Challenge: Letters
Spoilers for all of season 4.
"Lessons"
Elena taught her sisters how to read and write, long before they learned it in school. This wasn’t so much out of sisterly affection but because she was tired to be the one who had to fill out the endless paper work and applications for a better flat, for places in the programs. Their father was too drunk for this more often than not, so she pinched and slapped Irina and later Katya until they hadn’t just mastered the Cyrillic alphabet but the Latin one as well.
Irina was brilliant with it. For Elena, writing was a tool, a way to get what she wanted. She couldn’t understand why Irina played with letters to make up new words, unless it was yet another way in which her younger sister made her life difficult. It wasn’t that Elena couldn’t be patient. Everyone growing up in the Soviet Union, everyone who had to stand in line for hours to get oranges when they were finally available for a day knew how to be patient. She just didn’t see the point of wasting time with this. If Irina wanted something to occupy her time with, she should practice her chess. Chess was something that got you noticed at school and just might get you holidays at the Krim and a really good apartment somewhere.
Of course, Elena was still very young then.
Later, she saw the value in Irina’s abilities. Everyone could need someone with a talent for creating and breaking codes, after all. But she still found it galling that Irina never showed proper gratitude, or acknowledged that it had been Elena who had given her the ability to become anything out of the ordinary at all. Katya, being the little monkey she was, followed suit.
Nadia was different. Nadia was properly grateful. She smiled at Elena with the adoration and gratitude her sisters had never shown. Elena felt sure that if the day came, when she had finally found the proper Rambaldi formulas, Nadia and her grateful, well-taught hand would spell out the mystery for her, Rambaldi’s endgame itself. What more satisfying way for Nadia to thank her teacher, after all?
Events and Arvin Sloane interfered, and Elena had to modify her plans somewhat. She was irritated enough about the fact Nadia had made her transcriptions for another that the creation of a Sloane duplicate fulfilled more than one purpose. The idea to see the man’s mind reduced to the tool she used to write her will on the world in retaliation for his presumption of taking the Passenger for himself was enthralling enough to let her accept him when he came crawling, despite the distrust common sense dictated. The clone hadn’t been nearly as gratifying an instrument to use as the real thing.
Later, when she had recreated the world, she would dispose of him, of course. She had already rewritten Irina’s temper and ungratitude into the proper obedience. Irina had deciphered Rambaldi for her, and thus finally given Elena something in return for all those lessons, long ago, and thus, she would be able to finally let go of Irina. Not of Nadia, though. Nadia might have erred and listened to other teachings, but Elena had rewritten Nadia’s betrayal, too, and for Nadia, she still had plans. Who else was to translate Rambaldi’s plans for a new world after the flood for her?
There might not be much of Nadia left, but Elena felt confident Nadia would still justify her faith and be able to at least do that much. After all, she had taught Nadia her letters.
"Lessons"
Elena taught her sisters how to read and write, long before they learned it in school. This wasn’t so much out of sisterly affection but because she was tired to be the one who had to fill out the endless paper work and applications for a better flat, for places in the programs. Their father was too drunk for this more often than not, so she pinched and slapped Irina and later Katya until they hadn’t just mastered the Cyrillic alphabet but the Latin one as well.
Irina was brilliant with it. For Elena, writing was a tool, a way to get what she wanted. She couldn’t understand why Irina played with letters to make up new words, unless it was yet another way in which her younger sister made her life difficult. It wasn’t that Elena couldn’t be patient. Everyone growing up in the Soviet Union, everyone who had to stand in line for hours to get oranges when they were finally available for a day knew how to be patient. She just didn’t see the point of wasting time with this. If Irina wanted something to occupy her time with, she should practice her chess. Chess was something that got you noticed at school and just might get you holidays at the Krim and a really good apartment somewhere.
Of course, Elena was still very young then.
Later, she saw the value in Irina’s abilities. Everyone could need someone with a talent for creating and breaking codes, after all. But she still found it galling that Irina never showed proper gratitude, or acknowledged that it had been Elena who had given her the ability to become anything out of the ordinary at all. Katya, being the little monkey she was, followed suit.
Nadia was different. Nadia was properly grateful. She smiled at Elena with the adoration and gratitude her sisters had never shown. Elena felt sure that if the day came, when she had finally found the proper Rambaldi formulas, Nadia and her grateful, well-taught hand would spell out the mystery for her, Rambaldi’s endgame itself. What more satisfying way for Nadia to thank her teacher, after all?
Events and Arvin Sloane interfered, and Elena had to modify her plans somewhat. She was irritated enough about the fact Nadia had made her transcriptions for another that the creation of a Sloane duplicate fulfilled more than one purpose. The idea to see the man’s mind reduced to the tool she used to write her will on the world in retaliation for his presumption of taking the Passenger for himself was enthralling enough to let her accept him when he came crawling, despite the distrust common sense dictated. The clone hadn’t been nearly as gratifying an instrument to use as the real thing.
Later, when she had recreated the world, she would dispose of him, of course. She had already rewritten Irina’s temper and ungratitude into the proper obedience. Irina had deciphered Rambaldi for her, and thus finally given Elena something in return for all those lessons, long ago, and thus, she would be able to finally let go of Irina. Not of Nadia, though. Nadia might have erred and listened to other teachings, but Elena had rewritten Nadia’s betrayal, too, and for Nadia, she still had plans. Who else was to translate Rambaldi’s plans for a new world after the flood for her?
There might not be much of Nadia left, but Elena felt confident Nadia would still justify her faith and be able to at least do that much. After all, she had taught Nadia her letters.