Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2015 13:42:10 GMT -6
“ You see Boris. Woman is broken. She is practically begging you to put her out misery so be nice and put her out of everyone’s misery. Is what’s best for her and everyone else. She can not control herself.”
Dasha and Boris stand, taking a break from their usual training to watch the video that had been sent over. The break, as it was, was not so much for Boris’ benefit as it was for the half a dozen sparring partners lying on the mat trying to recover from various beatings received thus far.
For his part, Boris watches the video and is torn. There was obviously a nice woman in there. Not too unlike some of the girls from his small village back home. Just wanting to get by. On the other hand, there was obviously something wrong with this woman as Dasha had said and she meant to try and hurt him. On the surface, the thought of her trying to hurt Boris almost made the giant laugh, but he had seen enough in his life to know danger when he saw it and this girl, while unable to hurt him directly was certainly crazy and foolish enough to try and hurt him indirectly. It was, after all a tried and true tactic Russians themselves had used.. If you could beat your enemy directly, let other things help beat them. Whether it was falling back and forcing invading armies to march across Russia and face the harsh and brutally unforgiving Russian winters with only the supplies they brought or a number of other ways, the point remained the same.
This could involve more than Boris and it was clear that Boris’ normal approach and mentality just wasn’t going to cut it. This led the big man to think as he glanced back at the ring and nodded. “Dasha. I’m done training for day.”
Dasha, who had only heard Boris refer to himself in the first person a few times before and had never seen Boris actually have the gall to turn and tell Dasha something as opposed to ask, was speechless for a bit before she finally tried to regain control of the situation. “Do not give me orders, Boris. I am command here, not you. But Da… you’ve done good. And you are developing backbone.. as reward, you can end training early today. You have something in mind?”
Boris nods. “Da.. Boris will be out. Boris has phone with him.. you need Boris to fight your way. Boris needs to prepare his way. Besides, Dasha needs to prepare for her own fight. Dasha doesn’t need me for that.” With that, Boris walked out of the training gym and into the air of Chicago in late winter, where the temperatures were more akin to summertime in the part of Russia where Boris was from. As he walked down the street, he thought about the woman he was facing, or perhaps women was the better term as there definitely seemed to be two different people. The video definitely seemed to make it clear that Boris was dealing with one very tortured soul. One who might indeed be, as Dasha said, broken and in need of being put out of her misery. Boris had seen things like that before and he knew how to deal with it. Both himself if need be and how his people tended to deal with it. As he walked, Boris noticed a comic book store and in the window, he noticed a small plastic doll of a woman that looked somewhat like his opponent. Intrigued, and half wondering if New Edge was selling stuff in comic book stores now (and if they had any Boris and Dasha merch if they were), he pushed his way into the store and was truly amazed at what he saw.
Boris had been to a few comic book stores in his life, but the comic book store scene in Chicago was something else altogether for the big man as he walked in and looked around. The store was fairly big and there were shelves of graphic novels, glass display cases of comic books, even a few shelves that had old role playing games and the like. Posters hung on the wall of various comic book characters, whether it be art, fan art, the art of aspiring artists hoping to get noticed, or actor portrayals of characters from movies or the like. A few of them were of the woman Boris was fighting this week, only the name said Harley Quinn on it instead of Jubilee Jinx. Admittedly, this confused Boris for a second until a sales girl came up to her, definitely dressed in the goth style, which Boris had run into many times in Moscow. She had jet black hair interrupted with purple streaks, frosted purple lipstick, the mandatory pale skin that suggested she spent too much time indoors, and the whole nine yards. She looks up and her eyes widen. “Whoa. You’re a big guy aren’t you? Is umm… everything. as big as the rest of you?”
Boris’ blank stare indicated he had no idea what the woman was hinting at and she smirked. “Wow, over your head huh? Oh well handsome and naive is better than weird and pervy. We’ll get back to it later, but for now, can I help you find something?”
Boris pointed at the poster of Harley Quinn and the girl looked, smirking. “Harley Quinn fan? Nice. Lot of guys like her… lot of girls too. I’d totally do her. Looking for posters, art, comics, what?”
Boris shrugs. “Umm I have to fight her.”
The woman looks at him and sighs. “And now we crossed into weird. Way to go, Darla. Look big guy but uh… she’s a fictional character. Please tell me you’re a handsome guy without issues and understand the concept of fictional character?”
Boris smiles and nods. “Da, Boris understands, but Bori-- I wrestle for New Edge… My opponent.” He says, pointing at the poster again and the light bulb seems to click on for Darla. “Oh my gosh.. you’re a pro wrestler!? Like a real one?! and New Edge is right here in Chicago! I go there sometimes to watch Ignite… okay look, I will totally tell you everything you need to know, but you gotta score me some tickets… and an autograph.”
Boris blinks, confused. “You like Boris? Usually Boris and Dasha get booed..”
Darla scoffs, waving her hand. “Don’t listen to those tools. It’s like the Matrix, they’re so used to being screwed by the system they just bend over and take it. You guys rock..”
Boris almost wished Dasha was there to hear it. Almost. The small part glad she wasn’t was glad because she would almost certainly ruin the fact that Boris was making a new friend. Certainly a new experience for Boris and one he did not particularly wish to give up easily or for no good reason. Boris nodded at Darla’s offer and she led him to the back where a small cafe was set up, similar to what you used to be able to find in a Border’s bookstore or something and they sat down at a table and Darla began filling Boris in on the backstory of Harley Quinn. The more she talked and the more he listened, the more even Boris could see the similarities between his opponent and this character. and an idea of how to use that to his advantage was beginning to form, granted the idea was put on hold by a question from Darla. “Okay, so I need to know. Are you and Dasha like.. you know… dating? I mean I figure yes because why else haven’t you knocked that bitch out yet for how badly she treats you, right? Oh and why do you always call yourself Boris?”
Boris shrugs. “Boris’ english is… not so good, but some people say it’s better than Jesse Styles so… Boris happy. As for Dasha.. Dasha outranks Boris thus she can treat Boris as she wants.. and nyet, Dasha and Boris not dating or anything.”
Darla seemed happy with that answer and nodded, “Yeah, but you’re like.. well if you were a Marvel Superhero, you’d totally be Colossus..” She says, darting off and grabbing a few comics, showing Boris a picture of Colossus. “Oh, and in the Injustice Universe, wow… there’s a few people you could be…”
Boris greeted this with another blank look and some of the series was set down in front of him. “It’s an alternate history DC does.. basically, instead of the United States, Superman crash lands in the Soviet Union and thus the Super Heroes that arise for the U.S. instead go to or arise in the Soviet Union.”
Boris again had to admit Dasha would probably have gotten behind that. Or maybe she would have hated it, preferring instead her real life heroes, the ones that had pushed her to be who and what she was today.. Either way, Boris had learned a lot and he actually had an idea. He smiled at Darla. “When do you get off work? Boris has idea and thought you might want to see something.”
Darla smirks. “I can get out of here now, my shift is almost over, lemme go tell my boss, don’t move!” She says as she rushes off. Boris grabs his cell phone and dials a number. When the other side answers, he speaks in Russian: “Dasha. Boris. I need a camera crew and old abandoned circus.I have plan and want to speak. DASHA! Trust Boris! Boris has always followed you without question!”:
Boris waits for a second and nods, hanging up the phone as Darla makes her way over to him and smiles. “Right. Ready to go, so where we off to?”
Boris smiles. “To meet Dasha and hopefully find abandoned circus. Boris has something to show silly clown girl.”
The scene picks up again at Navy Pier, Lake Michigan is in the distance casting a stark contrast to the urban environment of Chicago. Dasha is glaring at Darla and points at her as she looks over to Boris. “Who is she?”
Boris shrugs. “Fan. She helped Boris learn about opponent. I thought she might want to see. Is everything ready?”
Dasha sighs and gestures to the camera crew waiting and a circus like set up that runs both inside and outside of Navy Pier. “Da. I had to set this up. Jesse Styles was NOT happy with bill, We had to pay half so help me you big dumb ox if you screw this up, Dasha will throw you in lake and wait for you to freeze!”
Boris, for once, does not cringe. Does not back down, but with a calm expression on his face just nods and walks into Navy Pier and is standing with his back to the lake as the camera begins rolling and he gestures out to the lake.
“Almost like Village back home where Boris is from, only instead of lake, it was on the sea. Some people in Boris’ family are fishermen. Dangerous job, sea is unpredictable. Looks calm and cool one moment and the next moment is like living creature, trying to destroy whatever has irritated it, Boris was farmer. Boris helped out on ship when he could, but mostly stuck to ground. See Jinx, Boris knows who he is. Boris is his own man. Boris does not need makeup, does not need to run around and pretend to be some fantasy girl to get attention.”
Boris begins a slow walk, looking around as he moves into the circus portion of his set up and smirks as he stops at a replica of the famous strength game, picking up the big mallet and looking at in his hands.
“You see pretty girl… what you are forgetting is the same thing everyone forgets… they look at Boris and see big dumb ox. Even Dasha does. Boris just wanted to be a nice guy. That was what Boris was always told growing up. ‘Just be a good man.’ Pretty girl thinks she’s scary. She thinks Boris will be backed down by works and theatrics? Pretty girl Jinx is foolish girl just like clown. Clowns like the circus and the circus likes games… So come on, pretty girl Jinx.. let’s you and Boris play some games hmmm?”
Without warning, Boris turns and, letting out a mighty roar, hits the pad on the strength game with all his might knocking the bell off the top and breaking the mallet, which he tosses aside. “Boris wins.”
Boris walks and passes by some games set up that test shooting skill, the popular ones are all here, shooting ducks, hitting the open mouth of a clown’s head with water until a balloon pops, throwing darts at a balloon. Boris grins. “Pretty girl Jinx doesn’t scare Boris. See, Pretty girl talks well. She is good at that. Boris is Spetsnaz. Boris has fought in war. Boris fought in Grozny, where streets ran with so much blood, Boris had to wade through it…”
Boris walks into Navy Pier itself, the first room is a maze made to look like the infamous house of mirrors. Boris smiles.
“Do you know who you are, pretty girl? I think not. I think you chase tail like dog. Look around, There is only one thing shown back at me here. Boris. Boris knows who he is. What he can do and come Ignite 201, Boris is going to break pretty girl into so many pieces.. just like broken mirror. Because, Boris can not lose this match. He knows who he is.. he is his own man, not poor imitation, though pretty one, of American comic book bad girl… Perhaps that’s it, hmm? Perhaps Pretty girl Jinx is a bad girl and wants to get punished hmm? Is that it?”
Boris shrugs as he looks around, slowly making his way through the maze, letting the mirrors reflect different sizes and variations of Boris, but in the end, it is still Boris being shown. As he nears the end, Boris opens a door and walks into a very different room, waiting as the camera that has been following him, comes in and sets up. This room is set up very plainly. Plain walls, a small wooden table and two chairs on either side of it. On either side of the room stands a mannequin dressed up as a Russian soldier complete with rifle. On the table stands a bottle of vodka and a glass. Boris sits down and looks into the camera as he calmly removes a Tokarev handgun.
“You know, when Boris was training to be Spetsnaz, we had man like you, pretty girl. He was… weak.. something in his head broke. Talked to himself. nearly killed a medic that tried to help him… Obviously, he couldn’t be Spetsnaz. He was...broken. weak. defective. We have way of dealing with such things in Russia, pretty girl…”
Boris calmly ejects the magazine, showing the camera it’s empty before taking a single bullet out, and holding it up to the camera for a few moments before inserting it into the magazine, putting the magazine into gun and readying the weapon, setting it on the table, gesturing to the camera.
“Comrade Vostov was given two choices. He could have some vodka, and put bullet in his own head and die with dignity, or he could be shot as coward by firing squad. Vostov chose good death. Boris doesn’t care which way you choose, Pretty girl, but at Ignite 201, he will turn pretty girl into pretty broken girl and show Jinx once and for all that she is…
Just sad little clown.. not dangerous, not funny, pretty but broken and lost, speaking to ghosts and figments of her shattered mind Everything you are is illusion. Is bullshit, as Americans would say, Jinx.. fake as this circus Boris setup… Do Svidaniya, Jinx.”
With that, the feed ends and Boris walks out where both Dasha and Darla are staring at him and raises eyebrow. Dasha nods. “That was… decent.. Bout time you got angry, big dumb ox. Now just make sure you crush the cyka.”
Darla blinked at looked at Boris. “I don’t know what she’s on but that was awesome!”
For his part, Boris smiled. A compliment was nice and two was even better, Dasha’s words, while seeming harsh to most, were mostly a compliment to Boris, especially since she did not refer to him as a big dumb ox. Small steps with Dasha were fine.. but he was taking big steps in other areas, making a friend and now preparing to win a big match in Ignite 201.
Dasha and Boris stand, taking a break from their usual training to watch the video that had been sent over. The break, as it was, was not so much for Boris’ benefit as it was for the half a dozen sparring partners lying on the mat trying to recover from various beatings received thus far.
For his part, Boris watches the video and is torn. There was obviously a nice woman in there. Not too unlike some of the girls from his small village back home. Just wanting to get by. On the other hand, there was obviously something wrong with this woman as Dasha had said and she meant to try and hurt him. On the surface, the thought of her trying to hurt Boris almost made the giant laugh, but he had seen enough in his life to know danger when he saw it and this girl, while unable to hurt him directly was certainly crazy and foolish enough to try and hurt him indirectly. It was, after all a tried and true tactic Russians themselves had used.. If you could beat your enemy directly, let other things help beat them. Whether it was falling back and forcing invading armies to march across Russia and face the harsh and brutally unforgiving Russian winters with only the supplies they brought or a number of other ways, the point remained the same.
This could involve more than Boris and it was clear that Boris’ normal approach and mentality just wasn’t going to cut it. This led the big man to think as he glanced back at the ring and nodded. “Dasha. I’m done training for day.”
Dasha, who had only heard Boris refer to himself in the first person a few times before and had never seen Boris actually have the gall to turn and tell Dasha something as opposed to ask, was speechless for a bit before she finally tried to regain control of the situation. “Do not give me orders, Boris. I am command here, not you. But Da… you’ve done good. And you are developing backbone.. as reward, you can end training early today. You have something in mind?”
Boris nods. “Da.. Boris will be out. Boris has phone with him.. you need Boris to fight your way. Boris needs to prepare his way. Besides, Dasha needs to prepare for her own fight. Dasha doesn’t need me for that.” With that, Boris walked out of the training gym and into the air of Chicago in late winter, where the temperatures were more akin to summertime in the part of Russia where Boris was from. As he walked down the street, he thought about the woman he was facing, or perhaps women was the better term as there definitely seemed to be two different people. The video definitely seemed to make it clear that Boris was dealing with one very tortured soul. One who might indeed be, as Dasha said, broken and in need of being put out of her misery. Boris had seen things like that before and he knew how to deal with it. Both himself if need be and how his people tended to deal with it. As he walked, Boris noticed a comic book store and in the window, he noticed a small plastic doll of a woman that looked somewhat like his opponent. Intrigued, and half wondering if New Edge was selling stuff in comic book stores now (and if they had any Boris and Dasha merch if they were), he pushed his way into the store and was truly amazed at what he saw.
Boris had been to a few comic book stores in his life, but the comic book store scene in Chicago was something else altogether for the big man as he walked in and looked around. The store was fairly big and there were shelves of graphic novels, glass display cases of comic books, even a few shelves that had old role playing games and the like. Posters hung on the wall of various comic book characters, whether it be art, fan art, the art of aspiring artists hoping to get noticed, or actor portrayals of characters from movies or the like. A few of them were of the woman Boris was fighting this week, only the name said Harley Quinn on it instead of Jubilee Jinx. Admittedly, this confused Boris for a second until a sales girl came up to her, definitely dressed in the goth style, which Boris had run into many times in Moscow. She had jet black hair interrupted with purple streaks, frosted purple lipstick, the mandatory pale skin that suggested she spent too much time indoors, and the whole nine yards. She looks up and her eyes widen. “Whoa. You’re a big guy aren’t you? Is umm… everything. as big as the rest of you?”
Boris’ blank stare indicated he had no idea what the woman was hinting at and she smirked. “Wow, over your head huh? Oh well handsome and naive is better than weird and pervy. We’ll get back to it later, but for now, can I help you find something?”
Boris pointed at the poster of Harley Quinn and the girl looked, smirking. “Harley Quinn fan? Nice. Lot of guys like her… lot of girls too. I’d totally do her. Looking for posters, art, comics, what?”
Boris shrugs. “Umm I have to fight her.”
The woman looks at him and sighs. “And now we crossed into weird. Way to go, Darla. Look big guy but uh… she’s a fictional character. Please tell me you’re a handsome guy without issues and understand the concept of fictional character?”
Boris smiles and nods. “Da, Boris understands, but Bori-- I wrestle for New Edge… My opponent.” He says, pointing at the poster again and the light bulb seems to click on for Darla. “Oh my gosh.. you’re a pro wrestler!? Like a real one?! and New Edge is right here in Chicago! I go there sometimes to watch Ignite… okay look, I will totally tell you everything you need to know, but you gotta score me some tickets… and an autograph.”
Boris blinks, confused. “You like Boris? Usually Boris and Dasha get booed..”
Darla scoffs, waving her hand. “Don’t listen to those tools. It’s like the Matrix, they’re so used to being screwed by the system they just bend over and take it. You guys rock..”
Boris almost wished Dasha was there to hear it. Almost. The small part glad she wasn’t was glad because she would almost certainly ruin the fact that Boris was making a new friend. Certainly a new experience for Boris and one he did not particularly wish to give up easily or for no good reason. Boris nodded at Darla’s offer and she led him to the back where a small cafe was set up, similar to what you used to be able to find in a Border’s bookstore or something and they sat down at a table and Darla began filling Boris in on the backstory of Harley Quinn. The more she talked and the more he listened, the more even Boris could see the similarities between his opponent and this character. and an idea of how to use that to his advantage was beginning to form, granted the idea was put on hold by a question from Darla. “Okay, so I need to know. Are you and Dasha like.. you know… dating? I mean I figure yes because why else haven’t you knocked that bitch out yet for how badly she treats you, right? Oh and why do you always call yourself Boris?”
Boris shrugs. “Boris’ english is… not so good, but some people say it’s better than Jesse Styles so… Boris happy. As for Dasha.. Dasha outranks Boris thus she can treat Boris as she wants.. and nyet, Dasha and Boris not dating or anything.”
Darla seemed happy with that answer and nodded, “Yeah, but you’re like.. well if you were a Marvel Superhero, you’d totally be Colossus..” She says, darting off and grabbing a few comics, showing Boris a picture of Colossus. “Oh, and in the Injustice Universe, wow… there’s a few people you could be…”
Boris greeted this with another blank look and some of the series was set down in front of him. “It’s an alternate history DC does.. basically, instead of the United States, Superman crash lands in the Soviet Union and thus the Super Heroes that arise for the U.S. instead go to or arise in the Soviet Union.”
Boris again had to admit Dasha would probably have gotten behind that. Or maybe she would have hated it, preferring instead her real life heroes, the ones that had pushed her to be who and what she was today.. Either way, Boris had learned a lot and he actually had an idea. He smiled at Darla. “When do you get off work? Boris has idea and thought you might want to see something.”
Darla smirks. “I can get out of here now, my shift is almost over, lemme go tell my boss, don’t move!” She says as she rushes off. Boris grabs his cell phone and dials a number. When the other side answers, he speaks in Russian: “Dasha. Boris. I need a camera crew and old abandoned circus.I have plan and want to speak. DASHA! Trust Boris! Boris has always followed you without question!”:
Boris waits for a second and nods, hanging up the phone as Darla makes her way over to him and smiles. “Right. Ready to go, so where we off to?”
Boris smiles. “To meet Dasha and hopefully find abandoned circus. Boris has something to show silly clown girl.”
The scene picks up again at Navy Pier, Lake Michigan is in the distance casting a stark contrast to the urban environment of Chicago. Dasha is glaring at Darla and points at her as she looks over to Boris. “Who is she?”
Boris shrugs. “Fan. She helped Boris learn about opponent. I thought she might want to see. Is everything ready?”
Dasha sighs and gestures to the camera crew waiting and a circus like set up that runs both inside and outside of Navy Pier. “Da. I had to set this up. Jesse Styles was NOT happy with bill, We had to pay half so help me you big dumb ox if you screw this up, Dasha will throw you in lake and wait for you to freeze!”
Boris, for once, does not cringe. Does not back down, but with a calm expression on his face just nods and walks into Navy Pier and is standing with his back to the lake as the camera begins rolling and he gestures out to the lake.
“Almost like Village back home where Boris is from, only instead of lake, it was on the sea. Some people in Boris’ family are fishermen. Dangerous job, sea is unpredictable. Looks calm and cool one moment and the next moment is like living creature, trying to destroy whatever has irritated it, Boris was farmer. Boris helped out on ship when he could, but mostly stuck to ground. See Jinx, Boris knows who he is. Boris is his own man. Boris does not need makeup, does not need to run around and pretend to be some fantasy girl to get attention.”
Boris begins a slow walk, looking around as he moves into the circus portion of his set up and smirks as he stops at a replica of the famous strength game, picking up the big mallet and looking at in his hands.
“You see pretty girl… what you are forgetting is the same thing everyone forgets… they look at Boris and see big dumb ox. Even Dasha does. Boris just wanted to be a nice guy. That was what Boris was always told growing up. ‘Just be a good man.’ Pretty girl thinks she’s scary. She thinks Boris will be backed down by works and theatrics? Pretty girl Jinx is foolish girl just like clown. Clowns like the circus and the circus likes games… So come on, pretty girl Jinx.. let’s you and Boris play some games hmmm?”
Without warning, Boris turns and, letting out a mighty roar, hits the pad on the strength game with all his might knocking the bell off the top and breaking the mallet, which he tosses aside. “Boris wins.”
Boris walks and passes by some games set up that test shooting skill, the popular ones are all here, shooting ducks, hitting the open mouth of a clown’s head with water until a balloon pops, throwing darts at a balloon. Boris grins. “Pretty girl Jinx doesn’t scare Boris. See, Pretty girl talks well. She is good at that. Boris is Spetsnaz. Boris has fought in war. Boris fought in Grozny, where streets ran with so much blood, Boris had to wade through it…”
Boris walks into Navy Pier itself, the first room is a maze made to look like the infamous house of mirrors. Boris smiles.
“Do you know who you are, pretty girl? I think not. I think you chase tail like dog. Look around, There is only one thing shown back at me here. Boris. Boris knows who he is. What he can do and come Ignite 201, Boris is going to break pretty girl into so many pieces.. just like broken mirror. Because, Boris can not lose this match. He knows who he is.. he is his own man, not poor imitation, though pretty one, of American comic book bad girl… Perhaps that’s it, hmm? Perhaps Pretty girl Jinx is a bad girl and wants to get punished hmm? Is that it?”
Boris shrugs as he looks around, slowly making his way through the maze, letting the mirrors reflect different sizes and variations of Boris, but in the end, it is still Boris being shown. As he nears the end, Boris opens a door and walks into a very different room, waiting as the camera that has been following him, comes in and sets up. This room is set up very plainly. Plain walls, a small wooden table and two chairs on either side of it. On either side of the room stands a mannequin dressed up as a Russian soldier complete with rifle. On the table stands a bottle of vodka and a glass. Boris sits down and looks into the camera as he calmly removes a Tokarev handgun.
“You know, when Boris was training to be Spetsnaz, we had man like you, pretty girl. He was… weak.. something in his head broke. Talked to himself. nearly killed a medic that tried to help him… Obviously, he couldn’t be Spetsnaz. He was...broken. weak. defective. We have way of dealing with such things in Russia, pretty girl…”
Boris calmly ejects the magazine, showing the camera it’s empty before taking a single bullet out, and holding it up to the camera for a few moments before inserting it into the magazine, putting the magazine into gun and readying the weapon, setting it on the table, gesturing to the camera.
“Comrade Vostov was given two choices. He could have some vodka, and put bullet in his own head and die with dignity, or he could be shot as coward by firing squad. Vostov chose good death. Boris doesn’t care which way you choose, Pretty girl, but at Ignite 201, he will turn pretty girl into pretty broken girl and show Jinx once and for all that she is…
Just sad little clown.. not dangerous, not funny, pretty but broken and lost, speaking to ghosts and figments of her shattered mind Everything you are is illusion. Is bullshit, as Americans would say, Jinx.. fake as this circus Boris setup… Do Svidaniya, Jinx.”
With that, the feed ends and Boris walks out where both Dasha and Darla are staring at him and raises eyebrow. Dasha nods. “That was… decent.. Bout time you got angry, big dumb ox. Now just make sure you crush the cyka.”
Darla blinked at looked at Boris. “I don’t know what she’s on but that was awesome!”
For his part, Boris smiled. A compliment was nice and two was even better, Dasha’s words, while seeming harsh to most, were mostly a compliment to Boris, especially since she did not refer to him as a big dumb ox. Small steps with Dasha were fine.. but he was taking big steps in other areas, making a friend and now preparing to win a big match in Ignite 201.