WC 800+
“Knock on what door?” Her expression mutated into a mixture of bewilderment and wonder as the man said something that was clearly not directed at her. An eyebrow arched in silent question, but she held back her words for a moment as she leaned forward to peer around Mars to see who he was talking to. Yet, to her dismay, she couldn’t see anyone there. She cocked her head but leaned back and pretended not to notice, although it toiled in her mind. Clearly she just missed something, so she shrugged off Bart’s debut and continued to drum lightly on the ground beneath her words.
“Your father?” She thought a moment, then it dawned on her. “Oh! Rurik’s your father?” Orin knew that the Russo family was large and growing, so it hadn’t occurred to her earlier that Rurik was this man’s father. Although it would not have been unlike the girl to have made the assumption, she just hadn’t thought about it when she’d delved into her anecdote about the vodka. Luckily, Rurik had made a good impression upon Orin and she held the wolf in high esteem, so her face lit up at the realization. “Oh yes, he’s a magnificent wolf! Very hospitable, generous – oh! That makes Liliya your sister, huh? – he taught my brother how to fish, and Liliya cooked them on the beach for us, and we all gorged ourselves, and then he shared the vodka with us, and then we all sat around sharing stories. . .” Her voice took on a dreamy tone as she remembered that relaxing, wonderful day. “We – my brother and me – had only been here for a few days and he really made us feel like family. I haven’t seen him in a little while, though, I would like to visit him some day soon. Oh! Maybe we could all have another cookout on the beach!” She looked up at Mars, hopeful eyes beaming at him. Then her ears tipped back in worry. “So wait, you haven’t met him yet?” If it was true, it was a shame, and she couldn’t fathom why the man was sitting here letting her chatter on when he had a father to meet! Then again, she didn’t know where Rurik lived, maybe Mars didn’t, either? She would never suspect the Russo residence was just one plot over.
In all of it, she never lost time or forgot her drumming, the trance-like thrumming kept on beneath her prattling the entire time. Though now, the duotone man put his fingers to the strings and began strumming the guitar. The music filled the air around them and enveloped Orin, and her body began to sway gently with the melody. “I don’t really drum, either,” she admitted. “I read a lot, but don’t always like the silence that goes with it. So sometimes I tap along to keep my ears entertained. I bet I wouldn’t be really good at it, not for a whole song or composing or anything.” Her tone was neutral, her enthusiasm still there though her boisterous nature was pacified by the music. It calmed her, body and soul, and eased a tension she didn’t even know was there to begin with. Her eyes fluttered closed and she continued to drum, her body still swaying though she didn’t move from her perch. She felt an inner pull to move more fully with the music, but was too soothed to get up and dance just yet.
“Mmm. . .” she muttered an unintelligible noise in answer to his question. After a moment, she realized she hadn’t actually said anything, and opened her eyes and turned her gaze back to Mars. “I don’t know Lunenburg very well. The only time I’ve been here is to pass through the streets on my way to the Shattered Coast. You should come see my lighthouse sometime.” Well, it wasn’t really her lighthouse yet. The structure hadn’t been deemed safe enough to live in yet, and with her lack of carpentry skills, the repairs were slow going. Still, in spirit, it belonged to her.
“I was actually here to look for a library. I think I’ve seen a shopping district, that’s where I was headed. Maybe they have something there? Some old libraries have that kind of stuff stored, too. I don’t know if there is one here, but it couldn’t hurt to find out. Wanna come?” Her rhythm finally ceased, and she stood up, stretching her legs out; she had been crouching the whole time and her calves were cramping. Something popped when she wiggled the tension out of her back. She offered a hand as though to help Mars out of his seat, though the music had eased her usually overzealous spirit, so she used her brain this time instead of doing the usual Orin move, which would have consisted of yanking Mars out of his chair before he could answer, and pulling him along the sidewalk.