This could be a good place to end it, I think. :B Word Count:
Even if Cambria's mom was taken, that wouldn't put a stick in his friendship with the younger Marino. Even if Rurik had never been too fond of puppies before, having his own and raising them had at least made it far easier to interact with other canines' puppies. Back before he'd raised his own kids, he might have said something accidentally-on-purpose mean to Cambria to get her to go away, so annoyed was he by youngsters. It was strange how Rurik had changed over his lifetime; though he was still very much happy-go-lucky and free, he was far more down to earth and practical than he had been once upon a time. He'd been a dreamer once upon a time, and now the harsh reality of the world had set in. Perhaps that had also twisted his perception of puppies; their innocence and energy made them easy to love, and it was far easier to see the world in a better light when surrounded by happy puppies. He was remembering when Anatoliy, Silas, Liliya, and Lizaveta had been young. Liza was in the ground now, sadly, and she would not grow up with her siblings.
"Hey, with mama's permission I'd hang out for the whole day," the Russian said, grinning. He really had enjoyed Cambria's company, and learning languages was just fun for the silver-furred werewolf regardless of who was doing the teaching. "She seems like a sweet kid. Sometimes children just need to get comfy in their own skin before they can be comfy in the world," the Russian said, pretending for a moment he was philosophical. It was just true that he had seen the same thing manifest in Liliya. She had been an uncomfortable and awkward kid around pretty much everyone from six to twelve months, and now it seemed that thanks to passing her yearling mark, she was finally somewhat comfortable with herself, able to break just a little bit loose from the thin line she'd toed her whole life, separating comfortable from uncomfortable, that tiny buffer zone which she would not cross. Now Liliya was growing in leaps and bounds, her personality shining through in ways Rurik had never seen before.
The sable wolf's words were at once comforting and hilarious to the werewolf. True, he was not the biggest fan of fish to eat, but he'd heard that particular expression before, and he found it rather amusing when applied to his own particular situation. He slapped his knee and gave a rather appreciative laugh, nodding his silvery head. "To be truthful I ain't too worried about it," the wolf admitted. He wasn't worried about admitting his sexual nature and his many conquests now that he knew there was virtually no chance of hooking up with Savina—and it wasn't like he was the type to lie about it to a woman, but he was still a man, and he was crafty enough not to broadly publicize these things beforehand. On the whole, Rurik was a good guy—he didn't have to try, either. It was simply in his nature to be a kind fellow, and if it got him down a few metaphorical pants in the process, all the better for him, right?
The Crimson Dreams wolf spoke, extending an invitation Rurik wished he could reciprocate. Sadly, he didn't have pack territory to offer Savina hospitality in—still, if she dropped by the family hotel, it wasn't as if he'd throw her back out onto the street. A pang of guilt struck him as he thought of Syemv for the first time in a long time, once again recalling the unfortunate fate of the pack. It had continued in some form in Aremys, true, but that pack was merely descendant of Syemv, not Syemv itself. Still, he concealed this rare downer moment with a smile. "Thanks much. I shall certainly keep it in mind for the future," the werewolf said. He had every intention of heading over there one of these days soon; he didn't like to let friendships wither, and now that he was close with two members of that particular pack, it seemed like a good idea to scope out the rest of it. Every group was a potential home, after all.
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