris huffed. Rude. The names he gave things was amazing. He was clever about them. 

“What about just puzzle or color cube?” she asked, her arms crossed.

“Anyone can call cube that.” They weren’t bad idea…why hadn’t he thought of those?

“Anyone can call it a puzzelanator.” she pointed out.

“Did you build?”

“No.”

“Did you invent?” 

“No.”

“Then you don’t get to name.” Boris huffed and grabbed one of the rabbits from the fire. Making fun of his names. So rude. There was nothing wrong with his names. The ones she came up with weren’t any better. His tail puffed up and moved rapidly back and forth and his ears flattened against his head and he grumbled under his breath.

Mina started to giggle, her hand going up to her mouth as the giggles turned into laughter.

“What is funny?” He demanded.

“You. You’re pouting and it’s adorable.” She grinned and grabbed the other hare. She bit into it and juices began to dribble down her chin…her neck…and further down. 

Boris felt his mouth go dry and he tore his eyes away from the juice. “I am not cute.”

“If you say so.” She shrugged and finished her hare. She threw the stick into the fire and then leaned back on her hands and stared up at the sky. “You’re Ashan, right?”

“Da.” He nodded. She was difficult to take his eyes off of. He managed it though. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable if she realized he was staring.

“What’s it like? I’ve never been out Aspen.” She glanced over at him. 

“It is cold, and there are lots of large animals. Moose, elk, caribou, bears. Is mainly fera, but a few humans still live there.” He nodded. “We have best food.”

He hadn’t had a good Ashan meal in years. He could cook, sure. It was just science, but his Baba’s food was unparalleled. He had no idea how she did it. He’d tried to replicate it so many times, but it was never the same. Everytime he’d asked her she’d just smiled and patted his head.

“What’s your favourite food?” Mina asked.

“Kyfe.” 

“That’s not food.”

“Da, it is.”

“No…no it’s not. It’s a drink.”

Boris rolled his eyes, “Fine. Stroganoff is very good. Especially Baba’s. She make best stroganoff.” His mouth watered just thinking about it.

“Isn’t that a pasta dish?” She tilted her head to the side.

“Da, with cream and mushrooms. Is very good.”

“I think I would like to try it someday. I would like to try new foods, see new places.” She had a melancholic look on her face.

“Is very good. Will warn you, won’t be able to eat anything else.” He frowned at the look but didn’t say anything. His tail resumed a slow sway and his ears relaxed.

“I’m not so sure about that,” She shook her head and giggled. “What kind of things do you make anyway? All I’ve seen is your ‘findanator’, ‘puzzelanator’, ‘holdinator’, and the kyfe maker.”

She wanted to know? She wanted to learn? His ears pricked forward and his tailed twitched with excitement. His eyes lit up. “I have made lots of things! I made the explodanator. It’s a ball that has a string attached to the inside. You light the string and when the fire hits inside of it it blows up! I am working on boomanator currently. Similar to explodanator, but has shards of glass and metal inside that goes flying everywhere when explodes. I also have naviginator. It always points north because of magnets!”

“Your naming scheme really needs some work. At least they’re similar, I guess.” She shook her head. “So, how does this naviginator actually work and what’s a magnet?”

His tail began to wag faster, and he couldn’t keep the grin off of his face. She actually seemed interested. She was asking questions! “Right, so magnet is metal that attracts other metal that has similar properties of magnetism. Some metal is not magnet though.” Boris clasped his hands in front of him as he spoke.

“Okay, so what makes a specific metal magnetic? How does that make it point north?”

He got a frustrated look of frustration on his face. Right, he didn’t have a clue how the metal was magnetic. Percy refused to tell him for some damned reason. “Honestly? Do not know how it is magnetic. Percy won’t tell me. I just know some are, some aren’t.”

She twisted her mouth but nodded, “Alright, and how does it point north?”

“The planet is very magnetic. It has magnetic field, but is not even. The naviginator uses magnetic needle and the magnetic field puts a force on needle which causes needle to spin until in same horizontal position of field, which is roughly due north.”

“Right, I think I understand.” 

He knew that look. She didn’t understand in the least. He also knew that glazed look that was slowly coming over her features. She was checking out of the conversation because she didn’t get it. He’d just have to explain it further.

She suddenly shot up, her eyes going wide as she whirled around. “I can’t turn back. I don’t know where you are.”

Her eyes darted back and forth. “What am I saving you from? Where are you? Aren’t you part of my soul? How do I free you?” her voice had an edge of panic to it.

“What? What’s going on?” she spun around so she was facing Boris. He stared at her concerned.

“What did she say?” he asked her.

“I…there were two of them.” Her brows furrowed as she sank to her knees, shaking her head. “I don’t know. The one that I’ve been hearing…it was saying to turn back and help her, to save her. That it was dark. The other one, it said not to listen that it wasn’t her.” She stared at Boris and he could see tears beginning to form in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. “What the fuck is going on?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe going crazy,” He shrugged. “You are having more of weird thing. I really want to know what is going on too.”

She pursed her lips. “Glad I can be a source of intrigue and entertainment,” she replied dryly. 

Boris grinned at her, “Da, da. That is exactly it.” He waved a hand at her. “Nyet, Was joking about crazy thing. Weird thing is definitely happening. Ada may know something, not likely, but might. Someone in Lynden could as well.”

He was pretty sure that the amount she was chewing on her lip was going to cause it start bleeding. “People can’t have two Spirits, can they?”

“Oh good heavens no. That would be horrible for the soul. It would tear it apart. Only one Spirit per being. I’m not sure why she’d be hearing two voices. It is quite the conundrum. We must investigate further.”

Boris shook his head, “Nyet. Never heard of such a thing. Percy agrees, says that soul could not stand two Spirits. He is unsure to what is going on.”