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</style>Could it have taken me any longer to start this? |: Sorry about the wait.. :< In the long run, I think it'll be better that I waited though, since this will now be my most up to date thread, and those always go easier for me :] Quartz Shoreline, but inland.
It felt good to be back. Scratch that--it felt great. Even his thuggish watch dogs were impressed by his latest and greatest acquisition, Jøren. They were also pretty damn excited when he told them about his plans to begin liquor production. There was much cause for celebration that night on the isolated suburban property, but the next morning was surprisingly busy, too... at least on Barrett's end. He had half a mind to just kick back in the gardens and soak up the dwindling summer sun, but he understood there was little time for such tomfoolery. Being early September, he had long missed the prime time for harvesting wheat. If he did manage to brew a successful batch this year, it would be mediocre in quality and insufficient in quantity to trade. But still, it would be practise. And with that experience under his belt and his process closer to streamlined, he would be able to meet the next year head on. He would be able to plant crops local to the garage and begin mass-scale production.
But--as if finding, collecting, transporting, and processing twenty pounds of potatoes and two pounds of (chaffed) wheat wouldn't be enough to worry about--there were plenty of chores to do around the homestead, too. Nothing was too bad off, with Axle and Grit tending to emergency waterings and pest removal, but they left all equipment repairs, harvesting, and curing to the more technically inclined wolf. The earth-toned youth was just finishing up with these tasks when his gaze fell on Jøren, who was grazing quietly in one of the adjacent lots across the street. He supposed a nice cozy stable wasn't a bad idea, either; come winter, the horse would surely appreciate it, whether he was built for Norwegian winters or not. Still, to embark on this project now would probably set him back at least two weeks, even with the help of his goons and the horse itself. He probably had at least a month before he really had to start worrying about it, however, so he resolved to address the surrounding countryside and her bounties first. After loading up the draught animal with his scythe and two buckets, he struck out east in the direction of farmland once claimed by Phoenix Valley.
Using his nose, he tracked down the scent of potato. Thankfully, Julia had tutored him in the entire process, not just tossed the instruction booklet at him and wished him luck. (It helped the two of them had hit it off.) Now, he unsecured the buckets from Jøren's straps and patted him to dismiss him. He set them aside, downshifted to all fours, and began to unearth the small, pale yellow spuds. Quickly covered in loose earth and still digging furiously, he looked more the part of a foraging meerkat than a respectable top predator. Jøren snorted in amusement and wandered off to graze on the side. Meanwhile, Barry picked up his first potato and deposited it with a satisfying plunk! in the bucket. One down, dozens to go! And it was only two hours past high noon.
fack fack fack I'm so sorry I took so long to reply D: and guess what! first nadja post!!!7!! 8D I hope this isn't too confusing, the switch from Valinta as inner thoughts lady to Nadja as inner thoughts lady. If you know what I mean if you didn't notice, nadja is very vain and thinks she is the ubersmex. that's hard to not notice though XD
Valinta had nearly trembled in anticipation as she had smoothed on the gloves and slipped the dress on over her head and let down the wild curls that made up her pitch hair. In those instants, she went from Valinta Ptofsky-Inkfur LeStrange to being Nadja Doromoi.
Wandering around well out of Anatheman territory, Nadja found herself near a beach, her dark curls whipping around her in a strong breeze. The dress pressed itself against her fur and skin and the woman supposed she made a startling -- nay, a mesmerizing sillhouette from far away. Her chocolate fur, in the sun, shone almost gold, and her hair turned a fiery red with the kisses of the sun's favor.
Finally ascertaining that, yes, indeed, she had achieved the overall affect she had been looking for, Nadja set out to find someone, anyone! A laugh escaped from her maw, dark and richly tumbling out to be carried by the wind to the four corners of the world. As her feet gracefully stepped over the sands that turned into dirt and grass, the woman hummed delicately, her voice a gentle strand of sound.
As she walked, a rather interesting sight greeted Nadja. A young form was digging at the ground, and as she watched, picked up a potato and put it in a bucket. Extremely amused, the woman debated putting her foot on his back, and instead walked in front of him and let her body uncurl itself and rest on the ground, well away from the flying dirt. She watched the youth and waited for him to realize she was there, absently plaiting her hair as she did so.
The mottled male continued his task with quiet determination and mechanical focus. Sniff, sniff, sniff; Dig, dig, dig; Sift, sift, sift; Score! and finally, Plonk! All the while, however intent he appeared to be, his mind wandered. These potatoes were not the plump, half-pound Idahos humans used to cultivate--no, growing wild for over two decades now, some had dwindled to the size of mere ping pong balls. Oddly, the loner seemed to deliberately avoid the most impressive spuds, even though harvesting them would expedite things considerably. But rather than excavate them now, he placed several distinct scratches aside the prize winning plants: these fine specimens he would uproot and transplant later. In the coming years, they would present him with the most bountiful yield.
Devilishly clever as this plan made him feel, something puzzling soon gave him pause. He'd seen a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye before, yes, but figured it was Jøren. But now a shift in the winds made him realise it was another wolf. A female. His face, which was covered in loose soil, popped up quizzically from the freshest hole like a bewildered Whack-a-Mole. Less than a minute had passed since she entered the scene, but now he wasn't sure how he missed her that long. The soft green fabric of her dress clung loosely to the curves of her body as she watched him closely, expectantly--was that a bit of a 'come hither' look?--all while teasing her thick, curled locks. His head tipped just five degrees to the right and he blinked, but then he seemed to snap out of it.
The lithe male shook to dislodge the dirt with some success (all the clumps were gone; whatever bits remained blended in with his coat well enough), then regarded her coolly, tail slowly wagging behind him. If you don't mind my saying, he began, voice alight with a playful lilt, you seem better prepared for a grand event or party, rather than watching me play in the dirt. A smirk. Only Barry, covered in mud and caught unawares, would turn a situation like this into an opportunity to flirt. Or do you know, he mused, of the fantastic purpose these roots will serve? He had a hunch this girl knew how to hold her alcohol--but it was just a hunch.
Again, I apologize for my slowness :c also, I hope you don't mind how I switch tables. I have a lot and some don't get used unless I switch during threads. I hope conspiratorily is an actual word...
Nadja let her head fall back as the wind brought the sultry scents of damp earth, wolf, and horse to her, letting them play over her nose and face with the playfullness of an imp. Lifting her head up again, the male across from her had noticed her then, and looked extremely confused. He shook the dirt from his fur. Some landed on her and she idly brushed it off with her gloved fingers, the specks seeming to jump away from her, so as to not spoil her pristine beauty.
Returning nimble fingers to playing with her tumbling locks, the chocolate woman looked expectantly at the boy. He was a handsome one, she thought, with dark fur like hers, and a lithe form. The way his body was, she guessed that if he could walk on two legs -- and since there was a horse she assumed yes -- he would stand much taller than she. Not that the temptress minded, no. She liked her small size. Men tended to instinctively want to care for the smaller ones, for some reason.
Chuckling at his comment, she reached out a plucked some dirt from his head. "Maybe I am." she said, almost conspiratorily. "But maybe I think there will be a party with you..?" she finished, a partial statement, question and suggestion. She looked over him, her golden gaze dancing over his young form, meeting his pale yellow eyes before looking at the roots he mentioned.
Potatoes. He could be making just about anything with those roots, but her very Russian mind siezed on one and one only. Licking her lips briefly, she looked up at him and lifted her eyebrows suggestively. "Am I hoping too much if I asked if they were for vodka?" she queried, her accent thicker than usual with the prospect of alcohol and her act antediluvian. Seduction was a natural thing, whether she realized she was doing it or not... But, as Nadja smiled at the boy and her inner thoughts, she knew what she was doing.
Not at all ^^ I'd only mind if I didn't have broadband, lulz. Also this thread makes me giggle XD Sorry about the wait--usually don't have the energy/focus to post after work during the week >_o
Boy, this girl was doing a number on him. Although Barry usually had good luck with the ladies, he was accustomed to initiating whatever flirtatious banter himself. He knew to show some restraint so he didn't come off as overbearing or creepy, and ordinarily, he kept his wits about him to ensure he wasn't grossly misinterpreting body language or other non-verbal cues. That was all well and good, but whenever a woman showed this much interest in him outright, his brain tended to short circuit. Here, flirting became less an intellectual pursuit and something more raw, more instinctual.
Fortunately, he did a good job projecting the same cool confidence as always, even as her light touch caused his fur to stand on end and his pulse to quicken. Over these reactions he had no control--it was simply his body's way to make him appear more impressive and start ramping up hormone production. He had no idea she was already quite taken by his physique, although, unfortunately, his height in this form was somewhat misleading. On all fours he stood taller than most; on two legs, he was only about average. Nevertheless, he would tower over her by a good two and a half feet. Even now he realised she was quite petite, but the true extent of her diminutive stature was lost on him--it was hard to judge, since she wasn't standing and he wasn't shifted.
Besides, there were better things to worry about. A party? I think that's something that can be arranged, he purred. Barrett didn't think there was a wolf in all of Nova Scotia better prepared to party than him, but he wouldn't say as much. He'd let her reach that conclusion herself. By the sound of it, she was halfway there already. That's correct, he confirmed with an impish grin. Won't really be in full swing production 'til next year, he lamented, but I've plenty of other goodies to hold me over, he added suggestively, both as a promise and a dare. Pick your poison. Whatever she wanted, he would surely be able to satisfy her needs.
if you didn't notice, nadja is very vain and thinks she is the ubersmex. that's hard to not notice though XD
