Pet Shop Boy [p]

Thorn Russo · 09-06-2012, 11:19 PM

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Vlad! Set Sept 8th-ish. Downtown Halifax around 9pm, optime form. The entire idea of what Thorn finds is Jess' fault.

The sun was just starting to set on the huge sprawling city. Thorn was going to spend another night in the city and not in his home but that was okay if it meant a few more pieces of equipment for the brewery back home. His messenger bag contained some more tubing and little utensils found here and there. His ability to read (and read english at that) wasn't great but he had found mention of a brewery within the confines of the city. He didn't know it was too far away to visit today thankfully because even if he knew that fact it would spur him on to keep going. As it was he had to rest a few times as his knee ached.

The smile on his white muzzle remained despite the dull ache, and he pushed open the door with his foot and marvelled at the sight inside. Before the virus spread, this building had been an animal containment building of some sort, something Thorn believed had been a pet store. He stepped inside as the setting sun shone in the broken windows. The cages inside all hung open and tiny dishes lay on rusted floors. Thorn slowly walked around admiring the broken down shelving and broken aquariums. A few of the cages had been torn apart and a tiny shred of sadness trickled into his heart.

Walking past what had been a rabbit cage a long time ago Thorn turned to see broken, crumbling shelving and it's dusty but mostly intact contents lying on the floor. The black and white male crouched down to pick up a yellow rubber and plastic toy shaped like a cartoon bone. Sniffing it and tipping his head he squeezed it and heard the barely audible squeak inside. Thorn's eyes widened as did the smile on his face. Brilliant. Squeaking a few more times he gathered five up and put them in his bag along with far less interesting hard rubber balls. He had heard rumours that puppies were on their way and nothing helped a puppy with his hunting when the parents couldn't monitor like an inanimate object. The sounds of occasional squeaking as Thorn squeezed harder and harder echoed down the overgrown street.

WC: 374

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-07-2012, 08:14 PM

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(--) OOC here

The collapsed city bathed in the setting sun's light reminded Vlad of Moscow in a lot of ways. Like the Halifax, the Russian metropolitan was also broken and abandoned, but unlike the Halifax, Moscow had been tidied up quite a bit by numerous generations of the Luperci there. It had become livable for those that claimed and marked buildings as their own for their families, and trespassing into another canine's home was considered deeply disrespectful along with being an obvious felony. There wasn't much punishment for intruding, though—not counting whatever the owner had in store for the trespasser, of course.

Vladislava didn't have to worry about her family's house being raided, however. The Kalashnikovs were far too powerful to be messed with, and they were more than capable of taking care of any criminals that came their way. That was an advantage to living like royally, Vlad thought to herself often when she would think about her relatives. You were virtually untouchable when you were an heiress to a very important company, but... Perhaps that was the reason the girl left Russia. Aside from not wanting the responsibility of running a business she had no interests in, maybe she wanted to be able to hold her own, without the twenty-four hour protection of another. Whatever the reason, she wasn't with them now, so it didn't really matter all that much anymore, did it?

Onward the Russian she-wolf went, settled comfortably on Dmitrii's sadle, her green eyes looking over the street stretched before them. The only sounds she heard were her horse's feet clacking onto the hard, concrete ground, and her mind was blank—not counting an old song from her native lands. The chorus of this song repeated in her head so many times, almost enough to drive one mad, but she welcomed it with open arms. It was a pleasant song she was thinking of, with a soft, steady beat, and powerful—but not overly fierce—lyrics. It was of course in her native tongue, as were most songs she knew, and she was half-tempted to begin to sing along.

This thought Vladislava had, however, was forgotten at an odd, squeaky sound she heard. Her bejeweled ears pricked up at the noise, and she tugged at Dmitrii's reigns, pulling him into a stop. Bright eyes looked around with caution, but she saw nothing until she glanced over her shoulder. There was another wandering these overgrown streets, it seemed. He had an object Vlad couldn't identify in his hands, though she could infer that the noise was coming from it. She simply stared at him for a while before softly pulling on her Clydesdale's ropes again, causing him to turn roughly ninety degrees to his left. The gray wolfess rested her hands on the horse's neck as she watched the male from afar, but she didn't decide to engage in conversation. Not yet, at least.

Thorn Russo · 09-07-2012, 11:23 PM

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Squeak. Squeak. Sq-Squeak. Thorn squeezed the yellow cartoon bone repeatedly like a stress ball, wandering through the pet store looking for anything else that might get some attention back in Vinatta. No one could say that Thorn wasn't a giver and he felt it important to give back to the pack that was saving his sanity. Deciding on a few other glass items and items in the beginning stages of deterioration Thorn packed up his messenger bag and started down the street. One last squeak of the toy and he put it back into the bag, adjusting his fedora and staring at the large horse not that far from him. Thorn's first reaction was to recoil, perhaps use expletive words and exclaim something in Russian. Instead he pushed that away and just stood there, black lined green eyes staring at horse and rider quietly.

Taking a few steps closer Thorn tilted his head, rather obviously sniffing the air as something familiar and not familiar trickled into his nostrils and right to his brain. Tail wagged gently behind him, black tip and peppered hairs blown very gently by the breeze. Was it possible that there were more creatures from Russia who called the Souls lands home? He knew his own family had made their mark here and presumably the other pirates had done the same but this wolf on her grand steed didn't seem familiar. There was always asking, that was an option available to Thorn. Taking a few more quiet steps he stopped and tipped his hat to the grey wolf. "Dobryj vyechyer! Good evening! Hope I am not trespassing here." He didn't want to get too close, that was a big horse and Thorn didn't do well with horses on the best of days. Ink still had to help him get over that. Thorn had added in the Russian greeting and hoped it would answer at least one of his questions.

WC: 322

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-08-2012, 08:11 AM

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(--) OOC here

As Vladi watched the male from a distance, she did notice a few things. He was smelling the air, she could tell, and he also took a few steps forward. In return she sniffed his scent, albeit more obscurely, and found it strange. It was a scent she had lived around for a long time back in her homeland. But it was also a scent that was unfamiliar to her. Was this man from Russia, perhaps? Or maybe he had visited there?

She watched the creamy peppered man draw nearer and nearer, but still let space come between them, and Vladislava shifted her weight on Dmitrii's sadle. The scent became stronger as he came closer, and the more familiar it seemed as she pondered over it. And then, words she had known for a great portion of her life hung in the evening air, causing her charcoal-colored fur to stand on end. So he was Russian! His dialect seemed to be a little Russian, anyways, though it wasn't nearly as deep as hers, but regardless, he spoke in Russian fluently, she knew that for a fact. It was easy to detect, really, because one that grew up with Russian could produce the foreign sounds of the language much smoother than if, say, an English speaker tried to obtain the drawl and speak their words.

Vlad blinked, her green eyes shining softly at the other Luperci, and a smile soon settled on her muzzle. "Добрый вечер, сэр," she answered, and swung her legs over to her horse's right side before hopping off. She grabbed hold of Dmitrii's reigns and took a step or two closer to the man, her tail gently wagging behind her. "Do not worry, you are not trespassing," she said, dipping her head, "These streets belong to everybody, да?" She looked over her shoulder at the tall, looming buildings behind her. "But what a wonder it would be if one could possess a whole city. That would be something." She soon looked back at the Russian male, waiting for his responce.

Thorn Russo · 09-08-2012, 11:03 PM

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Happiness and worry and… happiness quietly flooded through Thorn's system. The scent was Russian and now her words matched it. She spoke with a deep Russian accent, one that Thorn had once held himself before he truly mastered English and began speaking it more often. Russian was still his native tongue but often he thought in his second language as well as speaking it. He fidgeted as she hopped off the horse and brought it closer. He was more comfortable now with her wagging tail and her grip on his reins. If the horse suddenly took a disliking to him at least she would have control. Thorn raised a hand to the horse, wanting to pet its snout but hesitating. His own salt and pepper tail wagged a bit more and he replied back in kind, knowing now that she would be able to understand him.

"Это было слишком давно я слышал, мой язык." He smiled, acknowledging her words and that he had thought the same thing. It would be nice to have all this but didn't packs that lead by just one wolf have the same sort of dominion over all? "That would be a shame for everyone but that one lucky creature. Perhaps it is why most packs are run by two. Just one and there is too much power." He hadn't expected to talk politics but he was driving the conversation that way. He still got pangs of homesickness and now was the time of one of those pangs. "I'm Thorn Russo, originally from Sobirat'sya and now Vinatta." He extended a hand like the human custom dictated. A tiny part of his brain hoped the name of his birth pack would be known to the female, a little connection might ease the homesickness.

WC: 287

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-09-2012, 12:10 AM

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(--) The Kalashnikov family's pretty well-known in Russia, so feel free to know of it, if you'd like! 8D

Vlad noticed the man's fidgeting as she drew closer, and stopped, still feet away, worried. Was he the cautious type, and did not trust her yet? That seemed unlikely, though—he had flashed a smile at her not moments ago. Maybe... Maybe it was Dmitrii? Some did not trust horses that well, and she did not blame them; some equine were wild, untamed mustangs, and an encounter with one could turn violent in the blink of an eye. The male Luperci had nothing to fear, though. Dmitrii was gentle, relaxed, and he wouldn't dare hurt a fly. The she-wolf offered the man a smile as she took a small step forward, her grip on the Clydesdale's reigns tight. "Dmitrii is harmless. There is no cause for alarm," she assured him, and gestured for him to go ahead and pet the large creature.

More words were exchanged in their native tongue, and Vladislava was quick to respond. "Я понимаю, что вы имеете в виду полностью," she replied, looking up at the nearest skyscraper. "There are not many Russians in these lands. If there are, however, I have yet to come across them." Her sea green eyes glanced back down at him, her muzzle still pointed to the sky. "I am glad I can have a conversation in that language, though. It is beautiful, for what it is worth."

"Perhaps that is so," she agreed, her head turning back to him. "Though I cannot say with certainty. I have yet to join a pack, you see..." Her words trailed off as she looked to Dmitrii. She hadn't thought much of packs, but she didn't really know what to think of them. It would be nice to join a pack, but she didn't feel the need right now. Perhaps later, or perhaps not at all. It depended on many different things, really, and she didn't care much to list out the pros and cons right now.

The man introduced himself as Thorn, and stuck out his hand. The woman was familiar with such human cultures, and with a smile, pleasantly took his hand into her own, and shook it. "I... am Vladislava Kalashnikov." She wondered briefly if Thorn maybe knew of her family, what with their wealth and popularity in the trading business. She shoved that thought away, though, and instead embraced the fact that she had another Russian to relate to.

Thorn Russo · 09-09-2012, 12:42 AM

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Tried to go somewhere in the middle. Feel free to know of some exploit that involved pirates that might have been Thorn. Smile

It was true that Thorn wasn't entirely comfortable with horses. He had one bad experience with a wild young thing and then his relative unease with them took over. He had hoped that spending time with Ink would help quell his fears and if he could learn to ride then maybe he would feel a little more comfortable with the whole 'horse' thing. Now was as good a time as ever to get a little closer to his fear and therefore a little closer to getting over his fear. Gently petting Dmitrii's snout Thorn relaxed a little and looked the big horse over. He seemed friendly enough, didn't seem the type of horse to be bred for quickness but instead for strength. The lady wolf would have to have very good control over him given his size. His fear ebbed a way a little bit. Enough good experiences like this, positive reinforcement if you're keeping score, and eventually the fear would be most gone. At least gone enough to someday ride like other Luperci.

More Russians would be a definite improvement for these lands. "My brother Rurik and I came over to these lands many years ago with a few other Russian pirates. We split up and every day I wonder how they are." He stared at the sky too, eyes and muzzle pointed up as he said rather dully, "Меня беспокоит моя Россия получит ржавое, я не говорю это намного больше." Shaking his head he cleared the cobwebs nodded at her statement about joining a pack. He had waiting to find the right back, it had been dreams of a brewery that spurred Thorn on to join Vinatta and meet the handsome Saul and even more handsome Ink. The pack was just filled with handsome creatures, he had no choice but to stay put. "Packs aren't for everyone, I took my time finding mine."

Introductions were made and when she gave her name Thorn had to think to connect the dots. He wasn't the best at remembering names and combined with age and his love of the green smoke things weren't improving any time soon. Yet Kalashnikov seemed very familiar, extremely familiar. The dots one by one connected and formed the image of a light bulb that turned on in his head. He had surely met some of them but knew their reputation. He smiled and his voice was warm as he gave a little bow and said, "I feel like I should kneel. Your family name brings warmth to this pirate heart." He was pretty sure he had no doubt plundered at least one ship belonging to their business.

WC: 429

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-09-2012, 08:45 AM

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(--) I tried to do so in return. xD

Vlad watched as the Russian man petted Dmitrii oh so gently, and she smiled. She was half-tempted to say more concerning her horse, but then decided against it, and instead rested her hand behind her steed's ear, scratching it softly. Dmitrii could tell the pale man was uneasy and nervous around him, so he remained still, his only sounds being a soft whickering noise he made.

The man said a few things that caught her attention. A pirate expedition? That sounded familiar for some reason. Although, he did say it was many years ago, so she wouldn't remember it, right? However... "My father used to tell me stories of my uncle, his brother, leaving for these lands," she recalled distantly, thinking back to the days in her youth when said stories would be told before she drifted off to sleep. "He called him a pirate, I believe... Perhaps you knew of him, supposing he was of the same group as you." She saw the orange sky slowly begin to darken as the sun fell even farther behind the Earth, and she knew the moon would rise soon. "Я пытаюсь использовать русский язык в своей повседневной речи, поэтому я не забуду," she breathed in responce to his monotonous words, hoping that might help him out in his situation. She didn't really have to worry about forgetting Russian, though—her accent was so deep it put a strain on her English, so usually to soothe her tongue she would speak Russian to herself and Dmitrii.

Vladislava listened to his words carefully, nodding, and then a question came into her head. "May I ask what pack you belong to?" She had smelled a pack scent on him, though she couldn't identify it with certainty. Besides, if it was a good pack, perhaps she could join when the need began to tug at her and have a familiar face with her there.

She almost blushed when she saw Thorn bow before her, and an odd feeling of gratitude came over her. Usually she was the one bowing before others, and to be on the other end of the spectrum was strange. She kept herself from saying much, though. She didn't want to say his act of respect was completely unwanted, after all. "You know of my family?" she asked, surprise seeping into her heavily accented words. Then again, it did make sense. Thorn was a pirate, from what she gathered, and her father often worked with pirates to either transfer goods or something of the like. Not to mention a few ships they owned that had been stolen by the same pirates, more than likely. It wasn't entirely uncanny, but regardless, it filled her with an emotion she hadn't felt in ages. Respect she had "earned" from being the Kalashnikov heiress. It didn't really make her feel all that powerful, but apparently it was a big deal among others, so she had learned to adapt to it.

Thorn Russo · 09-17-2012, 12:26 AM

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I suck at timely replies. Also I told Raze that you should have a wacky head drawing when Thorn was drawn. Smile

The Russian female spoke and Thorn immediately paid attention, it was fascinating how she spoke and every time her accent drifted into his ear he felt a little stab of homesickness wither away and die. Thorn continued to gently pat the horse, hoping his attentions wouldn't relieve him of a finger by way of the horses mouth. Yet Vlad spoke of pirates and the white Russian had to pay attention and momentarily let his hand drop from Dmitrii's snout. He knew of many who came to his homelands with hopes of becoming a crusader or a pirate, his family were known to be travellers whether they stole while they were travelling was just a matter of preference of their own. No doubt Thorn would have met her uncle and perhaps even voyaged with him, regardless he hoped he was still in good health. Smiling at her comment in Russian he added the reply to her first comment in Russian as well. Two birds, one stone.

She asked his pack and he almost puffed out his chest when he replied. He was proud to live in Vinatta, it suited his manner of living so well and with his pet project beginning he hoped many more would flock there to enjoy their time as well. It made him wonder if Vlad would make the trip there as well, he really enjoyed his time thus far with her and Thorn believed she would be the life of the party if she imbibed certain substances. All natural substances of course, those things can't hurt you. "I live in Vinatta, in the North near the Great Lake. I'm helping to start a brewery there, that's why I came to the city to gather bits and pieces." Perhaps there was a tiny edge of pleading in his voice but he quelled it, somehow. He was growing to rather like her company and her horse and a tiny part of his brain reminded him that random encounters meant parting sooner than later.

Picking himself up on the inside he gave a nod to her question, he knew of her name if through the grapevine. He had never had to deal with the Kalashnikov personally but they weren't wolves to mess around with. It also explained why he felt friendly to this wolf, dare he even think attracted, because she came from such astounding heritage. He was sure that during at least one of his raids he had plundered a boat belonging to Vlad's family. They had retaliated by putting out the word about the pirates and Thorn had been kicked out of two different homes. "I believe it was your family that helped shape my early life from settling down." He grinned. "Either way I'm surprised you left the Motherland when your family holds such power."

WC: 482

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-17-2012, 07:11 PM

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(--) So that was your doing? :o You are so thoughtful, fufufu ;~;

Vlad saw her fellow Russian's hand fall from Dmitrii's snout, and she blinked. She didn't think much of it, though, as there wasn't much to think, really. She then saw Thorn's grin at her native tongue, and he replied in the same language. Returning the smile she nodded slowly, feeling her tongue loosen a bit. She hadn't had an actual conversation in Russian in a long time, and talking to herself didn't count.

Thorn soon stated his pack—Vinátta. That was a new name, indeed. A strange sounding one, too, but intriguing. The way he said it, though, was curious. It was almost a time of... asking something of her, perhaps? Maybe he was silently asking her to join his pack. If that was the case, she could surely oblige—that is, considering whether or not she felt up to living in a pack yet. She was still indifferent on the topic as it was, but perhaps with Thorn there, he could guide her through the process and everything following. He was a pleasant man from what she gathered, and she rather enjoyed conversing with him, so she was sure to drag out their meeting as long as she could. "Ah, that sounds lovely," she responded airily, "I will certainly consider your pack if I ever work up the courage to join one. I could always use a familiar face."

The Russo male claimed the all-powerful Kalashnikovs shaped his early life with a grin, and Vladislava did not doubt this one bit. If he was a pirate that had plundered through her family's ships, then it was no wonder they would've set him straight, after all. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she thought of it. He soon expressed surprise at her decision to leave Russia—more specifically, leave her kinfolk altogether and seperate herself from the wealth and godly grip their held over much of Europe. Her smile softed as she slowly shook her head, trying hard to keep the thoughts of her immediate family out of her mind. "I had no intentions of becoming a leader of such a business," she told him, "I did not fancy such a career for myself. Something different, something abnormal from tradition, something my mother and father would widen their eyes at... This is what I yearned for, да."

Thorn Russo · 09-23-2012, 11:40 PM

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<3! Just realized in my last post it didn't show what he said in Russian. Thank you for not pointing that out and saying what an idiot I am. -_-;

Thorn adjusted his messenger bag on his foot, the squeakies and tennis balls shifting as he did so. They were just another reminder of home, Vinatta home, where the bare-bones brewery stood. He knew that the day would come when the brewery was finished and so was he, and he knew that there was a very good chance he would see his last days out within these lands. It was a slightly sobering thought, thinking about his last days but Thorn didn't think of them with anger or regret and perhaps that made it a little easier. He couldn't help but wonder if Vlad ever had the same thoughts, she was a lot younger than him and perhaps that meant she had fewer thoughts of death and the end.

When talk turned to Vinatta Thorn was very glad she seemed interested in the pack. He would really, really like to have another Russian nearby if only to speak with on occasion and to keep his mother tongue alive in his mind and supple on his tongue. Perhaps he had been a little pleading in his words but he had intended to sound passionate. "I didn't know if I would join a pack when I came back either. First time I came here my брат and I helped to found a pack of pirates, the first pirates in these lands and most of us were from Russia and Europe. Vinatta has given me the nearest to that, to those days." The white wolf didn't intend for it to be a recruiting speech, he just hadn't had the chance to talk much about those old days. He didn't think many wolves were still around that knew the Syemv pirates and he thought about them so much that he would have gone crazy if he didn't let his memories out occasionally.

Vlad it seemed had a lot of sense, as she explained how she wanted her own path to be different the elder Russo could only nod in understanding. His family had never been the type to demand their children to be certain things and they had never looked down upon him for choosing a life of hedonism and cookery rather than becoming a warrior, he was thankful to have that kind of a relationship but he knew that every family was different. Rubbing the side of his face in thought and toying with his eyebrow piercing he gave a little nod to her words. "My family didn't have business like this, I was still different. I chose to cook, to smoke, to brew, to sew and yet I struggle sometimes to hunt and to fight like many wolves do. I yearned for all this too." He might say kindred spirit if asked but he wouldn't say that out loud, she might take it the wrong way.

WC: 483

Vladislava Kalashnikov · 09-24-2012, 07:06 PM

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(--) Ahaha, I'm so smart, it took me this long to realize what the thread title is referencing. And it's sad because I love Pet Shop Boys. ; ;

Thorn had made Vinátta sound awfully nice the way he explained it to her. He had spoken in a passionate way about it, if not still carrying that small hint of pleading. However, she had to remind herself if might have only been so wonderful for him because he was Thorn. He was a pirate, a plunderer, but undeniably he was a Russian. Vlad had a soft spot for ones of her own ethnic group, so perhaps this pack held some Russian standards or something of the like? Perhaps not—Vinátta didn't sound like a name in her tongue. It sounded strange to her ears, but it still held a familiar ring to it. Perhaps the name derived from a European country near the Motherland. "I hope I might one day see how great it is with my own eyes," she said, smiling.

The elder Luperci gave her a nod of the head, signalling he understood her explanation of why she left Russia at all, and Vladislava dipped her muzzle a bit. It was reassuring to know someone could comprehend her and ask nothing more of it. She didn't like to speak of her past because it always reminded her of her family, and especially Nikolai. Her youngest brother was always on her mind, it seemed—those refreshing green eyes of his had left a permanent scar on her brain. She adored her sibling dearly, and often wondered what he might have indulged himself into since she wasn't there with him anymore. Had one of her other siblings taken over the reign of the Kalashnikov dynasty? Surely not the second-born, Daniil—he had stated it bluntly at a young age he wanted to perfect his hunting skills. Probably not Grigory or Natasia, either. The former had shown interest in the arts while the latter wished to write as her profession. But what about Nikolai? He was a golden example of intelligence at its best, not to mention his extensive vocabulary, mathematic and reading skills. He would've been a perfect choice for running the family business.

The white wolf caused her train of thoughts to derail as he spoke again, saying he chose to do different things than learning how to hunt and fight as other canines did, and Vladislava gave him a soft nod. She was smiling vaguely as she could understand what he meant, and gave Dmitrii a look as he whickered and stamped a foot lightly on the ground. She patted his snout before directing her sea green eyes to her fellow Russian, her beam still gentle. "I did not learn much other than how to speak English, read, write. I wish I had learned more, really."

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