Loving The Weather [Open but PM first]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

When the car pulled up, Anastasia hesitating leaving Kyla’s little grave. She glanced back at the scavengers waiting on the roof. Couldn’t they hear what was planned for them? Or did they even care? Did they think there was an advantage because there were so many of them? She looked back at Urjasz, who was handed a rifle. “Anastasia, if you want to get in the Range Rover, we'll only be a moment,” he bade her. Anastasia eyed the gun, then the gave she had given Kyla, and then the group of scavengers. She nodded her head and slowly walked to the black truck. One of the Novosi took her umbrella from her and held it while she got in the car, then closed it for her and handed it to her. All of it was so that she wouldn’t get pelted with rain. “Oh you didn’t—thanks,” Anastasia relented after a second of thought, carefully placing the umbrella on the floor. As she turned to shut the door, she found that the Novosi had already closed it for her. After being without the Novosi for god knew how long, she had gotten used to waiting on herself. It was a little strange now.

The shotgun blasts were like bombs going off in her ear. Anastasia gave a slight squeal and flinched into her seat, hands over her ears. Her eyes were closed for the whole ordeal—one, because she didn’t particularly feel like watching a bunch of random people be shot with a rifle, and two because she didn’t need to see Kyla’s corpse twice in a row. When the shots stopped, however, she did removed her hands from her ears. Soon after, Urjasz climbed into the car with her and asked if she was ready to go. Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at him and then nodded her head. “Yeah. . . yeah I guess. . . . Oh. Ah. . . there isn’t anyone at the mansion right now. . . hasn’t been for a couple days. I had Iakov come over to show me how to set up the security. . . but he left after he showed it to me a couple times,” she explained, talking about the Novosi vampire she had called when she’d first met Aleksei. She didn’t really know if Urjasz would know all of the Novosi’s names—hell, she didn’t either—but she’d called Iakov by name anyway.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 409
---------MUSE Fine
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE In a truck
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Once everything was in the boot he climbed into the back of the 4x4 and sat besides Anastasia, waiting for the two Novosi who shortly got into the front. As they set off, Urjasz listened to Anastasia's short story and tried to recall the name but he could not. "I don't recall his name. But to be honest, the Novosi come and go so often you never really get to know names. I doubt Zakhar knew half their names." He paused for a moment after mentioning Zakhar and giving a weak smile he added "Actually knowing him I imagine he tried to learn all the names." Sighing, he looked out the window as they passed the chambers. His things were still in there, but he would collect them in the morning. Not everything had to be done by the Novosi and it gave him an excuse to be out and about.

"So how much of the security do you recall? I can arrange for Novosi to be posted in the mansion, for company you know. They should of been staying around but I guess it wasn't seen as front lines anymore. The Katina family is dead, Daktari made sure of that, so there is no more rivals from the past to pop up. I've still got my own place, so before you offer, I'll check on you every now and then, but I'm sorted for a home at the moment. Unless you want me to stay there. Ah listen to me, I'm rambling slightly. Ok alot. Ah damn it." Going quiet, he tried to keep quiet and listen to any replies she would give. He kept forgetting why they were heading back to the mansion, his head still not around the news really.

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

“So how much of the security do you recall? I can arrange for Novosi to be posted in the mansion, for company you know. They should of been staying around but I guess it wasn't seen as front lines anymore. The Katina family is dead, Daktari made sure of that, so there is no more rivals from the past to pop up. I've still got my own place, so before you offer, I'll check on you every now and then, but I'm sorted for a home at the moment. Unless you want me to stay there. Ah listen to me, I'm rambling slightly. Ok a lot. Ah damn it,” Urjasz ranted for a moment. Anastasia looked up at him from where she had been leaning her head against the window. Her forehead was a little red from leaning against it, but it was fading. She offered a small smile to him in response. Urjasz had been known to talk a whole lot—at least, that was what Anastasia had come to realize—so she didn’t know why he was all self-conscious about it this time.

Anastasia leaned back against her seat and save a barely-audible sigh. “They came in every now and again, but yes they didn’t think we would need that much protection. You don’t—you don’t have to stay at the mansion if you don’t want to. If I get lonely I still have my hyenas. . . not much for conversation but they like to cuddle,” she said, trying her best to shrug indifferently. Anastasia would have liked to have a familiar face hanging around the mansion, but she wouldn’t tell Urjasz that. She didn’t want to put him out and she was aware that they probably weren’t the best of friends, she had just simply been Daktari’s fledgling and the two of them worked together. That and every now and again Anastasia had needed a spot of rescuing. . . . But now that Kyla was dead, Anastasia had no particular reason to hate Urjasz anymore. The man had tortured her best friend—of course, Anastasia didn’t really hate him, she had been scared of him and for once had been trying to seem like she wasn’t someone that he could just pick on.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 378
---------MUSE Eh
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE In a truck
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

The Range Rover soon joined the busy city streets, the emptiness of the abandoned buildings soon left behind. But just because you were surrounded by people didn't mean you weren't lonely. "I think it'll be a good idea if I stay for a little while. You know, make sure things still work. Maybe even arrange for Novosi to stay on the site once more. It's still your home, so whatever you want, I'll do. I'll respect Zakhar's wishes till the day I die." Knowing that Anastasia was one of few friendly faces left in this city, Urjasz was trying avoid saying anything that could upset her and push her away. He didn't regret anything he did in the past but he knew that bringing it up would surely undo any work he does.

"This will sound odd and I don't imagine it's the best time, but I got asked to ask you a question should I see you and well, here we are. The family are trying out some new theories and they're currently interested in shifters. Basically, they'd like a sample of your blood to work with. Hyenas are a rare shifter breed. It's not compulsory though, they'd never want to offend you. Afanasii pretty much made it law not to touch certain people over here. Lucky you, you got chosen for the list." It wasn't exactly the meeting Urjasz had in his mind when he was asked, but he had done his bit, no matter what the answer was. Favours and missions were all done. Now it was a matter of getting back into the swing of life. Which felt oddly near with the body of a friend no less than a few feet from him.


[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

“I think it'll be a good idea if I stay for a little while. You know, make sure things still work. Maybe even arrange for Novosi to stay on the site once more. It's still your home, so whatever you want, I'll do. I'll respect Zakhar's wishes till the day I die,” Urjasz responded. Anastasia turned her head toward him and managed a meek smile. Was he really going to stay because he wanted to make sure that everything worked, or was he going to stay because he thought Anastasia needed him? Maybe it was both? She decided not to ask—like she normally did—and just nodded her head and looked back to the front, leaning against the seat. She opened her mouth to say something, then realized that she had forgotten to put her seatbelt on closed her mouth again, pulling the belt across her chest and buckling it in. “Well if you want. It doesn’t really matter what you do in it. . . . It’s as much everyone else’s home as it is mine and K—and the hyenas.” Her head drooped slightly. It wasn’t getting any easier thinking about Kyla as dead. Anastasia had always thought her friend invincible, in a way.

Outside, behind the dark rain clouds, the sun was setting and making the sky even darker than it already was. Anastasia would have to feed the hyenas when she got home. . . a task that was normally Kyla’s because Anastasia had a very hard time picking up the raw meat that they fed the little critters. Anastasia leaned her head back and closed her eyes, just listening to the sounds of the city until the wolf next to her spoke again. She kept her eyes closed, but she was still listening to the proposition he had for her, and at the end , Anastasia opened her eyes and looked over at him, her head tilted. What could they possibly want with her blood? She thought her response through for a minute like she normally did with everything she said, and then shrugged and sank like a sad sack into her seat. “I don’t know what it’s good for but I’m not using it for anything important. . . you can use my blood if you want to. . . . Just. . . you’re not going to take very much, are you? Like. . . just as if it was a medical test?” she asked, sounding a little concerned but still compliant.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 420
---------MUSE Steady
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE In a truck
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Instead of a long reply, he simply nodded when she said it was ok for him to stay for awhile. He noticed her beginning to say Kyla's name, something that would take time to overcome. When things are paired for so long, they don't sound right with outside each other. Like salt without the vinegar. The Range Rover was beginning to reach the edge of the city, the short country drive to the mansion beginning its course. "I'll be sure to let them know. It'll be a pint of blood, but I can assure you that's nothing. When the humans donate blood, that's how much they donate. Oh and I made sure it isn't just some vampire's desert, they actually do have some medical stuff going on. They've got some of my blood, so hopefully not going to bump into my clone."

Laughing slightly, he acted as if it was no big deal. But truth be told he had been very suspicious about giving his blood to vampires. The last thing he wanted to be a part of was giving the vampires a taste of his blood. However, he had seen the labs in person and he was confident he was helping with some amazing new discovery. Turning to face Anastasia, he held his arm up and smiled. "I almost forgot. Check out what I can do now." Staring at his arm, he focussed on it and soon it began to change into a new shape; in this case he chose a bone sword. "Got something from Daktari after all. Not as good as he was at using it, but I'm getting there. Crash course over in Russia. Same place that I gave blood to. I can only assume they're taking powers from the blood to give to those who can pay or something."

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

“That thought hadn’t crossed my mind,” Anastasia said with a frown, not liking the idea of her blood being drawn just for the vampire’s tastes. She honestly hadn’t thought about it until her companion had said something about it. She trusted him, though. And the entire family, for that fact—Anastasia generally just trusted everyone—so she didn’t dwell on it too long and just sighed and leaned back into her seat for a minute. Urjasz told her to watch something, and Anastasia turned her head toward him and tilted it to the side, wondering what he could possibly show her in the car. He extended his arm, and she hunched her shoulders slightly with surprise as his arm started to shift. He told her that the experiments with the blood had given him the power, and she looked up at him confused for a moment. Daktari’s blood? The two weren’t even closely related. . . . “But wouldn’t your body reject the blood? I mean. . . you two aren’t anything alike. . . .”

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 176
---------MUSE Meh
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE In a truck
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Anastasia kept her remarks sweet and short, but didn't hesitate in asking a good question. "There's lots of technical stuff I didn't understand, mainly because of all the big words they used, but they didn't give me the blood directly. They said something about drawing certain genes hidden within the blood out and then sampling it against my blood. Once they found a dose that combined, I was given the direct genes in some injection. To say the first week after that wasn't hell, I'd be lying. Basically they rewrite your whole genetic order or whatever you call it. And before you ask, they can only give you powers from other people. They haven't mastered any cures or ways to change species. Like you said, the body would reject certain things."

He stopped speaking on that sentence, his memory of the people he'd met whilst there. Some of the Novosi had volunteered for the trial experiments, unable to cope with the immortal life. All of them were dead within a week, their bodies simply shutting down. As his mind thought about this, he looked out the window to see a familiar site. Ahead was the mansion gates, left open for them to enter. A few guards were already at the gate, setting up the systems in the grounds. He didn't talk much now, just looking out the window at the land he'd never forget, simply instructing the driver to drive around the back of the mansion. Driving onto the grass, they made their way around, sliding slightly in the wet mud underneath. As they came to a halt, Urjasz turned to Anastasia and asked "Are you ready to let her go?"

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

Anastasia nodded her head at the werewolf’s explanation, but was a little disappointed. The thought again hadn’t crossed her mind until he had said something, but it was still sad to hear it said. There was still no way for her to become human again. Her head fell slightly and she leaned against the door, her temple pressed against the glass as she watched the scenery out the window. By now Anastasia had gotten used to the fact that she was stuck like this forever. It was probably time that she started to embrace this new life and make the best of it, but she just couldn’t let go of the past. She was happy when she was human, and her friends weren’t murdered for no reason at all. The sun still wasn’t completely below the horizon, but with the clouds covering the sky, it was still starting to get fairly dark outside. The rest of the ride was taken in silence, but for once Anastasia didn’t mind. She usually felt the need to fill every silence with some form of conversation, but she was so out of it that the car could have crashed and she wouldn’t have noticed.

Blocking out the rest of the world while she stared out the window in some sort of trance-like state, she didn’t even notice when they had arrived at the mansion. She didn’t even notice that the car had turned off, but it was Urjasz’ voice that pulled her from her reverie. “Are you ready to let her go?” he had asked. Anastasia pulled her head away from the window and looked up at her werewolf friend and then at the back of the seat in front of her. “Is anyone ever really ready?” she asked sadly, waiting for her door to be unlocked before she opened it and stepped out. After she closed the door behind her, she bit her bottom lip and let out a high-pitched whistle that would probably be the equivalent of a dog whistle to poor Urjasz. A few seconds later, several hyenas bounded in from nowhere, cackling and yipping, and Anastasia got to her knees and they surrounded her, nuzzling and licking and climbing on. Anastasia wound up on her back with half of them on top of her until she told them to get off, and then she stood up and then circled her, giving Urjasz wary stares. Brushing herself off, Anastasia looked to the Novosi to see exactly what they were going to do.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 421
---------MUSE Better
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE At the mansion
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Whist they had made their way around, Anastasia had been fairly quiet and she seemed to wake from this daze once he spoke. "No one is ready for death. But you must be ready for the aftermath of death. Death you experience once. The aftermath can repeat itself." Most people would of tried to say something sympathetic but he answered her question without really thinking. Deciding there was no point in apologising, especially as it was unusual behaviour for him, he went to make his way to the back of the Range Rover when there was a high pitched noise that made him grab his ears in pain. Looking over to Anastasia, he realised it was her and it wasn't until the hyenas came into sight that he realised what she had been doing. Suddenly whistling at him seemed an odd behaviour, but given the circumstances....

Looking at the hyenas, he remembered what kind of animals they were; scavengers. Opening the boot, he looked around, pulling things aside and eventually found a small plastic case. Opening it, he flicked through the viles in the case until he found what he was looking for. Pulling the lid off, he begin to pour the liquid inside over Kyla's remains. Knowing that Anastasia might wonder what he was doing, he began to explain "This is hyena scent. It'll keep them from digging her up and eating her. That's the last thing we need them to do." Placing the vile back in the case once he was done, he pulled the spades back out and passed them to the Novosi. They made their way to a patch of grass and began to dig. "We'll look for a headstone tomorrow. Once we bury her you should have some rest."

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

The hyenas continued to circle around her with their strange cackling and a few of them nudged her every now and again. After a few moments, however, all but two of them had cleared out. . . . Kaiser and Apollo had always been Anastasia’s prized pets, and they were still fairly young compared to the other hyenas in their pack—gaggle? Or what that crows? No crows were in a murder—and Anastasia looked to Urjasz, who seemed to be pouring something over the tarp that held Kyla. Confusion mixed with panic rose in the small girl and she took a few steps forward, but he stopped her with an explanation and she paused mid-step. “This is hyena scent. It'll keep them from digging her up and eating her. That's the last thing we need them to do,” he explained. Anastasia lowered her head slightly and gave him a reproachful look. She didn’t like to think of her pets as just wild animals who did whatever they wanted to and she was a tad insulted by his otherwise generous offer. “They wouldn’t do it if I told them not to,” she muttered quietly.

After a few seconds, the Novosi seemed to have found a good spot to dig. . . a grassy patch. Anastasia remained by Urjasz, not wanting to get in their way, but the small group of hyenas continued to circle them like vultures and would lunge in to nip at their heels, cackle, and then back out again. It might have seemed a little aggressive, but they just wanted to play with the strange men that had wandered into their territory. Anastasia made another sharp whistle, but it lasted for only a split second whereas the last one had been a couple seconds long. Kaiser and Apollo yipped slightly in response, and the other ones scampered off in accordance to her demand. “Sorry,” Anastasia said to the Novosi before looking back up at Urjasz and responding to what he had said before she realized she should save the two Novosi from being bitten or having to hurt her dear pets. “I don’t know. . . I guess I could try to get some rest. . . haven’t gotten a lot lately,” she responded, letting her hand drop to pet Kaiser’s head.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 358
---------MUSE Steady
---------CHATTER
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE The mansion
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Catching her words under her breath, he went to reply but then decide it wasn't worth it. There was no need to argue over something so small as her hyenas doing as they're told. He was too tired to create new problems to keep him awake. Her pets seemed to like to run in every now and then, a sign that there really hadn't been many people on the land for some time. A second whistle, this time shorter, hit his ears and he looked over at Anastasia once more, but this time she was apologising before he could say anything. She spoke about getting some rest and he simply answered "You might sleep better tonight, knowing she's safe now. I'll go in my old room, it's only a few doors down from your room. If you need anything, that way you'll know where to find me. I'll leave my door unlocked just in case."

A call from the Novosi turned his attention back to the situation at hand. Helping them out the hole, he made his way back to the Range Rover and picked up Kyla's body, trying to give some respect by carrying her gently. The short trip to the grave felt like an eternity as he avoided any slips. With the help of the Novosi, he lowered her gently into the hole, trying not to fall in too. Water had already began to fill the hole and she was half submerged already. "Any words Anastasia?" he asked, and waited for a response. Once he got one, he gave the signal for the Novosi to start filling it in. Placing his arm around Anastasia, he pulled her close to comfort her. It wasn't his normal behaviour, but he knew that some moments needed a bit of love to keep them from being worse than they already were.

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

Anastasia had actually forgotten that it was raining. The droplets had her nearly soaked by now, but she hadn’t noticed, caught in her own thoughts. It wasn’t until she looked in the hole they had dug for Kyla and saw that it was filling with water from the rain that she remembered that the weather was horrible. She had tried not to watch Urjasz make his way over with Kyla’s body, and she succeeded for the most part. The rain mixed with her tears, but her eyes were still red and swollen from the crying, her breathing deepening as she tried to contain herself. “Any words, Anastasia?” he asked. Anastasia sniffed and shook her head, unable to really say anything. She had said all that she wanted the last time, and there was nothing new to say, especially in front of all these people. . . . She didn’t want to sound stupid. . . . Instead she just looked up at Urjasz, quietly wondering if he had anything to say, then looked down at the ground, her arms by her side.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 182
---------MUSE Fine
---------CHATTER Rawr
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE The mansion
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride

[Urjasz Volkova]

When I am seen.
I am feared.
_______________________

[/size][/font]

Anastasia did not speak as Urjasz had expected, her reasons kept to herself. Perhaps she did not wish to accept it or perhaps she had spent the last week saying all she needed to. Urjasz had found her speaking to the grave, so much could of been said. She looked over to Urjasz and he took a moment to think of something to say. "Kyla...... I'm afraid I must embarrass you with cliché sayings and proverbs I have heard over my years. I am not normally at such an event and it saddens me that it is you that brought me to such an event. Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. You lived life Kyla. You lived it to the full. Death can sneak up on you like a silent kitten, surprising you with it's touch and you have a right to act surprised. Other times death stomps in the front door, unwanted and unannounced, and makes it's noisy way to your seat on the sofa. Trust you to go loudly. You'll be missed."

Taking a small flask from his pocket, he twisted the lid off and began to pour whiskey into the grave. "This one is on me" he quietly commented, the moment really starting to catch him. Once it was empty, he threw it gently to her side and finished with "I've had that flask 50 years. I think you deserve to have it." Looking to the Novosi, he nodded and they began to shovel the dirt back into the grave. Holding Anastasia still, Urjasz watched with her. Eventually he gave her a small squeeze and whispered "We should go inside. There's nothing more we can do now." Turning her, he walked her into the mansion, the two Novosi following swiftly and disappearing to their own rooms. Standing in the front hall, Urjasz smiled and uttered "I'm home."

[/color]

[Anastasia Kirilovna Marisova]

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask bearing the burden
OF A SECRET STORM SOMETIMES SHE WISHES SHE WAS NEVER BORN THROUGH THE WIND AND THE
RAIN SHE STANDS HARD AS A STONE IN A WORLD THAT SHE CAN'T RISE ABOVE BUT HER DREAMS GIVE
HER WINGS AND SHE FLIES TO A PLACE WHERE SHE'S LOVED ---------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------- A FRAGILE SOUL CAUGHT IN THE HANDS OF FATE

Anastasia listened quietly to what Urjasz had to say about Kyla. Tears had already begun to well in her eyes, but now they spilled over. She might have collapsed again had the werewolf not been holding her. It was the physical reassurance that she needed the most, and finally she was getting it. Sometimes you just need to be held to feel comforted. When he let go of her long enough to pour in some whiskey—Anastasia recognized the scent from when Kyla had been in some whiskey fad—Anastasia nearly burst out laughing. Not a full, oh-that-was-so-funny laughter, but the bitter kind of laughter at something ironic. Oh how Kyla would be so happy to have that. . . she could almost see Kyla throwing her arms up and yelling “score!” Finally, they started to push the dirt back into the hole and Urjasz turned her away from the grave and started to lead her back to the mansion. “We should go inside. There's nothing more we can do now,” he said. Anastasia nodded her head and shuffled along, her wet hair sticking to her bare skin uncomfortably, but she didn’t try to move it out of her face. “Thank you, Urjasz. . . I’m glad you’re back,” she murmured once they were back in the house. Her two hyenas slipped inside and shook themselves dry, sending water droplets everywhere.

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---------STATE Done
---------VOCAB 218
---------MUSE Lazy
---------CHATTER Ugh! Sorry for the one paragraph.
---------COSTAR Urjasz
---------WARDROBE
---------STAGE The mansion
---------CREDIT coding/banner by yours truly. lyrics by Martina McBride