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I have them landing in the harbor at Halifax, because it seems like it would be reasonable, and also, it sets them up sort of smack dab in the middle of ‘Souls. If any of this seems wrong or I should edit some details in/out, let me know! I just want to get the ball rolling, whee~!
After some time spent on a boat, Silas had developed his sea legs. He wouldn’t doubt that not many Luperci would want to trade their lives on land for one on the sea, but this was perhaps something that was mingled in the blood that ran Silas’s veins – he was quick to adapt to a life on water. Things were much different though, but that was to be expected. There were no expanses to run across, only the outstretching breadth of the sea to gaze upon. Times got boring, leading to drunken games above and below deck. But things would be different now. Silas would have to re-adapt and let his sea legs drift away.
His first few steps on the rotting wood of the harbor docks were unsteady and unfamiliar. Though he knew the waves rocked beneath him into the dock, he himself was not moving. The rocking motion his body felt was a mere illusion, but it made it hard for him to move towards the shore. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Long fingers went to his throat to re-secure the blue bandana tied there, scanning the surrounding harbor as he did so. There didn’t seem to be anybody around; plus, there had to be a ton of these places along the coast. What made Rurik so sure they had come to the right location?
Stretching both arms high above his head, Silas turned around to face their ship and the two other forms that moved about it. "I swear I’m still rocking," he commented mostly to himself, taking a few steps back towards where he had disembarked their ship. "Are you guys coming?" Though Silas would miss the comforts of the sea, he was eager to explore the area they had set out to find. And beyond the harbor was a city full of things calling his name, he knew, if only he was given the chance to explore them.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_top.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:200px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:10px;">  AAAH, SO EXCITED. I am rollin' out the old-school Rurik graphics for now. XDDD Oh, we have to figure out things about Agata and stuff still, and also--where Lily and Sil were born, etc. I aaaalso assumed they speak Russian, since Rurik prolly would've taught them that? XD Feels awkward right now, but we'll get into the swing of things soon. <3
Inhale. The monochrome wolf took a deep breath, his nose filled with that familiar salty scent. He loved the sea; in many ways she was his truest mistress, the woman to whom he'd devoted most of his life. There was nowhere else Rurik felt more comfortable than floating on the ocean, and it had taken him almost no time to adapt to his family's new seafaring ways. He was at home here, directing his younger children and gently guiding them in the ways of the boat. It was a tough journey with just the three of them, and Rurik sorely wished Anatoliy had come with, though he did disagree with the young wolf's decision to stay at home with his mother.
They drifted ever-closer to the edge of the coast, with Rurik at the bow of the ship. This was the place of their small boat where he felt the water rock the hardest, and he felt his body rise up as they crested each rolling wave. This must be what flying must feel like, the old wolf thought to himself, blinking his brilliant eyes in the mid-morning sun. They were drawing nearer now; he had recognized the burned lands to the north, and he knew that the creatures there must have gone somewhere. This looked as good a place as any, but Rurik would not know for sure until he saw someone. To Silas, he smiled, and shook his head. "Feels 'bout right, but I denno for sure," he said in his accented voice. No matter how long he spoke English or any other language, Rurik's accent was unquestionably Russian, his words thick and choppy.
The gray wolf laughed, and nodded. "Now y'got land legs and sea fins, though," he told Silas, nodding. It would be easier for him to switch back and forth between the two if the need arose in the future. Rurik made a face, turning around to face the remainder of the ship. "Lily," he called, annoyance in his voice. She had back down below deck to grab something as they'd pulled alongside the rickety old docks, as if they would not be returning here tonight. A moment later, the young she-wolf appeared in the doorframe, clutching the sword for which she was named. Wordlessly, she handed the weapon over to her father, who smiled. "Almost forgot, thank you," he said. They had taken to speaking English the past few weeks in preparation for landing here.
The wolf leapt from the boat, landing on the old dock. It creaked and swayed beneath his weight, but it held. "Solid," he commented dryly, holding out a hand for Liliya to come to land. She took his hand lightly and hopped over herself, and both of the similarly-colored wolves scuttled to safer ground, closer to Silas. Liliya took several steps ahead of the pair, peering eagerly around at the streets. "Feels good to be on dry land," Lil said, though she spoke in Russian rather than English. She was not so good at English, perhaps due to her dislike of practicing the language. |
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Sorry this is crap. I started writing, but realize I need to go! But yah, we'll have to work out some details about mom. Maybe chat it up on aim/pm sometime?
He had adverted his icy gaze back towards the shore, uninterested in the trivial conversation between father and sister. Instead, Silas’ mind was turning over the ideas of what they would find here. How different would it be from where they had come? Would anyone else here know how to speak Russian, or would they now have to use their freshly developed English? An ear flicked as the dock groaned under the newly added weight. He turned to see Rurik helping his sister onto the dock beside him. He could see how Rurik’s genes had played a significant part in his sister’s appearance. Silas, on the other hand, had a much smaller frame; though he had his father’s wolf blood, Silas looked more coyote than anything else. The same icy blue eyes were what truly connected them, though. They weren’t a common color and it was easy to see that the two were related once you saw those eyes.
"Good? I think it still feels strange." He took a few more steps forward, coming beside Liliya, as the Russian words easily slipped from his tongue. A grin came across his features, and he turned to his sister. "Hey," he raised an arm and pointed towards a tangled mess of nets and crates off a few dozen yards, "race yah." He didn’t care that it may have been juvenile. Silas figured a little competition wouldn’t hurt. Plus, if he got his legs moving, maybe they would adjust better to walking on solid ground. He took off running, the bandana at his neck slightly waving as the air caught it. "Come on!"
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_top.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:200px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:10px;"> No worries!  We should just do a basic appearance & personality and come up with a reason as to why they left. x3 And you, feel free to do things with Liliya in your posts as well, make her talk or whatnot if you'd like.
Rurik was an older man now, but he moved with the same vigor he always had. One would hardly call it grace; it was more simple steadiness in his hands and his body. He had calmed down some in recent memory, keeping with Verusha to raise their children, but he was ready to break loose again. They were practically adults anyway, and they tended to take care of each other—Liliya was rather fond of her brothers and it had upset her deeply when Anatoliy had chosen to stay home. Still, Silas had kept her good company on the journey, and both children had proved worth their weight on the ship. Naturally, it took a bit of extra motivation from their father sometimes, but it was a forgivable offense; they were still quite young.
The silver wolf watched as his children sped off ahead of him several paces. He smiled; they were eager to stretch their legs again, it seemed. Rurik was quite glad this venture into fatherhood had turned out better than the last, though sadly this one was as unplanned as the first, and if Rurik had any choice in the matter, he would still be without children at all. Still, they were his responsibility and despite not wanting any of them at first, he loved all of his children, and the elder half of them were his primary motivation for returning to his area. Was it possible that Zorish, Zaets, and Vladimir still lurked here? His heart held no more hope of seeing Kiska again; she had neither returned to Arkangel'sk nor Syemv, when he'd still lived there. When it was still around. Those thoughts still clouded his head, though he'd liked living in Aremys just fine.
Rurik's large hands worked the ropes, and he tied the boat securely to the posts sticking out of the water. Even if the dock fell apart, it was unlikely the posts would rot away as well, and they'd still be able to get on the boat. There was a lot of stuff there, but Rurik was comfortable leaving it for the moment. There didn't seem to be anyone around here, though there were faint, dying smells of wolf all around. No one had been by these parts in some time, and Rurik thought it unlikely that anyone would investigate their boat anyway, with the stink of three Russian wolves permeating the air. Anyone who stumbled on their little vessel would know that it was claimed, and hopefully the threat of the owner's return would keep potential thieves at bay.
Turning around, he found that both of his children had passed out of sight, perhaps already exploring the human wasteland. A few cautious steps brought the silver wolf off of the deck and brought the pair back into view, and he trotted forward to catch up, his gait carrying him toward the pair quickly. He grinned and looked from one and then the other, marveling for a moment how different they looked. Liliya certainly had the wolf's features, though there was certainly coyote blended into her slightly tapered muzzle and her enlarged ears. Silas was almost all coyote, just a hint of the wolf side showing on his visage. His muzzle was smaller and shorter than either of the other two Russos, and his ears a sight larger. They were an odd family, indeed, but family nonetheless. "Don't think I can keep up with you two anymore," he said with a grin, shaking his head.
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Rowing has been kicking my ass. (In fact, just got back from practice!) Anyhow, I don't have any classes today so I'm going to try and be around 'Souls all day. If you're around, maybe we can plot about momma?
There was a rush of something in his veins – a feeling vaguely familiar, but which had been forgotten during their time on the boat. It was the rush of adrenaline, the pumping of his heart, and the inflating of his lungs against his ribs that he felt. It made him feel alive, even now in this trivial race with his sibling. He simply felt alive.
He settled himself onto one of the crates, lifting his clawed feet as they repeatedly managed to slip into the nets. "It feels good to be able to move so freely again." He would have to go for a good run after they had gotten themselves settled here. He knew that there would be so much more he could unleash – more rush of adrenaline, more freedom – if only he was given the space and the time. He lifted both arms overhead, reaching into the air and stretching his muscles. As Rurik came into view again, Silas cracked a smile. "Don’t worry old man, we won’t leave you behind," his words laced in playfulness. "Did you get the boat secured?" He was eager to start exploring and was wondering when they were going to find this friend of Rurik’s to help them get settled. Maybe they’d be sleeping on the boat tonight after all.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_top.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:200px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:10px;"> Of course, the day you are around all day I am not around until after midnight (typical Sie ; . ARGH. XD Owells. <3 But, uh, I was thinking, too—we could actually post Verusha and Anatoliy in the Open Characters list, too—just throw a feeler out there and see if anyone would like to play them? I hadn't any plans for Anatoliy (except lurving the name) and we'd be spared having to come up with her specifics if we just said "ohay here's a coyote" and let someone else do the legwork. ;D
Liliya peered at her brother rather anxiously, her wide eyes glancing furtively around them. She was not used to abandoned places like these, so haunting and ancient, and in general she was the least explorative of the four youths born to Rurik and Verusha. Lily hardly remembered her other sister, but since her death of illness she had drawn herself even closer to her siblings and her immediate family, tending to scorn outsiders of their quaint little clan. She smiled at her brother, and remained close to him. "Yes, but I do like the boat," she said rather softly.
Rurik stopped by his children, setting his hands on his hips. Being here had awakened numerous memories within the silver werewolf. He was thinking of Kiska again for the first time in years, but he did not consider her in a dark way, he merely thought of her as someone who had passed from his life. There was only a little sliver of pain attached to her memory now, and Rurik was eager to see that pass along with the rest of it. Perhaps it never would. She had been a good woman, and it was his fault they got all screwed up, but the Russian was rather hoping he'd learned his damn lesson there. And anyway, for whatever had happened between him and the minty green werewolf, she had given Rurik his elder sons, which he was now desperate to find.
Rurik often got the aching feeling he was not meant to be an old man, and he had always had the sneaking suspicion he would be cut down unexpectedly. It was a shock he'd made it this far, just two months away from his seventh birthday. The thought struck him rather harshly. Seven years was a long time to live, he thought. Some Luperci where they were from lived to be very old, indeed—but generally they were pampered types who hardly set food outdoors, not the rough-and-tumble outdoorsy and half-feral types like Rurik.
The Russian wolf laughed at his son's joke, though it resonated in him. He was getting on in years now, though just by looking at him, one could hardly tell. "Aye," he responded, wondering where to go from here. Certainly he could not appear lost to his children, but he really had no idea what the hell to do now. Hesitating for just a moment, he churned their predicament. "Maybe we should look around here first, n'look for others tomorrow?" he said, his bright eyes regarding both of his children for a moment, appreciative of their opinion in the matter.
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Ooo, that sounds like a wonderful idea to me! I'd love to get some more family up in here. :}
A dull ache began to creep into Silas’s legs, but it was a sensation that brought him great satisfaction. He knew that this meant he was putting muscles to use that had been left dormant for awhile or had at least not been used as prominently during his time on the boat. Perhaps a little stretching would have remedied the soreness there as well, but the young boy welcomed it. It only heightened this sensation of really feeling alive.
Leaning forward, Silas rested his forearms on his knees and cast his icy gaze on his father. "And sleep on the boat, or find somewhere around here to sleep?" He didn’t really mind either way, but he would keep an eye out for a suitable spot during his explorations if his father was thinking they’d spend the night on land. He stood up, extending to his full height, before casting his gaze to the buildings around them. "Think we might be able to find anything useful?" He turned back towards father and sister, smiling lightly at Lily in reassurance. He had a small inclination that perhaps she was feeling homesick. And if not, she was at least missing their other brothers - he could be sure of that.
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[html] | http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_sinking.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:232px; padding-left:12px; padding-right:12px; padding-bottom:10px;"> I posted it! And now, the waiting game. XD
The silvery canine was rather glad to be on dry land and here again, and his elder children were weighing rather heavily on his mind, just as they had been for the past few weeks. Even now, Rurik had caught himself smelling the air for Zaets and Zorish, since they had been seen in far more recent memory than Vladimir. He scolded himself, focusing on the more important issues at hand. Silas asked him a question, and the Russian considered for a moment. "If we should find a good place, we ought to take advantage. I want to ground the boat within the week, though," he said, hoping to perhaps salvage it for a potential trip home, maybe even to collect Anatoliy and Verusha, should she have changed her mind.
Lily was thinking of Anatoliy, or Ant as she'd called him before she could pronounce his name, and sorely missing him. This was the longest period of time they'd been separated, and the hybrid girl was rather weirded out by the absence of her brother and her mother, though she certainly appreciated Silas and Rurik. She seemed to more frail than the others, and it would have seemed that Lizaveta would have overshadowed her in everything had she not succumbed to illness. Now, Lily was Rurik's only daughter, and he had protected her a little too much, fearing her loss more than he feared for the boys, since she was so much smaller and more delicate. "Real food would be nice," the youth lamented in her airy voice, the thick Russian rolling easily from her tongue.
The eldest Russo cast a halfway stern glance at his daughter, giving an almost imperceptible shake of his head, though it was at her persistence in the mother tongue rather than her desire for "real" food. They'd had jerky and some fish, though Rurik himself disliked the taste of fish and he loathed to stoop to eating it. He himself wanted a deer steak or something similar, and at once he was pained for his brother Thorn and his wonderful cooking. Rurik had gotten loads better at preparing food, but he was nothing compared to his pallid elder brother. "Don't think we'll find any of that in the city," he said, starting off toward the nearest building. "But maybe somewhere to start putting our stuff, here?" he questioned, rattling at the ancient door handle. The door opened and a dusty, ancient smell floated out, and he stepped inside, beckoning for the younger canines to follow.
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Hooray! Hopefully someone'll come along and snag them up.
So they were looking for a place to sleep. A grin broadened across Silas’ muzzle. It would be fun to sleep in one of these strange buildings. Something about the unknown intrigued him, as he was still very much a child at heart. "Okay." Grounding the boat meant that the small family would be staying here indefinitely. It made Silas’ heart drop for a moment, thinking of his mother and brother whom had remained at home, but also, it gave an added sense of excitement. This was going to be their home now and grounding the boat meant that their adventure was about to start. It also meant that Silas wouldn’t have to be so worried that Lily might hop on by herself and take home out of homesickness or pure boredom. She seemed slightly less interested in this new land than Silas or their father did.
At his sister’s comment, Silas swore he felt his stomach turn. He too could go for some fresh, warm food. Their sustenance had kept them alive, but nothing more. Jerky was no longer appetizing after eating it for such an extended time. Silas wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth in the flesh of a freshly slaughtered doe. Oh, how his stomach rumbled then!
After Rurik wandered into the building, Silas turned his icy gaze on Lily. "Ready to find our beds?" He said with a grin, rising from the crate he had been using as his seat. He made his way over towards the door their father had disappeared behind, wrinkling his nose at the smell as he opened and held it, waiting for his sister to follow them inside.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_tropic.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:230px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:25px;"> I hoope soooo. -stares at them longingly!- I was thinking, we could play it up till the point that they find a place to stay, and then we'll just establish that as their home base? I was thinking some kind of small, slummy motel close by the port? You! Throw ideas at me, prz. <3
Rurik had not explored places as these since he had last visited the northern coast. There were few places in Europe and Asia that were unexplored like this anymore. Most of them had been raided for what was useful and left for dead. The canine populations were growing rather rapidly, though not in the exponential way as the humans. For their civility, few had lost their instincts, and the drive to preserve the species and breed within reason was still existent. Though certainly this younger batch of children had been as unplanned as the last, the Russian could not deny that he had risked the possibility in knowing Verusha used no herbs and took no precautions, and it had been his gamble. This was not to say he was not happy with the way things had turned out; he would give anything in the world for his children, and he loved them dearly. The silver canine understood fatherhood now; he was meant to protect and nurture them and make them strong. Zaets, Zorish, and Vladimir had turned out just fine, he thought—but he did not know them so well, and perhaps his lack of presence in their youth had left a lasting hole in their heads.
Liliya was almost frowning as she followed Silas inside, peering around the dimly lit innards of the building, glad the sun was still bright enough to send some light inside. Lily would have been perfectly happy remaining at home where she had been born, though she hadn't expressed that thought to anyone just yet. It was sort of easy to discern, though the wide-eyed way she regarded every new encounter could certainly be misconstrued as wonder. The tawny canine almost asked Silas to leave the door open, but she stifled the urge and instead cracked a nervous smile, glancing forward toward her father and speaking low, rumbly Russian to Silas, hoping it escaped his ears. "I'd sleep on the ground if only it didn't sway and buck," she lamented, having found it rather difficult to remain sleeping on the ship. It was almost unnatural.
The gray wolf was a few feet ahead of his children, peering around at what seemed to be the inside of a subway or train station. Some distance away, he could see into the cavernous black that was the subway line, and the growing sound of running water told him that it was likely flooded. Still, there was something useful here, maybe. He turned to the children, nodding. "Sometimes, they have city maps in these. If we find one, I will know which buildings we should use," he said, confident one of them would mark out a hotel. There were likely to be travelers in these parts, and humans had liked very much to know where they were going in their convoluted world.
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Homg, that sounds good to me! It'll make a great location for fun other threads too! :3 Also, there will be a liquor store nearby, 'cause it would make sense for one of my other threads and also is just really necessary. XD
When the door closed behind them, there was considerably less light inside. Still, the three Luperci would be able to maneuver just fine in the light that had been spared for them. Despite the odd smell inside, Silas was captivated by it all. He merely laughed at Lily’s comment, and moved further inside after Rurik. He was excited and ready for this small adventure. And had they not set out with a specific task at hand, he could have probably spent all afternoon inside merely studying the objects he found.
A map? Silas skirted over to a set of stairs, leaning precariously over the railing and trying to see down below. "What is this place," he muttered to himself, before turning back and finding Lily standing rather idly. She didn’t seem to be too thrilled at all. "Hey dad, where’ll this map be? On one of these walls?" He wandered over to one and let a palm trail across the cool, clammy surface. He wondered if it was their close proximity to the water that left so much moisture in the air. "How eerie."
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Liliya was less eager than the other two to explore, and truth be told, she was having second thoughts about having come here in the first place. The young woman tried her best to be upbeat, though the journey had certainly worn her patience rather thin, and she was certain her mood would improve once they got settled in and had proper rest and food. The younger woman was not yet used to the world and its roughness, as she'd been rather pampered in the months since Lizaveta's death. Rurik was careful not to show preference, but it was rather clear he liked to dote on his only daughter. Lily was something of a daddy's girl because of it, clearly preferring her mother to her father, though Verusha had never seemed to mind terribly. The young canine watched her brother dart to the edge, and she took a few quick paces forward, not wishing to distance herself too far from either of her family members.
Rurik had wandered a little in the opposite direction, calling back to his children. "Aye, could be. Maybe also, a... a... kiosk," he said, the final word spoken in Russian. He could not recall the English term. At this, Lily turned to her brother and gave him a wry grin, rolling her eyes a bit at their father's use of Russian so soon after chastising her for it. "Should we go down there?" Lily asked, still in defiant Russian, though her voice was now certainly low enough to escape even Rurik's sharp hearing. The younger coyote nodded her head toward the lower portion of the station. She preferred for Silas to take initiative and lead her.
The elder Russo was busily inspecting the place for anything useful, any tour guides or anything of the sort. He sorely wished that they had landed in the old city; he knew those lands better. Still, they were close enough—Rurik needn't have landed on those burned shores to know nobody lived there anymore. Passing by was enough, and he figured any canines from the old lands would settle in a place most like their own, heading south to avoid being trapped by fire. He made a thoughtful noise beneath his breath, still considering what strange events might have caused such a fire.
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Fail post is fail. I can change pp if you want. Also, feel free to pp if need be. :}
As his fingers fell away from the wall, Silas wandered back to the railing to peer below into the darkness. A kiosk. Even if they found one he couldn't be so sure that there’d be enough light to even read what was there. "Don’t know," Silas replied, surprised that Rurik had sent no chastising words his way for having spoken entirely in Russian just moments before. He figured he’d stick to his shaky English for now though, if not to please his father.
He brushed lightly past his sister, making his way towards the stairs. A set of them seemed strange – metallic with some splashes of orche where the moisture had begun to eat away. Silas opted for the stairs parallel to the escalator, taking the first few steps down before turning back towards Liliya. "You come to?" Rurik had wandered away in the opposite direction and the boy assumed his sister would tag along with one or the other. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Silas hoped he wouldn’t be alone in his descent to the kiosk.
Their footsteps filled the arched ceilings of the station, echoing hollowly from the walls. When they reached the bottom, Silas looked around and waited for his eyes to pick up on what was there. A kiosk, a kiosk. He didn’t see anything like that at first and was more concerned with the drop off that lined one side of the ground. "Stay clear of the ledge," he warned his sister in native tongue. Rurik, he hoped, would be out of ear shot if they spoke in low tones. "See anything useful? A kiosk maybe?" He turned and studied a pillar littered with attached flyers. Ironically, many of them talked of the epidemic virus.
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The ruins of the old world were in a state of sorry disrepair, and the big gray wolf had to sidestep debris as he went, gingerly avoiding the deadly glitter of broken glass and the orange rust of some ancient nail. Some places were in better shape than others, and this one had been pretty sullied even in the human's time, or so he read from the graffiti tagged on some of the walls. Lifting a brow, the Russian peered around his immediate surroundings once more, discerning without a doubt that there was nothing of use to be found here, nor any knowledge about lodgings.
Lily was a little displeased with being left without her father; after all, what did she and Silas know about this kind of place? Where were they even supposed to begin? Hesitating just a moment, she took off after her brother, following him quickly and slowing to his pace once she'd caught up. "No problem," she quipped with a nervous grin, leering over at the darkness that swallowed the area behind that drop. "Don't think I want to go anywhere near over there," the tawny canine added, wrinkling her nose at the tunnel.
The girl cocked her head to the side and peered around at her brother's question, shrugging. "None of those papers say anything useful?" she asked. If speaking English was difficult for Lily, reading it was doubly so, and she simply could not get used to the odd letters so different from her native tongue. If they actually found a kiosk, she'd be next to useless in reading it, unless it came accompanied with Russian translations.
Rurik figured their best hope for now would be a house, if they could find one, but barring that, a motel might do just as well. This was a city and there was an airport; no doubt there would have been travelers in need of a quick rest. The silvery wolf made his way closer to his children again, and found they'd already delved into the deeper parts of the station. He made his way cautiously down the same steps, peering around as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Anything?" the wolf asked as he strode over to his children. He gave a long look at the fliers, and wandered over, tentatively removing one to reveal a slice of map, hidden beneath several layers of paper. "Oh, here!" the Russian said excitedly. It seemed in the wake of infection, travel had been less important than the warnings (and obituaries) posted. There were biohazard signs on some of the papers, detailing the effects of infection. Others were mementos for loved ones lost, and still others were simple wishes of hope. He grimaced and crumpled that one to the side, finding it rather macabre.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/souls/gifts/bullskullorange.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;"> Sorry for the wait! I've sure missed our cute pirate family!<3
There was a strange sensation that crawled down Silas' spine. Though he could make out the form of his sister and part of the map, further down the station’s tunnel was still enveloped in darkness. The boy couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that someone or something could be here watching them. That put the boy out of his element. When Liliya asked about the flyers, Silas could only shrug. "I’m not sure," he murmured back, yanking one of the flyers down from where it had been posted. This one had a picture of a human. And although Silas didn’t care to even try to translate, he had a feeling that this person hadn’t been alive even when their loved one had taped this paper up. "This stuff looks useless," he told Lily, crumpling the paper and tossing it aside.
Rurik’s footsteps brought Silas’ attention to the staircase, watching as the light from the upper floor provided a backdrop to the silhouetted Russian’s body. Somehow it made his father seem godlike. Silas cracked a small grin. "Et looks..." he turned back to the posted flyers, waving a hand in the air as he searched for the appropriate word. "Trash." Rurik, it seemed, thought otherwise. He moved over to what Silas had dubbed as junk, and after a moment’s pause, ripped away one of the flyers. The boys icy eyes widened in wonder. What had his father found that he had not? Taking a step closer, he could see that now a small bit of map had been exposed. Now he felt foolish for not discovering it sooner. "This et?" He asked his father, pulling at the other flyers to expose more of the map. "You find bed here?" He too began to study the map, but had no clue what the various markings and coloring meant. Had their father not been there to guide them, Silas was sure he and Lilya would have been spending the night on their ship.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/rp/rurik/rurik_tropic.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:230px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:25px;"> Eee. I forgot you took that table. DD It makes me happy to see you use it. <3 Also, I have expanded a little bit on Rurik's family, I'mma add it to his Wiki page after I post this. :3 I went and made an assumption that Rurik, Silas, and Liliya visited Rurik's sister Zharky and her two kids in Amsterdam on their way to the Lisbon port to head over here, if that's okay? :O I added a fair bit of info on those guys so you could include the visit and stuff in your posts if you wanted to. <3
Rurik found it odd that the map had been covered. He was unaware of human protocols like shutting down transportation means to keep the spread of the virus (in effect, quarantining people where they were) to a minimum, making the maps of the area and the subway routes pretty useless. Still, people must have been trying to get out at some point. A few of the notes were hastily scrawled on napkins, crumbling and ill-preserved in the moist air of the underground. People must have been waiting on the platform when the government sealed them off, canceling the trains into and out of the city in a last-ditch effort to save their civilization. Apparently, it hadn't worked. Lily watched her dad and brother in fascination, her jaw hanging slightly agape as she watched the map came out from beneath the papers. She never would have guessed. Curious now, she stepped forward, examining the tiny intricate lines. She could never hope to read a damn word off the map.
"Aha, seen," he said with a grin, tugging the last of the papers down, looking for the familiar star. He wasn't great at reading English, either, but he knew how to read a map—and stationary, human maps usually had a big red dot that told him exactly where he was. That was a useful feature, he had figured out. With a finger to the map, he traced over it until he found such a thing. "Look here," he called, waving his other hand behind him to indicate the children ought to come closer. Liliya crowded in, clutching at Silas's arm to pull him with her, getting a little more lively as they drew nearer to warm beds and hot meals. His silvery hand touched the red place with the text, the tip of his claw following underneath it as he read aloud: "You are here."
Turning his ice-colored gaze to Silas first, then Liliya, underling the gravity of the knowledge he was about to impart on them, the wolf spoke. "When you find big human maps—like on wall, kiosk—usually they have this. Very helpful," the wolf said, turning back to the map. There were lots of little symbols, and though he could read English, he was not quite so proficient as he was in anything written in the Cyrillic alphabet, and it was quite helpful to see the little images of food and gas and other things he did not understand. His finger circled around a few times until he found a bed symbol, and he tapped it, nodding. "I think we will find something here," the Russian said excitedly. Liliya just looked relieved; she breathed out and smiled for what seemed like the first time in days.
It was quite close to their present location (assuming the map wasn't to a ridiculously large scale, which would not have made sense to Rurik). "Should be right at the end of this street, actually," the Russian chuckled, shaking his head. In all likelihood they would have found it anyway, but it was better to teach the kids something and save time this way, rather than waste the rest of the day and their waning energy opening doors and peeking their heads inside. "Let's get going. Still want to eat 'fore we settle in for the night, right?" he said with a grin, though the hopes of finding a lot of food here were slim—more likely, he was going to have to catch something small for Liliya and Silas now, and go hungry himself. No bother. Tomorrow was another day, and Rurik had all of it to find the nearest forest and bring down a deer or even something bigger.
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[html] http://sleepyglow.net/souls/gifts/bullskullorange.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;"> I'm killing this thread. Sorry! It's not as if it took two months for them to find this map or anything. :x I'll try not to take forever and a day to reply from now on! <333
Silas wasn’t sure how his father did it. The old pirate was so knowledgeable that Silas could only hope that one day he might learn just as much. He took a step forward as Liliya wrapped an arm around his, and studied the map in silent amazement. How his father managed to read any of it, Silas didn’t know. The English alphabet still eluded him, even though he had been introduced to it before. It was one thing to speak a language and something entirely different to read or write it. "Vhere do we find beds?" Silas asked, leaning a bit closer to study all the strange marking included in the maps design. His father’s finger found a location on the map and tapped it, revealing a smile crossing Silas’ features. "Ура, beds!"
"Da, lets!" Silas turned and headed back towards the stairs that accompanied the rusted escalator. "Da, I need dinner," he added, twirling on his paws to face Rurik for a quick moment, before taking the first few steps in great strides. He bounded up the stairs, not even bothering to grasp the railing for support. Though the dark and damp tunnel had put a damper on the boy’s mood for a short while, the prospect of warm beds and a bit of food before bed rekindled the boy’s joy of finally making it to land. He skipped the last few steps and landed on the floor with a light thud, before turning back to look down at his advancing father and sister. "Come!"
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Liliya too was amazed at her father's ability to read such things; it was incomprehensible gibberish to her, and she shook her head as she tried to look at all of the little words. The pictures did make sense, and she was filled with excitement as she saw the image of a bed, jumping a little at her brother's side. She seemed to light up for the first time since they'd entered the dank subway, most definitely at the idea of settling down for the evening. "Oh, oh, I can't wait," the young woman said loudly, her tail wavering in the air. Silas took off and Liliya bounded after him, momentarily forgetting her reservations about this scary new place in her elation to be with her family and heading to something like a home. Food was even more mouthwatering of a possibility, and Lily's stomach rumbled at the possibility of warm meat.
Rurik grinned as he watched his children in their excitement, happy himself to be finally settling down into a real bed. He was certain they would be there—big cities in places like these were left largely untouched, except in the cases where the wilderness had begun to reclaim the city. Grass and moss grew rampantly in cracks in the asphalt, and poorly made buildings had begun to decay. Rurik would have to ascertain the quality of the building before they moved in anywhere. Strangely enough, to the Russian it would seem that the older the building, the better the chance it was in good quality. Human architecture was a strange thing indeed, but he supposed it made sense that buildings which had survived centuries of human abuse would stand long after its creators had perished. The Russian wolf stepped quickly up the steps, following his children toward the exit to this shadowy, strange place. "Oy, you sure can't wait," he said as he reached the top.
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"Oy, you sure can't wait." That was for sure. Silas hesitated only momentarily at the top of the stairs, before he was seeking out the door from which they had entered. There was no longer any desire to check out all the strange and illusive things in this dank hole in the ground, and Silas’ body longed for a warm place to sleep. One of the human beds would cradle his form perfectly, for he had yet to reach his full height and outgrow their mattresses. "Let’s go!" Silas chimed, forgetting his English behind in his excitement. Wherever they found wouldn’t quite be home, but Silas would take it over the constant rocking of their ship. Even though he loved to be on the sea, he had to admit that the constant swaying had finally started to get to him. It was nice to be back on solid ground again.
The young Russian made his way outside, too eager for wait for his family to catch up. He marveled at how the amount of light outside had changed in their absence, and cast his icy gaze down the crumbling asphalt road. "Which vay?" Silas called out as Liliya and Rurik made their way out as well. Though Silas had seen the symbol drawn on the map, he had been too excited by its prospects to actually concentrate on how to get there.
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The tawny-furred adolescent strained to catch up to her brother, growing somewhat more comfortable with her surroundings as the minutes ticked by. Rurik would never allow anything bad to happen to her or Silas, and Silas would protect her, too. Liliya had absolutely nothing to worry about, and she smiled broadly, releasing the nagging fear of the unknown that had driven at her since they'd first landed here. To be certain, it would be quite a while until Liliya Russo was out exploring the world on her own, but at least she was not looking back over her shoulder every few minutes as she had since they'd arrived.
Strange excitement broiled in the coyote hybrid's chest, an unusual feeling she had not experienced before. Prior to this very moment, finding out they had a home base to operate from while in this strange land, Liliya had been fearful and quite wary of the new world into which she'd been thrust. Now, however, watching the retreating form of her brother as he pulled away, headed for the outside world, she was experiencing a surreptitious desire to push and shove at her own boundaries, expanding outward beyond what she already knew. Though unexpected, it was a good feeling, and Liliya walked a little quicker, intent on catching up with Silas.
Rurik lagged just a moment or two behind his children, and after a moment he too emerged from the depths of the subway station, blinking his brilliant blue eyes in the fast-approaching twilight, still shades lighter than the dim underworld he'd been in just moments prior. They needed to get settled, fast—the approaching night would not allow them time enough to get all settled and unpacked for this evening, no, but they could at least grab some basic supplies from the ship. Or, rather, while Rurik and Silas hunted, perhaps Liliya could do that, or Liliya could come and hunt with Rurik and Silas could grab the stuff from the ship.
The bandana-wearing youth spoke, asking which way they might head. Rurik's navigational skills were limited to the sea and Sobirat'sya; he did not have an internal compass. But the sun was setting, streaks of gold extending between the tall buildings of the city, and Rurik determined which way was west quite easily from that, inferring again they ought to head north from where they were. "Ought to be this way," the Russian said, indicating they ought to head up the street from here, pointing one of his thick, silvery fingers, grinning broadly. He was still giddy with the excitement of landing the boat, and now they would settle down for the evening, a long night before they could begin exploring these new territories.
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