xp_logs | Nathan and Laurie, Wednesday morning

Nathan tracks down Laurie to give her a gift from Oman, and just to generally catch up.

Laurie pulled back on her bow, brought the target into her line of sight and released. She watched the arrow as it arced through the air and hit the outside ring and swore softly to herself. She just didn't seem to have her head in the game today, her aim had been completely screwy all morning.

The sound of someone clearing his throat came from well behind her. "A little off," Nathan observed gravely, only the slight sparkle in his gray eyes giving him away. "It is a bit windy out here."

Laurie blushed slightly, before walking over and pulling her arrows from the target. "My instructor back at my old highschool would probably be making me do homework on how to adjust for weather conditions if she saw how lazy I've been being. I haven't practiced in a week and my pull back on the string is horrible."

When it came to sports, it was always be the best or else as far as Laurie was concerned. It was the one thing she prided herself on, her abilities with a bow and on the track.

Nathan tilted his head, studying her with a smile. "Busy time of year," he pointed out. "You can be excused for falling a bit behind with some things - the end of term workload always throws one for a loop."

"I guess I'm a perfectionist." Laurie replied, placing the arrows carefully back in their quiver and putting her bow down against one of the benches lining the clearing. "Mom was always really good at getting me to slow down if she thought I was pushing myself too hard."

"I'm hardly one to be telling anyone else that they're working too hard," Nathan pointed out with perfect honesty, watching her store her gear. "Speaking of which, in my increasing efforts to have no life, I haven't talked to you in far too long. Classes going well?"

"Brilliant, actually. So much better then I expected. It's different from my old school, the teaching style, I mean. But, better too. I think I'm still getting used to seeing teachers as normal human beings I can talk to, as well as teachers. There's not as much of the line here but I guess that's normal, considering the school." Laurie replied.

She looked down at her bow again, and then at Nathan. She wondered if he'd ever used one before. She knew he'd been a part of some super secret organisation, gossip moving fast through the student population, but she wasn't entirely sure what sort of training that meant. She wondered if he'd mind if she asked him to train with her, it was always more fun in a group.

"It is an odd school, as schools go. I'm glad things are going well for you, though." She deserved it, after what she'd been through prior to coming here. Nathan dug into the pocket of his jacket, smiling a bit. "I brought you back something from Oman," he said. "Just a souvenir."

"A gift? For me?" Laurie squeaked. "Oh wow. Thankyou so much. But I haven't even gone Christmas shopping yet and I hope it wasn't too expensive."

She stopped talking suddenly and a deep blush stained her cheeks, she sounded so silly. It was just, apart from her mother and a few good friends, she wasn't used to surprise presents. It was, it was the nicest thing.

Nathan just smiled and gave her the tiny, carved wooden box. It was tiny, smaller than some of the other similar souvenirs he'd brought back, but he'd liked the warm color of the wood and the delicacy of the carving. "I brought back a few of these," he said. "I thought you'd like this one."

Laurie took the small box in her hand, looking it over. It was beautiful, truly beautiful and the workmanship spoke of hands that loved their work. She slowly opened the box with a delicate touch and breathed in the aroma that billowed out with the wind. It was...lavendar and frankincense. It smelled wonderful, and would do wonders for the room she shared with Yvette, especially right after she came back from a run. She closed the box carefully and grinned at Nathan.

"For a guy, you have excellent taste." Laurie said, grin teasing.

"My wife has me trained well," Nathan said dryly, but the smile lingered. "I'm glad you like it. They sold those little boxes all over the souk."

"Souk?" Laurie asked, sounding out the unfamiliar word. "What's a souk?"

For all that she'd travelled with her mother to several places around the world, she'd yet to travel to any part of the Middle East. She often wondered what it would be like to live next to a desert. Dry, she supposed.

"The market, sorry. Angelo and I spent the morning there, before one of our meetings. It was like something out of the Arabian Nights," Nathan said with a whimsical smile for how that description kept reoccurring to him. "I did manage to get the vast majority of my Christmas shopping done."

"I still have to do mine. Mom was talking about making it a family day out, just the two of us. Knowing my Mom she'll want to turn it into a baking day as well. She makes these little fruit cakes for all her friends, I figure she'll probably make some for the mansion as well this year, considering." Laurie replied, tucking the box into the pocket of her jeans. She'd make sure to put it somewhere safe when she got to her room.

"Fruit cake," Nathan said with an innocent look that would have fooled precisely no one. "Isn't that the cake that can double as a blunt instrument?"

"Ooooh, you would so get it if Mom heard you talking like that. She's like, the fruitcake queen. Only, not in the wears a white coat sense, more the baking sense." Laurie replied, giggling.

"I would never presume to suggest that your mother was a fruitcake," Nathan said very gravely. "Minor force of nature, yes. Fruitcake, no. Speaking of forces of nature, I hear that she and Angelo's mother have been plotting?"

"Yep! Mum's completely excited and definitely a force of nature right now. You should have heard her on the phone to the local station. She's really pulling out all the stops to make sure Juanita's idea gets a good hearing. It'll be good for her, getting to meet the other parents. She doesn't show it, but I figure she must get bored only having me around to talk to." Laurie replied, grinning mischievously. "I mean, I'm wonderful and all but you oldies need your own kind every so often."