Where the heart is

Anann Kelevra · 04-06-2010, 02:06 PM

500+
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for Anatoliy

Winter had only begun to release the land from its icy grip. And already spring had brought on its showers. The cool, wet weather had kept Anann indoors near constantly since she had joined the kingdom of mongrels. So she had set herself to work in the stables the past several days. Going through the tack and saddles, replacing dried, cracked leather with new buckskin. Most of the gear in the stables had been in pretty good condition and so she was glad that the sun had at last decided to come out and show its self for the day.

Rem too, was happy to get out of the stables. Though the ground was still too wet and slick for her to train with the stallion, but there would be no harm in a simple ride. The fresh spring air would do them both good. It was not an aimless ride either. The pair headed north of the stables, towards the streams that divided up the land between the stable yard and the hotel. Anann hoped to find at least a decent location to build a home if she could not find one already standing. She needed something close to both timber and water for making her leather. She also didn't wish to be too far from the stables. The streams and their surrounding timber would make an ideal location so long as there was level ground to found.

She scouted the area looking for fairly level ground and preferably something on high ground so that rain runoff would not flood her future home. There were several potential locations. Most of which could be eliminated from the running for one reason or another. Having circled back around to one particular spot of interest. It was the closest to the stables and met the rest of her criteria, as did a few other such locations. Just to the south the land dropped away slowly and there was a pool of water, a spring she assumed, that fed the streaming running off toward the shore. The trees were a little thinner here, but lumber would be easy to drag in.

She nudged Rem towards one of the larger trees in the area. Standing up slowly so not to lose her balance she grabbed hold of a large limb and pulled herself up. Removing the rucksack off her back, she pulled out folds of leather and a small pouch of needles and thin cord. She sat with her back against the large trunk of the tree, one leg hanging down over the limb with her other crossed over it. The leathers had already been cut to shape and stitched together. Taking an inch or two wide scrap of leather a few feet in length she began reinforcing the insides of the seam. Occasionally she would peer up from her work looking over the plot of land. Still undecided if she would make her home in this spot. Rem grazed beneath her, slowly wondering away from the tree she perched in. She would get a feel for the location before making her decision as there was no reason to be hasty in the matter.

Table by Alli<3

Anatoliy Russo · 04-11-2010, 12:41 AM

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500+

Sorry, bit on the slow side atm

The Hotel was a great place, to be sure, but the Russo family had decided that it would only serve as a temporary base while they sought out a big enough house for the three family members to enjoy with more than a grain of privacy. They were separated from each other in the Hotel, but it was not nearly as homey as a house would be. Now, a room was between each of the relatives, and they had to share the common kitchen on the ground floor. It was more of a community inside of that place, but still the people did not interact nearly as often as they had back home. It was still divided. If someone did not like another, they could easily ignore them and never face them if they so wished. Back home, you would have to come to terms with the person you were angry with in the family. Theses thoughts always followed the foreigner. Always. Half the time he wanted to make sure his extended family, and his mother, were alright, and the rest of the time he was excited to be here. He would have to make up his mind one day. At least that day was not today.

Anatoliy and Liliya had spent a lot of time together since they had reunited, talking in the dark of night about the family left behind, gossiping about who had entered the family and who had passed out of it. But as the two caught up, they began to act more like siblings, arguing now and then, though it was never quite severe enough to leave one of them in anger or in tears. They had to spend a while apart now, exploring on their own. So, the Russo went seeking for his father, letting his sister enjoy time to herself. He trudged, for that was all he could do with the ground in its present state, through the territory. Every so often he would chance a glance at a house that appeared in good condition and large enough to house three comfortably. Every time it turned out to be in vain, as the insides were more dilapidated than the outside, or actually too small for Anatoliy's needs. Slowly, he stopped searching nearly as well as at the beginning. By now he gave up, but he still felt the need to keep moving and be active.

After a controlled slip down the side of an almost sharp incline, the earthen hued male let off a slight noise of surprise when he looked up. A horse grazed nearby and the new Miracles man gripped a nearby tree trunk in tension. He sent his golden eyes around, looking for the magnificent beast's rider. That animal was not like the draft horses back home, but it was a rather grand creature all the same. Then he set his sights on the owner, sitting in a tree off to the side. Anatoliy avoided approaching from behind the horse, as he knew they had a tendancy to kick whoever startled them from their rear side. "Excuse me, miss? Is that your horse?" his accent was still as thick as ever, though he was sure his pronounciation was improving with every day he spent chattering with Liliya in English as well as Russian.

Table by Tammi[/html]

Anann Kelevra · 04-13-2010, 07:11 PM

500+
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That's fine, don't mind me. Work is slow so ill probably respond a little faster than normal.

After the bitter cold of winter the current weather seemed almost like a heat wave. At least when it wasn't raining. The sun was growing ever closer to the earth again with the changing season. Anann's perch in the leafless tree allowed her to soak up the suns warmth. Only for an arctic draft to sweep though and rob her fur of the heat. Her pelt was thick after traveling though the arctic weather of northern winter. The cool winds were of no consequence as she was rather enjoying the cycle of warm and cool.

Her progress with the large bag she was working on was slow. More often than not she looked over the little plot of land. Visualizing what it might one day look like. Trying to get a better idea of exactly where and how large she might make her home. Building her own would be quite the project. Construction would go fast if she could get help from the pack. However falling the logs and their preparation would consume weeks if not months of effort. If she did so alone as she currently planned. More than likely she would not wait for the wood to dry, but build her home out of green logs. Drying could take years. So unless she found standing dead trees or enough naturally fallen logs for her home it, green it would be.

The project would be enough to keep her mind looking forward. Keeping the past and the regrets that go with it at bay. Much like the leather work that currently occupied her fingers. The large bag she worked on would serve a few uses. Ultimately it would become a double lined punching bag. In the meantime however it would simple be used to haul in sand from the beach. In order to make her home last, Anann planned to make a foundation of sand and stone to help rain water and other moisture soak into the ground rather than rotting the wood structure. A task that will require a lot of work as well.

Her thoughts of present and future tasks was interrupted by a snort from Rem. A subtle sound of alarm that someone was approaching. With no one yet in view, her ears instead searched for the faint sounds of approach. Rem still grazed near by. He was much more relaxed now that they had a pack to call home and Anann was no longer just a traveling loner. Anann was glad to see it was new face, although the likelihood it was someone she already knew was pretty slim. Hello there. Yeah, he's with me. She smiled, the tip of her tail tapping against the tree trunk behind her. His name is Rem. I'm Anann. With her was much closure to the truth than her horse. Even though she often referred to him as hers he was not a beast one could own. It had been him that had chosen her. He was too free spirited to be owned and broke. He was her companion, her friend. There only by his choice.

Table by Alli<3

Anatoliy Russo · 04-23-2010, 12:05 AM

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300+

;w; i replied, i sozzy. ilu?

Anatoliy let an easy smile pull at the corners of his lips. His tall, hulking mass shifted gracefully from one foot to the other as he peered up at Anann through his unusual colored eyes. Well, family wise. Those beautiful blue eyes that graced the Russo family skipped him, gracing his sister and brother instead of him. His mother gifted him with her coloration and golden coyote eyes. Yet her diminutive size did not transfer well at all, since he towered over her back home early on in his life. Tall as he was, he never made the effort to stand out in the Russo family. It was easier to be lazy and not put effort to shine in the spotlight. The background was so much prettier than being blinded by the bright lights.

As the woman confirmed what he had suspected, he shifted his gaze toward the grazing animal, watching it lip at the newly growing grass. But it still seemed to watch him back, as though he were a threat. Anatoliy made a face at the horse, trying to mock the way it vigilantly eyed him. Clearly, he loved his rider. "He is a magnificent beast." Somehow he remembered that large word, for it came to mind almost instantly and passed off his tongue automatically. Maybe this English language thing was not as hard as he once thought. All this practice was doing him some good. "He thinks I am threat, maybe?" he questioned, a very amused tone adding to his foreign lilt.

"I am Anatoliy Russo. I did not see you at ze Hotel. Do you live somevhere else?" he asked, wondering if the woman was as new as he was to the pack. The Russian leaned against the tree with his side against the engraved lines, crossing his arms across his wide chest. His head still tilted up at Anann, no hostility in his eyes. There was no need to be wary on the pack lands. Just as there had been almost no reason to be wary home at the Russo complex. But for some reason, he was told to be careful in the unclaimed lands. Was he supposed to be attacked there for wandering? Maybe that was why he stuck to his new home, however long that would last.

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Anann Kelevra · 04-28-2010, 11:04 PM

500+
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No worries hun! I still <3 you!

The amber hued fem quickly looked over her work. She had sat here most the afternoon and had just barely finished attaching one side of the reinforcement strip. She supposed it was well enough that she got anything done at all. The stitches seemed even and straight. Cutting the cord with a claw she put away her needle and quickly bundled up her work in progress. She was glad for a break from her work. Not that she had been working diligently in the first place. It was nice to meet new faces, and she was glad she had not had to go seeking for it. Something she had been putting off, if she were to be honest.

Anann held back a giggle as she caught the man making a face at Rem. The horse's gaze locked on the stranger as he seemed to absently graze. "Thank you. He is a bit out of shape after the winter. Do you ride?" She looked out to were the stallion grazed. He certainly looked better than when they had arrived. Don't mind him. He isn't very trusting of men, but if thought you were a threat you probably wouldn't have the chance to stand here and talk with me. She tucked her items in her bag, hanging it were she would be able to reach it from the ground.

"Good to meet you, Anatoliy." She paused to answer his question. Knowing there was no glamorous way to explain her current living arrangement. "I've been staying at the stables actually, but I'm thinking of building a house here though. I have been to the hotel once. Do you like it there?" In all actuality she had not been to the hotel at all since she had become a member of the Miracles pack. It was only during her tour with Heath that she had been to the place she knew many in the pack called home. I'm not used to such close quarters as the hotel." She offered in explanation.

Hopping down, out of the tree's embrace. Anann landed gracefully aside Anatoliy, crouching slightly as she landed. As she stood, she was shocked as she looked more at the man's chest than his face. He was much taller than he had appeared from her perch above the ground. "My, My! Aren't you the brute." She meant no offense. In fact she was quite awed. It was not often she felt so..small. A coy smile spread across her maw as she looked up at him. So tell me Anatoliy, where are you from? Not from around here with an accent like that, I'd imagine." Having landed quite close to the man on her decent Anann took a few steps back. She had been tempted to reach out, run a hand across his chest. Temptation, much like what she had experienced in the presence of the king. What was it with this northern territory and it's men with strange accents. Though she had grown quite accustomed to the french tones of Heath's accent.

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Anatoliy Russo · 04-30-2010, 05:33 PM

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500+

good to know <3

The Russo pulled his gaze away from the equine, shaking his head lightly. "No, but I can. Used to help at home vith the cart and the draft horses." Having been a serious jack of all trades at home seemed to be useful here, though he really could not specialize in just one skill as a job. But that was okay; he could assist anyone that needed assistance in the pack without having the extra title of blacksmith or something else that was silly. Then, smiling lightly, he looked up at Anann. "Zhat is good. Horses hurt with zheir kicks. I do not vant to recieve one." Thankfully, the hybrid had never been forced to enjoy one of those, and hopefully never would. "I vill ride one if I need to, but zhat is to be seen." Anatoliy would only ride a horse if he needed to for the pack, or if his father thought he might need to. Wow, he almost sounded as though he were a daddy's boy.

Shrugging a bit, the brunette rolled his eyes a bit. "Is hard to say. Not like home, zhat for sure." It was most definitely not a bit like his home in Russia. It was less of a family and more like an independent town. The unity, ah, the unity was absent, but at least they all had a kind of connection to each other just in case, right? "I vill probably be moving out vith my father and sister vhen he finds a good house for us." Anatoliy eyed the clearing a bit, wondering why the woman wanted to actually build her house here rather than inhabit one already built but abandoned. "Zhere are plenty of free houses. Vhy not pick one?" he suggested, curious as to what her reasons were.

The woman hopped down and the Russo had to stand back a bit so that she would not need to crane her head up too far to actually look him in the face. Oh, his height! What a curse! Laughing lightly, Anatoliy retorted, "And you are quite a dainty little woman. Need help crossing zhe forest?" Stepping back a bit more, and then crouching, the hybrid now looked up at Anann. Like this, it would be easier for the two actually look at each other without stretching their necks too far. That was a good solution, yes? "Vell, I am from Sobirat'sya. It is in Russia, but I sink that you do not know vhere that is?" So few did, that he was no longer surprised by it here. "And vhere are you from, pretty lady?" Just because he did not share his father's more ... open attitude towards women, did not mean he did not know how to flirt with them, more innocently than his father might have, though. "So few people are from zhis area, you see." Plenty of people he had met had migrated here, for whatever reason. Anatoliy was still trying to find out what made this place so desirable above other places.

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Anann Kelevra · 05-03-2010, 01:22 AM

500+
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ooc

Anann gave the earthen hued man a confused look. She would think he of all wolves would prefer to make a home suited for his size. Not something intended for the smaller humans that had left behind the musky relics. "Don't you tire of ducking though their low door ways? Most are low for me. Let alone someone of your height. You probably hit your elbow on the ceiling trying to scratch the top of your head." The smile still in place on her lips as she looked up at the man. "Besides, were I come from we have made our own building for some time. Most of the human buildings left standing are hardly with the work it would take to make them of any use." She looked over her little plot of land. Yes, she suppose she had finally decided this was the spot. She liked this spot, it felt so peaceful. "That and I get to decide exactly where home is."

Anann was caught completely off-guard by Anatoliy's retort. For the first few seconds she just simply gawked at the man unsure of she had heard her correctly. Then she laughed. "Now that is a first. Dainty. Never been called that one before. Although I suppose in the embrace of a strapping young man such as yourself, dainty I would be." Her smile becoming a something slightly more dangerous. Rather liking the idea of finding herself in the Russian man's arms. "Am I so dainty and delicate that you must come down to my level to get a good look?" She pouted slightly, disappointed that he had chosen to crouch down. She had rather enjoyed being cast in his shadow, so to speak."Actually, I know were Russia is. Well, I was taught were it was on map as a child. I don't know if I could actually find the place." She laughed. "It's a long way you've come then. I'm from the west about two thousand miles west of here. A place called Tosawi, also much different from this place." Getting a much closure look at the man's face now, she realized he was younger than she had first thought. Though not too young. Anann couldn't help but wonder if he knew how to fight and if he would be willing to spar with her. Though she had a feeling that getting him to not hold back would be troublesome.

Anann moved towards the trunk of the tree, sitting down and resting her back against the trunk. She hoped Anatoliy would come and sit by her, but she made no move to persuade him to such action. "My home land had become enveloped in a war. I left to keep out of the fighting. It was not a cause worth fighting for so I left to keep out of the fighting. How about you, what brings you so far from home?" It seemed many here had come from far and wide. Each for their own reasons. "Did you travel all that way by yourself?" Anann couldn't imagine how far it must be to Russia. She had never been to the ocean until she had come to souls. To thinking of traveling to a different continent seemed a bit much for a fresh start.

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Anatoliy Russo · 05-03-2010, 01:59 PM

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500+

The house that Rurik had found for the three of them was small, not only in size but in height. Anatoliy had to bed over a little bit in the house since the ceilings were actually lower than his height, which meant that he was usually stuck at bending over quite a lot under the doorways. It was a pain, but the Russo spent little time in the bungalow. He only slept there and ate there, though he usually ate outside to avoid the claustrophobia that set inside that place at times. More often than not, Anatoliy only ever entered the house to his room from the back door, avoiding the kitchen and other rooms since he was so damn tall. Occasionally, he would venture in the living room to relax, but was mostly out and about the packlands.

Anatoliy figured it had been easier to find a house than to construct one, as the only people in the family really capable of heavy construction work was Rurik and his son. It was just a roof over their heads, so none of them had bothered. "Ah, yes. But vhat is that place for ozher zhen sleeping in? Ve can eat outside. It is more like a place for keeping zhings." The brunette laughed, remembering the last few times where he hit his head or arms on the ceiling. "It is a pain, but vhat am I going to do about it? Just get some bandages for zhe, ah, scrapes." And he had a few fading scrapes on his elbows from running them across the rough ceiling. "But zhe house was in good condition. Just needed a cleaning."

Brows furrowed at the language Anann used, slightly confused for a moment. Though he quickly figured out what she meant. "Anyone is dainty vhen beside me. I make my family look small boned." Oh, all the teasing he had endured at home from being heads taller than some of the older men. It was entertaining. "But you are a voman. You vould be dainty even a few centimeters shorter. Compared to me, of course." Then, chuckling after he had crouched, the Russo shrugged. "Vell, you cannot get to my level so vhy not?"

A look of surprise crossed the Russo's face. Several of the people he had met in the time he had been here had given him blank looks when he mentioned that country across the sea. Like no one had actually managed to look at a god forsaken map. Surely there were plenty remaining in this continent? There was an atlas back in Russia, but it could not have been that rare a find. "Zhat is a first." The place that Anann mentioned rang no bells for him, but he figured it was across the continent. "How different vas it zhere?" he asked, curious. "A var? Vhy is zhere a var?" Though he did applaud her for leaving that kind of situation instead of getting involved.

Anatoliy nodded at her question, explaining, "Yes. Actually, sort of. I fell asleep on a boat in St. Petersburg and woke in zhe Baltic Sea. Zhe told me zhe would be near here, so I decided to stay on zhe ship. Ah, I found my fazher and siblings so I stayed." The Russo flexed an arm, jabbing it. "Zhere were less muscles on my arms before zhen. Hard to believe, yeah?" He laughed, crossing his legs underneath him.

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Anann Kelevra · 05-04-2010, 12:55 AM

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you know when I titled this thread. This was not the direction I had expected it to go XD lol I suppose its even more relevant now

It was true that she had been attracted to the collie king. He was something of a forbidden fruit, knowing the anger it would have caused her father and Keese alike. Knowing how their blood would boil in both their veins at the mere thought of the collie man's hands on her. It was a lust driven out of spite and she was glad she had not acted on it. Squashing such budding emotions quickly. This was something much different. There was a light flutter in her stomach. She wondered if he had truly meant her pretty or if it had simply been good manners. She could not deny she was intrigued by the Russian, but was he attracted to her? And why did she suddenly care? She was a confident creature sure, but her confidence did not come from her womanly features. Not that they were lacking. She found her skill with leather and sword to be more defining traits than beauty. Never having reason to give value to her looks. Her dark eyes watched the young man, wondering what it might feel like to be held in those big strong arms. To lay her head against his chest.

It was a wonder she kept up with the conversation. His thick accent made it hard enough for her to understand everything anyways without the trickle of thoughts, some rather inappropriate, of the Russian continued to flow to her mind. "Well, I need the building to work in as well. At certain stages, the skins and leathers I work with can't get wet. The leather making is also why I need to be close to fresh water." She still did not understand why Anatoliy would not want a more comfortable home, fitting to his size. Even if his family did not share it as well. Her brow furrowed, wondering now if she had offended him with her comments about his size. "Do you not like being so tall? I'm sorry if I offended you.." She looked out Rem, noticing the horse was casually moving closer. "I've always enjoyed being tall myself. The reach is a nice advantage in a fight." She might not be big by Anatoliy's standards. Back home though she had been taller than nearly all the other women. Many of the men around her height or slightly taller. Few towered over her.

Anann had hoped that she would not have to answer many questions about her past home. There was little she really felt the need to hide, but there were a few facts she would rather not have widely know. Specifically her bloodline and the ridiculous superstitions that came along with it. "There was a stable there, much like the one here. Horses were the strength of our colony. Used for agriculture, transportation of goods, and war defenses. There they raise cattle as a food source. Without the need for hunting many other trades have taken root in our society. It's something a little rarer on this continent than then one you came from. At least I have heard there are large cities populated with canines across the oceans. Is it true?" The war was the last thing Anann had wanted to talk about, the final straw that had forced her hand in leaving. The topic chasing the smile from her lips, Anann sighed. "I'm not sure anyone really knows. Everyone I've asked gives a different answer. The hierarchy says we are protecting our way of life. Our people believe them. Our enemy says we are a society supported on the slavery of others. That we take more land than what is ours. Some even claim the Tosawi aavalry is a band of demons spit from the bowels of hell." Anann had eventually found the truth. It was because of that truth that she would no longer fight for the Tosawi name. She knew what she had said did not set her home in the best of light. Though the general population was not to blame, for few of them had little idea what happened on the outer reaches of the Tosawi land.

Anann could not help but laugh. "It seems every other person I meet has come here by boat. How long were you stuck on that thing? I couldn't imagine traveling across the ocean. Perhaps next time you'll pay more attention to where you take a nap." Anann bit her lip as Anatoliy flexed his arm. "So it the life of sailing I have to thank for you're chiseled body, eh?" A grin creeping back across her features.

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Anatoliy Russo · 05-04-2010, 09:27 PM

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500+
I needed a table change and reading that first paragraph made me baw because my guyinterest is like that :|

Anatoliy never really thought about girls - women now, weren't they? - and did not really know that this woman had anything other than what was at hand on her mind. He had never really wondered what the other girls thought of him, since most of the girls he had been around at home were his cousins and aunts and other relatives. Even the neighboring girls did not appeal to him since he had grown up with quite a few of them and he had already left before he really realized that girls existed and that boys like him could actually feel things for them. Needless to say, he was dense in the goings on between two interested genders but he still knew how to flirt, though Liliya once told him he only realized what he did half the time. Anatoliy had to agree; he barely understood flirting and then what liking someone like that really meant. Now, he did notice the way the woman had the curves, but looked sturdier than the very dainty women that seemed to run amok in the world. Oddly, he actually started noticing women now, though he had met few of them. This one was just another person, so he figured it was easier to ignore the fact she was female, at least mostly.

The Russo shrugged. He had not been insulted with his questions since he had long since started to disregard any of those comments be they benign or malicious. "No, I not mind. I am tall, I cannot change zhat, so vhy vorry?" Then, grinning, he added, "Beside, the view is better up here." There had been no sexual connotations there, but it suddenly seemed like it. But, unable to take it back, he just bit his tongue lightly. Besides, what damage could that little phrase possibly do? The brunette shrugged again, wondering when he was last in a real fight. Huh, he could not remember. "Never have had need for a fight. Always scared everyone else. I can sit on zhem and zhey do not vant to fight."

Raising his hands up to stop the woman from continuing, Anatoliy nodded. "I see, zhat is a good reason to leave. But zhis is good, yes? Zhis place seems less veecious. But ve'll see." The seigneur had no idea what was in store here and he hoped it was going to be good. That was the point of the new world, right? Ages past it was the place to go to get a new start and to get somewhere good, somewhere better, somewhere bright. Sure, he came accidentally, but it had to be better here. Hopefully.

How long was he on the boat? Man, he could not even remember that. "More zhen a week for sure. About a month or so. Maybe month and ten days." Hell, it got him in good shape so it must have been a while for all that manual labor to get those muscles up from helping doing some lifting at home and around the docks. "But it vas hard vork for sure." Anatoliy nodded at his own comment, but laughing at Anann's statement. "Yes you can, zhough I don't know how to take zhat." It felt like an odd comment to make. He looked down at his chest, raising an eyebrow. "Vhy, did I suddenly get more muscles?" He poked as his own chest, glad that it was no longer the flab of his puppyhood and more flat. "Does zhis look like I boofed up?"

Anann Kelevra · 05-06-2010, 05:38 PM

500+
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<333

Golden fingers idly ran across the top of the grass shoots growing at her side. Feeling the blades run lightly across the pads of her fingers. Occasionally she would wrap a longer blade around her finger, plucking it from the ground. Twirling it idling between her fingers until it became lost and the process started anew. The activity was preformed absent mindedly. Her eyes never faulted from the Russian despite the idle nature of her hands. She was helplessly intrigued with the man and it was him that her hands truly wished to seek out and touch. "The view looking up isn't so bad either." Her tone light and playful. "It is always nice when a fight can be avoided with intimidation, but its just as nice to be prepared when it does not. I have trained with sword and spear since I was quite young. Though I'm much happier to make use of my leather crafting skills rather than those of the blade."

The flutter in her stomach persisted. Reluctant to act on such emotions, Anann did her best to keep them below the surface. Perhaps with a few drinks she would act on such things without worry that the young man would not appreciate her advance. As it were she felt Anatoliy had little interest in her. At least he made no appearance of such things. Besides was the flutter and twist in her stomach fueled by anything but lust. "I don't think I would want to spend a day at sea, let alone a month." Used to waves of graze across the plains, Anann much preferred solid ground beneath her paws. Unsure of what effect the heaving, swaying deck of a ship would have on her. Certainly it could not be enjoyable.

The golden fem's comment about the rather fit Russian man's body had slipped from her lips before she could even think to still her tongue. At his response to it, Anann could feel heat like a fire in her cheeks. Her eyes quickly falling to the ground at her feet stretched out before her. Her audits pressing against her skull for a split second in a brief reaction of embarrassment. Something almost foreign to woman who was often confident to a fault. What gave him such power over her? Her dark brown eyes once again turning towards the Russian. Once again roaming over his crouched body before falling inevitably to his face. "No, you did not suddenly get more muscles." She laughed, somewhat nervously. "But I must admit, I'm finding it hard not to stare." Her cheeks still burned and she wished she had not said that. Her own words taking her by surprise as they left her lips. Eyes once again watched her own feet. Afraid to the reaction to her words. Wishing fervently that they had went unspoken. Her eyes rose from her feet, looking out to where Rem had been grazing only to find the horse had moved rather close. Only a couple yards off to her side. The stallion was giving the woman an look. His brows raised curiously and a look of amusement to his features. It was as if knew all to well what was going on. Rem, go away! she said annoyed, tossing a short stick at the horse. Though there was no danger it would strike him. He trotted off, shaking his head and tossing his mane about. Only further annoying Anann.

Anatoliy Russo · 05-07-2010, 11:51 PM

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500+
We can wrap this up soon if you want them to spar in a newer thread :o

Anatoliy rolled his shoulders, feeling a bit stiff after hearing the woman talk about preparedness. The bones cracked a bit as they realigned properly. He had not stretched properly in ages, forsaking his morning exercises like a lazy bumpkin. The Russo did not know much about sword fighting or using weapons, though, if forced, he would use them in self defense. "I am more about wrestling, since zhat is vhat I grew up learning. Maybe, some kind of martial art? I am not sure." Shrugging, shoulders moving more fluidly in their joins, the brunette allowed himself to relax onto his bones. He slipped from crouching on his feet to crossing his legs Indian style beneath him near the woman.

Not even a day at sea? This woman would never pass for a true Russo then! A Russo that did not love the sea, even to some extent, was a failure to the name of Russo, or at least a personal shame on themselves. Fishing and the ocean were basically the blood of his clan and it was the thing that he could connect with in every single member of his family, even if it was a dulled feeling in some. If a Russo did not feel this kind of love for the sea, they tended to be the indoor kind of Russo, studying to educate the growing fishermen, or helping to maintain the home. But life still revolved around the fish and the fishing. "But it is zhe best experience. It is a mystery. Vill you survive or vill you not? It is a zhrill!" The smile on his face betrayed his enthusiasm for the topic, despite his desire to never fish for a living. There was so much more to life than fishing, but the sea was not something his blood would ever let him forget. Fishing was to feed oneself, but being on the sea, ah. Exhilarating.

Anatoliy furrowed his brows, eying his stomach with deep scrutiny. "Positive?" he inquired, wondering if he was trying to be entertaining in all the wrong ways. He twisted to the side a bit, stretching out his light abs. Then the Russo sighed, relaxing back into his lazy slouch. "I vill take your vord for it." Anatoliy eyed the woman carefully with his golden eyes, wondering why she suddenly sounded nervous. He was unaware that his appearance and mannerisms were making the woman a bit uncomfortable, though he felt it was somehow because of him. He was just unsure of what it was. "It is not every day zhat you meet somevone as tall as me. I am very looming." Anatoliy messed up his word usage, but he figured he was understandable. To some degree. "And is not every day zhat I see a horse," he added, watching the large beast prance around, seemingly to mock the woman sitting before him. "Vhat is he up to?" he asked, curious. Horses were such strange beasts; they were so intelligent but could not speak their high language. And Anatoliy asked completely innocently, smiling lightly at Anann. "Does he alvays act like zhat?"

Anann Kelevra · 05-10-2010, 11:27 PM

500+
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Wanna do another thread before the building thread or just wait? idc but <3

Anann had yet to fall back into a daily routine. At least not one that involved any focus on her training. She was not used to training alone. She missed the yard back home. There was never a lack of a sparring partner no matter the style of fighting. Unarmed combat in any form as well as armed combat. She enjoyed to fight. A sparring match with a friend was so much more satisfying than a fight for blood though. There is always a certain thrill to a true fight, but not something to be sought after. She cocked a golden brow as he mentioned wrestling. "Would you consider sparring with me sometime?" It was not a style she was all too familiar with. "Wrestling in this form or halfling? Both were practiced back home. Though I the last time I wrestled was with my siblings." In their two legged forms it was much easier to get the other in a hold. What with their nimble limbs and hands. She might actually be able to get the upper hand if they were to spar in their optime. Secui form, well it depended on if the Russian kept his frame or not, though she doubted she would be able to overpower him. The fem would lose none of her mass in the halfling form, her lupus form while quite frail in comparison.

In truth, Anann knew nothing of the sea and had experienced nothing about it. She had yet to touch the water of the ocean or to ride upon it in a boat of any sort. She had only looked at it from afar as Heath and her had explored the castle along the coast when she had first come to these lands. Since then she had stayed inland. She knew nothing of the ocean and so it was easy for her to pass harsh judgment. "The way you talk about it makes it seem more appealing. I haven't ever even touched the sand of our shores. I always imagined it would be..unnerving. Be afloat surrounded by nothing but water." She had been about to say frighting, but she would not have Anatoliy thinking she was a scared, dainty woman. "I take it your trip here was not your first venture into open waters." He talked about it with such enthusiasm. Perhaps he felt about the sea much like she felt about riding.

Was he toying with her? She couldn't help but wonder as he stretched his abs. It had started with the flex of his arm. Not that she had noticed the toned muscle before. But now he was just calling attention to it. Anann was perplexed more by the flutter in the stomach that it caused, and the warming of her cheeks as they started to feel as if they were aflame. Feeling all too much as if she were staring. A bashful smile and a girlish giggle accompanied her response. "Pretty sure." Ugh, what was wrong with her. That little giggle, where had it come from. A reason at least to be thankful for the distraction Rem created. "He has a mind of his own. If you ask me, he is teasing me." She said, giving the retreating horse a glare. "Yeah, he pretty much does whatever he wants." Anann shrugged. "And he loves to show off."

Anatoliy Russo · 05-15-2010, 11:24 PM

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500+
I'm up for either, but if we do another thread before they build, we can get them to spar and start climbing the awkward ladder. ps. geez, I'm posting a lot for you whoa

A sparring match with a woman? Anatoliy raised his eyebrows in interest at this concept. Back home, he had not really fought with a woman, though the few fisherwomen had given him a run for his money when he was younger. They had fought him holding back for a while, but when his height matched theirs, they had been forced to actually try to beat him soundly. The men provided more challenge by that time. But now it was highly unfair of him to fight anyone smaller than him, and most of the time, people were smaller than him. If he ever did spar with Anann, he would have to hold back; he did not really know his strength and the strength of his opponent until the fighting match occurred. "Consider, sure. But is it a good idea, do you zhink?" he questioned, concerned. Anann was no delicate lady, but she was still a lady, nonetheless.

Surprise covered his facial features. Where had this woman been, to not have even seen the sea around one's ankles or a stones throw away? "But how? How is zhis even possible?" he stammered, trying to figure out an answer to this conundrum in his head. "But how did you come here? Surely you did not go by zhe land." He gave the woman an incredulous look, but then his eyes shifted to the watchful horse nearby. Traveling by foot the distance Anann had mentioned seemed a ridiculous endeavor. But a horse would make it twice as fast and feeding a horse was easier than feeding oneself at times. It made sense, but the notion of never seeing the ocean up close still seemed absolutely absurd. "You need to see it, to touch it." He had no way to force her, but figured she would take his words to some consideration.

The woman was giggling, and the male furrowed his brows in a quizzical manner. She did not seem like the kind of woman to do so, even in flirting with someone. Maybe it was just Anatoliy's imagination, but it seemed as though they were, flirting that is. But he shrugged it off, not sure what defined every aspect of flirting. "Teasing? Vhy vould he be teasing you? And vhat vould he be teasing you about?" he asked, trying to figure out how a horse go do that; those Russian draft horses had never done such a thing in front of his eyes. But, then again, they had been all business when strapped to their carts. Maybe they were playful hulks when in the stables of their masters. "He does seem to. I vonder vhat kind of children he vill sire. For he is a beauty."

Anatoliy's mind shifted gears, golden eyes moving toward the empty place where a house could stand. "You are making your house here, yes?" He wondered how a solitary woman was going to be able to do such a thing as building herself a home. "If you are needing help, I can help. Maybe ask my fazher to help as vell. Maybe even my sister." His offer was not generous, but he was sure his family would gladly help another person in their pack.

Anann Kelevra · 05-16-2010, 03:16 PM

300+
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I tried to be short...I swear...

Anann was more than just a woman or a warrior where she had come from. Many believed that she was the reincarnation of her mother, and perhaps some sort of deity. Born to the city to protect it. One result of the beliefs was that everyone remained a three pace distance from the golden fem. The only exception was training and sparring. Even still, wrestling was thought to have too much physical contact to be suitable for one such as herself. Anann herself thought the idea ridiculous. Was she not suppose to master all arts of combat? "Why wouldn't it be? I think you'd pose quite the challenge. I like challenges." She had truly meant only to apply her comment to the topic at hand. Still there was a slightly more suggestive and sultry tone to her voice. Though it went unnoticed to herself.

It seemed to shock the Russo that Anann had yet to venture to the sea. Simply there was little reason for it to draw her. She had never known it and the unknown was not quite as captivating to her as it might be to others. Not that she would refuse a visit to the ocean, it just wasn't a priority. She had seen it from afar and that had been satisfying enough. "I will make a point to, since you insist." She smiled, wondering what caused his enthusiasm for the salty waters.

Anann had grown used to the horse's playful antics. Most however saw the stern and protective nature of the beast. A dual nature that was shared by both rider and horse. Although it was the stern side of Anann that was often hidden in the shadows, brought forth by the needed fight. "He teases me just as any father would. He was my mother's horse. He has watched over me since I was born or at least since I can remember." There was legend of the foals that Rem would sire. It was believed he was a direct descendant of the first war horse of Tosawi, tamed and trained by one of Anann's fore-mothers. Or was it the other way around? "They apple won't fall far from the tree, I'm sure." Little did Anann know, but Rem had already sired a foal. The budding life was undetected in the womb of Heath's mare.

"Thank you for the offer. I am hoping to get some help building up the walls. I know so few here though. It would be great if you and your family could help. " Anann did not expect a great tide of help. She was slow to adjust to this being her new home and pack. Forgetting she was no longer a lone traveler.

Anatoliy Russo · 05-16-2010, 05:34 PM

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lmfao I so call shenanigans.

Anatoliy shrugged at the woman. If she wanted him to fight her, he would, though he would be careful with her. It amused him to think she could beat him, since few people really could now. If she could even give him a challenge, he would gain a new level of respect for the woman. "Vhatever you feel up to, ma'am." Anatoliy could also not forget that Anann was older than him, but it seemed everyone was. Maybe he would stop feeling so awfully young by the time he turned two in October. Hell, why was everyone so much older? And shorter? It was such an unfair combination. Young and ridiculously huge. "I vill try not to hurt you." That was what a gentleman did, right?

Taking her words for a promise, the Russo dropped the topic, merely nodding back at her. It did not warrant a response. But he would hold her to it, and would drag her, all in good fun, to the sea if he found she had not gone to see the sea properly. All in good fun. All in good fun.

Rem would certainly sire attractive children paired with the right mare, but that was only if Anann felt like being selective with whom he was bred. In his brief travels to Saint Petersburg, the Russo had met a horse breeder or two that had been nothing but viscous about who mounted their mares and who their stallions mounted. But they did manage to produce some of the prettiest colts and fillies he had ever seen. They were bred for showing off, not like the working horses he was more familiar with. Rem would probably make attractive foals no matter what, though. Maybe with coloration variations, but still nice offspring.

"I vill be sure to ask zhem," he assured her, reaching over to pat her hand lightly. "It vas nice talking to you, but I am zhinking I need to go home for a little vhile." Anatoliy felt like it was definitely time to get going home, unless he had had something else to do. But he could not remember what he was doing before he had encountered the woman. He rose, dusting off his legs a bit. A smile was directed in Anann's way. "Raincheck zhat spar?" he asked her, taking a few steps backward, toward home.

Anann Kelevra · 05-16-2010, 06:25 PM

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bwhahah super short now =P

Anann was glad to see that he was not totally against the idea of a friendly tussle between them. She gave a light laugh as he assured her he would try to keep from harming her, though not enough to seem rude. She did not tell him not to worry about it, even though it was the first words to come to her mind. It would be only proper for him to do so. "I only beg that you do not hold back too much, or it will take away all the fun" She said forcing a mock pout.

There was a warmth across her had. Like when you place your hand in the sunlight without realizing. It was a simple pat on the hand but to one not used to the touch of others it was almost breath taking. Sharing little more than a hand shake with others. Though it was not an unwelcome action she was just not quite sure to the meaning behind it. He bid a sort of farewell and stood up. Anann nodded before getting up herself. "It was certainly nice to meet you, Anatoliy. A rain check will do just fine, so long as you don't forget." She said, returning with a smile of her own.

Anatoliy Russo · 05-16-2010, 07:09 PM

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300+
I call short manageable Big Grin and we can close after mine i am thinking

"No promises," he said, tittering at Anann. If he held back, it was entirely his business. Though if she complained he was not giving more than the 75 percent he thought he would give, he would have to actually try. Or, if she started actually beating him, he would have to try. He had his masculine pride. As any self-respecting man ought, he did not show it or brag it, but he had it, like the rest of them. Even the girliest man had some kind of masculine ego.

Anatoliy tapped his forehead, nodding at the woman. "I vill not be forgetting somezhing like zhat." He matched her look even as he began to backtrack, avoiding roots as best as he could. "Fare vell, yes, Anann?" The Russo was eager to get going, namely because he had a need to think about women more. His brother had some love interest, whoever she was. So what was stopping him from finding himself a pretty girl to chase after? The talk of the horses had got him thinking more about it, odd as the thought was. "Bye, bye," he bid, waving back at the woman as he passed among the trees, his back to her.

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