* * *
"Are you almost finished showering Lara?" Naomi called through the bathroom door. "Aeryn still needs to use it and the boys are waiting outside."
"Okay, okay. Keep your shirt on." Lara-Su called through the door. She emerged a minute later, looking refreshed and alert. "All yours Aeryn."
"Spaesbo."
"Nye za chto." Lara said back, surprising Naomi and Aeryn. She smiled. "I've been brushing up on my Russian. In fact-" Lara recited several phrases in Russian. Naomi looked to Aeryn and found her looking puzzled and amused.
"That's very good Lara, but I think it could use some work." Aeryn said slowly.
"Why do you say that?" Lara asked.
"Unless you wanted to ask me if I had root rot, then I think you may have misstated yourself somewhere."
"I just wanted to ask how your day was." Lara said sheepishly as Naomi laughed.
"I'll help you with your Russian later if you want. In the meantime, I need to shower."
"Of course. We'll just wait with the others." Naomi agreed. As Lara and Naomi joined their friends in front of the Kremlin, they saw that Christopher was already pointing out some of the sites.
"Over there is St. Basil's Cathedral. It serves as a secondary museum of Soviet history and includes a number of old relics from when Robotnik was still around. Old shells of hover crafts, SWATbots, that kind of thing. It holds things while the State History Museum sets up the exhibits, which is at the north part of Red Square. Over there is the GUM Department Store and that's the Lenin Mausoleum. Well it actually isn't a mausoleum so much as it is a war memorial." He kept pointing out the other sights of Red Square, the Lenin Museum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Kremlin Wall. He then spotted Lara and Naomi and waved them over.
"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to get a better look at the entire Kremlin." Thomas said. Nick nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I promised mom I'd bring back pictures." He said, indicating a small camera he wore around his neck. As the two of them walked away, Chris, Naomi, and Lara sat down on the Kremlin steps.
"So what's on today's agenda?" Naomi asked Chris.
"We going to visit the school Aeryn and I go to. It's downtown so we'll have to take the Moscow Subway."
"That's okay. Aeryn has the times." Naomi said.
"And speaking of Aeryn..." Lara started. "I think you should do what we talked about yesterday."
"Don't you have anything better to do than meddle in my life?" Christopher asked in exasperation.
"Do I want to know?" Naomi asked.
"I've been TRYING to get a certain kangaroo to admit his feelings to a certain communist echidna, but he just stonewalls me."
"Can you blame me?" Chris asked Naomi. "There is absolutely no way in hell that Aeryn would ever be interested in me."
"I know I've talked you about this before Chris," Naomi said gently. "Apparently Lara's been doing the same. Maybe you should stop telling us why you can't and at least give it a try." Chris shook his head.
"I won't know what to say."
"Just be honest." Naomi coaxed him. "Anything's bound to be better than this uncertainty, right?"
"Maybe." Christopher admitted. "But-"
"No buts Chris." Lara cut in sharply. "Now you go up right now and talk to Aeryn. Or else." She added threateningly.
"Or else what?" Christopher asked.
"Or else THIS!" Lara said as she grabbed his ribs and started tickling him.
"HEY!" Chris shouted. "HAHA QUIT IT!"
"You going to talk to Aeryn?" Lara asked wickedly, wiggling her fingers under his arms.
"ALL R-RIGHT, ALL--HAHAHA--RIGHT. J-JUST STAHAHAPPP!"
"If you say so." Lara said sweetly as she pulled away. Leaving Christopher flushed and panting for breath.
"Was that really necessary?!" He yelled after he got his breath back. Lara just shrugged.
"I thought so. Now, go on; hop to it." Christopher shot her a dark look as he turned around and went back inside the Kremlin Apartments. Turning to Naomi, Lara said; "I always figured he was ticklish."
"How so?"
"He's too flighty and nervous. Besides if he gets embarrassed THAT easily, I figure he's bound to be susceptible to a good tickle. I think he needed it, builds character."
"Hmmm. Lara?"
"Yes, Naomi?"
"I'm glad you're a Guardian."
"Why is that?"
"Because you'd make a lousy psychiatrist."
* * *
"Are you almost finished showering Lara?" Naomi called through the bathroom door. "Aeryn still needs to use it and the boys are waiting outside."
"Okay, okay. Keep your shirt on." Lara-Su called through the door. She emerged a minute later, looking refreshed and alert. "All yours Aeryn."
"Spaesbo."
"Nye za chto." Lara said back, surprising Naomi and Aeryn. She smiled. "I've been brushing up on my Russian. In fact-" Lara recited several phrases in Russian. Naomi looked to Aeryn and found her looking puzzled and amused.
"That's very good Lara, but I think it could use some work." Aeryn said slowly.
"Why do you say that?" Lara asked.
"Unless you wanted to ask me if I had root rot, then I think you may have misstated yourself somewhere."
"I just wanted to ask how your day was." Lara said sheepishly as Naomi laughed.
"I'll help you with your Russian later if you want. In the meantime, I need to shower."
"Of course. We'll just wait with the others." Naomi agreed. As Lara and Naomi joined their friends in front of the Kremlin, they saw that Christopher was already pointing out some of the sites.
"Over there is St. Basil's Cathedral. It serves as a secondary museum of Soviet history and includes a number of old relics from when Robotnik was still around. Old shells of hover crafts, SWATbots, that kind of thing. It holds things while the State History Museum sets up the exhibits, which is at the north part of Red Square. Over there is the GUM Department Store and that's the Lenin Mausoleum. Well it actually isn't a mausoleum so much as it is a war memorial." He kept pointing out the other sights of Red Square, the Lenin Museum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Kremlin Wall. He then spotted Lara and Naomi and waved them over.
"If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to get a better look at the entire Kremlin." Thomas said. Nick nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I promised mom I'd bring back pictures." He said, indicating a small camera he wore around his neck. As the two of them walked away, Chris, Naomi, and Lara sat down on the Kremlin steps.
"So what's on today's agenda?" Naomi asked Chris.
"We going to visit the school Aeryn and I go to. It's downtown so we'll have to take the Moscow Subway."
"That's okay. Aeryn has the times." Naomi said.
"And speaking of Aeryn..." Lara started. "I think you should do what we talked about yesterday."
"Don't you have anything better to do than meddle in my life?" Christopher asked in exasperation.
"Do I want to know?" Naomi asked.
"I've been TRYING to get a certain kangaroo to admit his feelings to a certain communist echidna, but he just stonewalls me."
"Can you blame me?" Chris asked Naomi. "There is absolutely no way in hell that Aeryn would ever be interested in me."
"I know I've talked you about this before Chris," Naomi said gently. "Apparently Lara's been doing the same. Maybe you should stop telling us why you can't and at least give it a try." Chris shook his head.
"I won't know what to say."
"Just be honest." Naomi coaxed him. "Anything's bound to be better than this uncertainty, right?"
"Maybe." Christopher admitted. "But-"
"No buts Chris." Lara cut in sharply. "Now you go up right now and talk to Aeryn. Or else." She added threateningly.
"Or else what?" Christopher asked.
"Or else THIS!" Lara said as she grabbed his ribs and started tickling him.
"HEY!" Chris shouted. "HAHA QUIT IT!"
"You going to talk to Aeryn?" Lara asked wickedly, wiggling her fingers under his arms.
"ALL R-RIGHT, ALL--HAHAHA--RIGHT. J-JUST STAHAHAPPP!"
"If you say so." Lara said sweetly as she pulled away. Leaving Christopher flushed and panting for breath.
"Was that really necessary?!" He yelled after he got his breath back. Lara just shrugged.
"I thought so. Now, go on; hop to it." Christopher shot her a dark look as he turned around and went back inside the Kremlin Apartments. Turning to Naomi, Lara said; "I always figured he was ticklish."
"How so?"
"He's too flighty and nervous. Besides if he gets embarrassed THAT easily, I figure he's bound to be susceptible to a good tickle. I think he needed it, builds character."
"Hmmm. Lara?"
"Yes, Naomi?"
"I'm glad you're a Guardian."
"Why is that?"
"Because you'd make a lousy psychiatrist."
* * *