Svetlana Sergievskaya causes lyrical chess wars (thegirlisme) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-06-03 21:19:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, dracula, svetlana sergievskaya |
Who: Svetlana and Vlad
What: Random meeting
When: Tonight! (3 June 2015)
Where: Benefit gala on human trafficking in Los Angeles
Warnings: None/Low
Status: Partner Thread | Complete
Being involved in international politics, Vlad was occasionally invited to events that fell into that broad topic. It was especially true working in Los Angeles. The city was a cultural hot spot and still a must-be place on many lists, there were always conferences or galas or symposiums happening. While human trafficking wasn’t necessarily on Vlad’s radar, when the invitation had fallen on his desk, he had no reason to decline. A benefit, of sorts, to raise awareness, and to raise money to help a number of organizations designed to rehabilitate victims of the trade. His biggest regret of going was that he couldn’t secure a ‘plus one’ to idle his time with.
Though it was more inciteful than he’d anticipated it being. There was something akin to guilt, or maybe sadness, that his own home country still had a long way to go on the topic - it seemed poignant, then, to have a woman from so near his home be the key speaker of the night. As everyone mingled afterwards, making their donations and finding old acquaintances, Vlad lingered away from it all. He was never a social creature by nature, so he sipped absently at his glass of sweet wine, warily avoiding the food that traveled around the room on its silver trays.
While Svetlana could have brought someone with her to this event, she had opted not to. She was worried about her brother, but there wasn’t much she could do for him right now. Besides, this was an important event and one which she had been preparing for. From what she could tell, it had gone well and so now she was speaking with those who came up to her while others went to make their donations.
After a time, she finally had a chance to take a breath and not have to be as involved in conversations. Truthfully, it was somewhat exhausting to speak to so many people in a single setting. She led her seminars at agencies, did training, but something about benefit speeches were more exhausting with the amount of people who could show up. With a glass of wine in hand, the blonde woman found her way to less occupied area of the room to people watch.
Vlad had watched her absently for a while, out of little better to do. He hadn’t thought of going up to speak with her - not because he didn’t think she did poorly, but because he got the sense that she was weary of it. Still, when she drew nearer, it seemed rude not to say something.
“Your speech was very poignant,” he said, smoothly in Russian. Vlad supposed that if he was going to be another in a string of people talking to the poor woman, he may as well do it in something more familiar to her.
Hearing someone speak to her in Russian, Svetlana blinked and looked to where Vlad was, a small smile on her face. It was refreshing to speak it. A year in the United States or not, sometimes it was just easier to speak Russian.
“Thank you.” It was then she noticed that he looked somewhat familiar. Despite the fact that she didn’t post often on the network beyond putting up notices for events or responding to a handful of people, she did continue to pay attention to it. So she was able to put faces together with those who posted on it, even if she hadn’t spoken to them before. “You are on Valarnet?”
And the joy of both speaking in Russian, as well as being more isolated from the people at the benefit was that there was less chance of being overheard and raising eyebrows.
Vlad smiled carefully, concealing his fangs, and then his eyebrows went up at the mention of Valarnet. Sometimes it surprised him, just how many people found themselves on that network - and he certainly never expected to run into any of them in Los Angeles. He gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment.
“I am,” was his reply. “You’ll forgive me that I didn’t recognize you, I hope. Generally I’m better with faces.”
So she had been correct, though she smiled faintly.
“It’s quite all right. I don’t post often. Usually if I am, I’m promoting an event or responding to someone. I tend more to observe though.”
While she had her questions about the dreams, she’d had discussions about them already with a few people, on what they could mean. The arrival of both a wedding ring and chess set had been unsettling, but nothing too distressing. Just curious, really. Though really, the fact she had run into a few people on there by chance, or she had already known before joining? It was certainly something.
“I’m much the same,” he agreed. He had his own circle of people he wanted to talk to, and that was fine, but he couldn’t deny how interesting the network was. Or how many people seemed to dream of things not entirely unlike his own. Who would have thought that Orange County had such a consistent vampire community?
“It is nice to formally meet you, then, in that regard.” Vlad shifted his wine to the opposite hand, holding out his now free one. “Vladimir Dracul. I am from the Romanian consulate.”
Svetlana wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the supernatural aspect that most people discussed, but given things had shown up, it was easier to accept them as being real. It seemed impossible, yes, but she knew that impossible in most terms of the word did not relate to Orange County. Still, dreaming about growing up in the Cold War was really nothing like that. Just political and stressful and made her more paranoid and aware of her surroundings than she had been previously.
“Likewise. Svetlana Krylova, of, well…” She had already mentioned the NGOs she worked with, both in Russia as well as how she came to the Los Angeles area. Shifting her own wine glass to the other hand to shake Vlad’s hand.
Vlad laughed, a polite sort of sound, the kind of laugh people only do at things like this. “I imagine it would be trying work, this.” He motioned around, primarily to the signs that displayed where all this hard earned money was going to. “Emotional, I mean. But I hope it also has its rewards.”
“It is…” There were times Svetlana felt emotionally drained from it all, yet every morning she would then wake up and do more training sessions, more seminars or advocacy work. Because at the end of the day, awareness was needed and change could happen. People were being helped. “There is, even though it’s an ongoing issue, the more awareness we raise, the more we can create change.”
“You are a better person than I am. I could never do this.” And Vlad meant it. He wasn’t a bad person, but he had something of a reputation of being harsh or, at times, indifferent and uncaring. He wasn’t exactly known for his humanitarian ideals or his good heart. But that was why people like Svetlana existed. They balanced out the people like Vlad.
“But, as I said,” he reiterated, “your speech was very moving. It’s perhaps easier for those who come from countries like ours to understand. I think Americans refuse to believe it can happen here.”
“Well thank you.” Because Svetlana wouldn’t necessarily consider herself a better person. She often came across as an ice queen and kept to herself more often than not. But it was something that mattered and when one lived in a country where, even if it wasn’t officially recognised while still understood, that the mafia ran the place? It was something.
“I do think it is easier for people from countries like ours where it isn’t as invisible an issue. Often I come across people since moving here who seem shocked to learn that Los Angeles is such a popular port city. It is treated as an issue for other countries, yet it happens here as well.”
“All the better to have spokespeople like you to speak about it.” Vlad raised his glass in the slightest of toasts, eyes glancing over Svetlana’s shoulder. “It would appear your popularity knows no limits. You can’t hide from your adoring public.” His head nodded, just a little, in the direction of a couple walking in their direction with obvious intentions to pull Svetlana into some conversation or another. “Not the most terrible burden to bear, I’m sure.”
A slight cant of the head was given at the toast before she followed his gaze to the couple coming towards them. Which meant it seemed as though this little reprieve from dealing with a lot of people was over. “You would think after doing these I’d be better at them.” Steeling herself to go back to the mingling and talking to a bunch of different people, Svetlana smiled some to Vlad, “Well it was a pleasure speaking with you and I’m sure our paths may cross again.”
Given the nature of Valarnet and Orange County? It really was likely. With that, it was back to the masses.