13003/A Peaceful day in a Park

A Peaceful day in a Park
Date of Scene:	11 April 2021
Location:	Darlington Park, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Vitali is working on a project (carving wooden buttons) whilst in the park and Giles happens across him. Conversation is had and English language tips are given.
Cast of Characters:	Vitali Svyatoslav, Rupert Giles

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Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's evening, and the park is relatively quiet at this hour. It's not dark, and twilight is a ways off yet. Parents and children alike have returned home for dinner, or the cleaning up that happens before dinner. The Siberian has been out for a walk, which is something that he hasn't done a lot of recently. He's found himself in the park, and steered clear of the areas that are more civilized or that had been more crowded when he first arrived.

Vitali has found a quiet patch of grass that's somewhat near to the shore. He can smell the saltiness of the water, and that makes him somewhat reminiscent of home. Not that it's a bad thing. He's sitting cross-legged, his legs drawn up beneath him. He has a small leather satchel with him, sitting on the ground in front of him. There's a small knife held in his left hand, and in his right hand is held a piece of what appears to be wood. His long hair is braided, resting at his back. The long sleeved dark blue shirt that he wears has the sleeves pushed up to the elbow, and he's wearing a pair of black jeans. The boots he typically wears are sitting on the ground near to him.

Rupert Giles has posed:
For some reason, Giles is also avoiding the more populous areas of the park too. Perhaps he just wants a bit of time to himself. He'd closed up the Magic Box a little early, though not too much, and come here. Operating the Magic Box is both similar to being a librarian, and curator, and different as well. It's a little more catering to the people who come into the shop and a little less being able to put one's foot down. And there tends to be a bit more diversity in the people he sees on a daily basis. As both librarian and curator, the people he'd encountered had always been the same people. From students to staff. He hadn't really dealt much with the general populus when he'd been a curator. So, sometimes, a bit of alone time is called for.

Rupert Giles wanders along one of the paths, his hands stuffed into his pants pockets, and a leather jacket keeping what little chill there is in the air at bay. His charcoal grey slacks cover the tops of polished brown leather shoes. Beneath the dark brown jacket, a knit sweater in shades of blue that compliments his eyes.

The tall man seems to be muttering quietly to himself. Quietly enough that the words are just barely audible without being at all intelligable. He's not far from where Vitali sits, now.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It's only been once that Vitali has ventured to the Magic Box. He's considered venturing back, perhaps to see if there were any herbs that he needed, but he hasn't made the trip as of yet. Then he'd become distracted by his birthday and all that had followed after that. Right now, he's working on a little bit of a project. One which will take time, especially given that he wants it to be perfect.

Shifting a touch, Vitali lowers the knife away from the piece of wood that he's been working so diligently at. Reaching out, he sits the small knife on the satchel that's on the ground in front of him, and then he places the piece of wood there as well. There's a soft sound that escapes him as he shifts his shoulders, rolling them a bit before he sits up straighter and stretches his arms above his head.

The quiet muttering is enough to earn his attention, given the quietness of the park at the moment. Vitali tilts his head a little to one side and turns his dark gaze towards the man that is the source of it, studying him and watching him. One of his eyebrows quirks up slightly, and he moves one of his hands to brush a few wood shavings from his lap. "Mister Giles? All is for going okay?" he asks, a gentle and slightly concerned tone to his words.

Rupert Giles has posed:
There might in fact be herbs to be had at the Magic Box. They seem to have all kinds of paraphanelia to work magic with. But that may well be by design as well as choice. Giles is, afterall, fairly knowledgeable in the area. His right hand pulls from his pocket and lifts to run the fingers through his hair. He is no longer as young as he once was. The grey coming in at his temples has proven that. This last trip to London had been a doozy.

As his name is called out, his head lifts and turns to look toward the sound. The voice is familiar, but he can't quite place it. He finally finds the source. Vitali. Familiar face, too. "Ah. Mister Vitali," he replies. "Everything is going okay, yes. And yourself?" He turns and makes his way toward the man, looking over what is around him. Leather satchel. Knife. Piece of wood. Wood shavings. "What are you carving?" He sounds curious.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
Alas, it is the way the world works. No one is as young today as they were yesterday. It's a sentiment that Vitali could appreciate, given his recent birthday. He watches the other man for a moment, and notices the flecks of grey in the other's hair. He takes a moment to wriggle his fingers a bit, then rubs his hands together briefly before settling his hands to his knees. When he's focused on such fine work, he tends to get a bit hunched, and it feels good to straighten out of that.

Vitali tilts his head a touch to one side at the 'Mister', and there's a smile that comes to his features. "Are not needing for use 'Mister'. Not have standing, here," he says. He means status, as being a shaman only gives him status in his home village and the surrounding area there rather than here. "Is okay, da," he affirms, giving a small nod. He takes a moment then, looking to the sky to scan it briefly before his attention turns back to Giles, watching him. He looks to the items sitting in front of him, and there's a slight touch of colour that comes to his cheeks. "Make buttons. Lotus flower. Are for pouch. Not make, yet," he says.

Rupert Giles has posed:
It really is. Every day, one ages just that little bit more. For most, it never stops. Giles is one such. Perhaps he's feeling his age and worried about the group of young people he cares about. Perhaps it's nothing at all. "To use," he says, tone kind of absent, like the correction is second nature. "Not for use. To use. You don't need to use 'Mister' for me either. I am no longer anything but a shop owner." Well. Perhaps a little more than that, but he's not saying that part!

Giles raises a grey touched brow at the coloring of the man's cheeks. "Lotus flower buttons for a pouch. That sounds lovely. Did you find a girl you want to make happy?" Of course that's where his brain goes. And then it goes other places, and his eyes narrow, thinking, perhaps, it's Willow. Protective, much, Giles?

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
There's a blink at the words from Giles, and one of his eyebrows quirks up slightly. His head tilts a touch to one side, and he considers the words, the explanation. "Prefer for be called Rupert? Or prefer for... to be called Giles?" he asks, a bit of curiosity coming to his voice. Then he ducks his chin a little bit, at the correction that had been given. "Will try for... erm... will try to use better, da," he says, a bit of a smile coming to his features.

"Da. Pouch is for guqin. For protect, keep safe," Vitali says, giving a small nod. He lifts one of his hands, brushing a stray bit of hair from his face. And the question makes his cheeks colour a bit more. "Is not for girl," he adds, reaching out to pick up the small piece of wood. He takes a moment, examining the carving thus far. And he's quiet a moment, glancing briefly to Giles. "Is for Zhao. Want for give something special. Make happy," he says softly.

Rupert Giles has posed:
"Giles," comes the reply, a touch of amusement held in his voice. "Just Giles, thank you." It might seem to be a little odd, but is actually pretty common where he's from. Then a smile does spread across his face as he nods. "I will help you with the English language, if you would like," he offers.

Giles looks curiously at the Russian. "Guqin?" That seems to be a term he's less than familiar with. "What is a guqin? Is that Chinese?" He sounds curious. He listens to the explanation, and then nods. "Ah. That was the name of Willow's other roommate, yes? The one sharing the room with you?" He looks thoughtful, and a little bit relieved. Afterall, if the man is making gifts for a man 'to make him happy'.... well. He likely doesn't have to worry about Willow. "Want to give something special, not want for give something special," he says.

Vitali Svyatoslav has posed:
It does seem a bit odd to him, but he's not one to argue with what a person wants to be called. He gives a nod, and a bit of a smile. "Giles, then," Vitali says, looking to the man. He sits up a bit, and his attention seems to perk at the offer, his dark eyes showing a flicker of eagerness to them. "Will help? Not mind for... to give help?" he asks. He needs to think of using to before he's already said for or there'll be a worse habit brewing! "Would very much like. English not very good. Is broken," Vitali says, ducking his chin a little bit. He knows his English is bad and that it needs work.

"Da, guqin. Is Chinese, da. Is wood. Has strings, make pretty music," he says, giving a small nod. Then he gives another little nod, seeming to be willing to indulge the curiosity that Giles has. "Da. Xiang Zhao. Live in apartment, also. Share room with, da," he affirms. He offers the button -- or what will be the button -- to Giles, if he wants to take a look at it. He tilts his head a touch to one side, and then he gives a small nod. "Want to give something special, da," he affirms, an easier smile coming to his features.