When we sing our [ r u s s i a n - l u l l a b y ]

[Barsuk Evgeni Yusoupov]

~ ★ ~

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KILLING TIME, AND TIMES KILLING YOU.
E V E R Y ∙ W A Y ∙ T H A T ∙ I ∙ D O[/center]

Just because it was summer doesn't mean there was no work to be done.

Barsuk groaned slightly as he let himself fall into a plush armchair in the library in a small cove in the back, dropping his bag down beside him. A small smile reached his lips as he looked at the tiny fireplace in the small room, of course in the heat the thing went unlit, but he had spent many nights here with the fire sparked as a student in his last and only year here, and also as a teacher. To be honest, it made him feel safe, though he felt weak if he were to admit it.

The table he pulled close to him was small, but he didn't need much room for reading and writing a bit. Tucked away in his small happy-place, Barsuk reached down and unlatched his bag, pulling out a leather bound book with a red ribbon sticking out of it, a bookmark. Sighing softly and relaxing, Barsuk looked around him a bit before elegantly rolling up his sleeves. A gray pinstripe shirt under a black sweater vest.. very casual wear for him, and had another soul been around him or within sight, his sleeves would have remained down and proper, the cuffs nicely done with the crystal cuff links he had gotten as a gift.

With a heavy sigh, he propped his feet up a bit and crossed them at the ankles, opening the heavy book to the marked page. It was old and flimsy, obviously having been read more then any other book he owned. What could he say? It was a classic and his obvious favorite, by the book's wear and tear. He knew the book nearly by heart, but never failed to have enjoyment in reading it. Crime and Punishment.

Pretty soon he was once again immersed in his book, too bound in the world of Dostoyevsky to care much about the surrounding world of his own reality. Pretty soon the rough, primp and proper, back-straight demeanor of the teacher quickly subsided, now blissfully unaware as to his surroundings and slumped in his chair, fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the red ribbon that served as a bookmark.

Although he enjoyed his stay in the world of Raskolnikov, Barsuk found himself straying from understanding quite often. He found himself reading the same lines over and over, not quite grasping them and therefore having to skim them again, just to notice he didn't remember reading any of this! With a gruff 'hmph' noise, he restarted the page, again stiffening up and resuming his 'proper' posture. Bright green eyes narrowed maliciously into the book as he again attempted to read the text over again.

'He was dressed like a workman and was of medium height, very young, slim, and his hair cut in a round crop, with thin, square features. The man whom he had thrust back followed him into the room and succeeded in seizing him by the shoulder; he was a warder; but Nikolay pulled his arm away.'

It was this small paragraph Barsuk set to reading over and over about 5 times before deciding that his mind simply couldn't take any more today. He just couldn't concentrate. With a heavy sigh and a few grumbled curses, he shoved the book back on the table and stood, ironing out some creases in his slacks and shirt with his hands. Looking around and finding no one there, he pulled a small notepad out of his seemingly bottom-less bag and sat back down, leaning on the table, sketching out a few facial features before just burying his head in his hands.

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Comments: This took longer then expected.
Wordcount: 611.[/color][/size]

[Alina Cedlov]

It felt good to be somewhere so spacious and yet so quiet. Outside it seemed to be crawling with students and faculty members. All of them were enjoying the sun, no doubt. However, the cool, dry air of the library suited Ven just fine. She had made a habit of coming here to escape the noise of the halls, the heat of the grounds, and the closeness of her dorm. Just now she was strolling along the nonfiction aisles, looking over the various books on plants and rocks and birds. Alina ran her fingers along their spines, stopping at random and drawing one out carefully. Her parents had countless priceless, ancient, first editions, so she had grown used to handing all books with care. There had been no way to keep her away from the books, even as a toddler, so she was put through a rigorous course on handling them with care once she could reach the higher shelves.

Ven continued along the rows of shelves. Her mood was light today. She hadn't talked to anyone all day, which probably contributed to her mood. She adjusted the strap of her canvas book bag, losing interest in the books on the shelves, and strolled toward the back of the library. This was where many people came to read or study in peace. Not many people were there today, which brought a satisfied smile to Ven's lips. She placed her bag on the floor beside an empty chair, taking care not to make any noise so as not to disturb other readers. She settled into the armchair, pulling a binder from her bag simultaneously. She opened the front flap, her face becoming suddenly gleeful. She scanned the pages, reading rapidly. She was leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees, and the binder was held open in her hands.

Some minutes later a cell phone went off among the forest of literature. An instantaneous reprimand from the librarian cut the ringtone short, and a click of the door marked the exit of the student. Ven registered all of this, just as she had registered the blonde man, most likely a teacher, that was sitting across from her, not 15 feet away. However, her attention was held by the report in her hands and so she did not deem any of these things worth looking into. After she was halfway through the pages Ven jerked back and away from the binder as if it had spit toxic venom at her. "Blin!" The curse came out louder than she'd expected, though it was still only at a conversational volume so it did not merit a visit from the watchful librarian. Ven leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, and snapped the binder closed. She placed it on the table in front of her, muttering something in Russian about faulty technology.

The binder was filled with a report that her mother had sent her regarding a group of snow leopards being monitored in Russia. Her parents were both scientists and though neither worked directly with wildlife, many of their colleagues did. Since Alina had first shifted she had taken an interest in her fellow snow leopards. The report before her told of three snow leopards who had been radio collared. Two had been killed and one had simply dropped off the grid. Ven had hoped that there would be positive news, but there were only neutral updates and that devastating tidbit. There were others that were being monitored, of course, but those three had been so promising. Alina bounced her fist against the arm of the chair a couple of times, gazing pensively at the man sitting across from her. She wasn't actually looking at him, just at the space that he happened to occupy.

She blinked, focusing suddenly. That guy was Russian! It was something that she recognized immediately; the bone structure of Russians varied from those of Americans and other Europeans. It was difficult to describe, but it just... was. While she was not exactly wrapped up in this realization, she was grateful for something to draw her attention. Alina herself looked like an ethnic Russian. Her mother's family were Tatar, but she had taken after her father in appearance. Ven guessed that the man was an ethnic Russian as well, though it was only a cautious guess. her mother was excellent. She could tell someone's family history back seven generations just from the way they took their tea. Well, that was exaggerating, but she was still good.

[Barsuk Evgeni Yusoupov]

~ ★ ~

[/font]
KILLING TIME, AND TIMES KILLING YOU.
E V E R Y ∙ W A Y ∙ T H A T ∙ I ∙ D O[/center]

For a while, Barsuk simply sat there with his head in his hands, completely at a loss for what to do with the rest of his day now that he couldn't concentrate. There was simply nothing to do! All he could do was sit here, keep sketching, be bored an- augh! Yell at some kid for letting their phone go off in a library!

Barsuk's head shot up upon hearing the ringing noise, and it seemed to drone on and on in his mind until the librarian became his own personal angel and forced the girl to shut it off. With a grumble and a few soft curses, he sat up, not wanting to be seen slumped over a table like a ratty teen who doesn't care what they look like. Tidying up his table a bit and rifling through his bag, Barsuk simply wanted to look like he had something to do. People would think he was lazy if he was just sitting there. It didn't occur to him that nobody else had something to do, so it didn't look out of place. With a heavy sigh he rubbed his face a bit and stood, gathering his stuff. Slinging hid bag back over his shoulder, Barsuk flinched a bit when he heard a loud curse come from behind him. .. wait a minute. Turning around, he saw a student standing there, and then taking a seat. Normally he would have reprimanded the kid for foul language, but he hadn't heard that word in a long time. Well.. from anothers mouth of course. From his it flew under his breath quite often, but from another, it had indeed been an eternity.

Sitting back down, Barsuk acted.. well.. like a stalker and just watched her for a little. She looked familiar, and he had probably seen her around.. not in his classes of course, but in passing in the halls and between classes. Little did he know it was the air of the Russians that he was recognizing, the structure and presence that all of them seemed to have. He guessed he was just interested in the prospect of speaking with one of his own kind, not that he was being creepy. Well.. he was known to be a little off.. but that's beside the point. With a soft shrug he looked back down, unaware that she was looking at him; studying his features and doing as he did, over all staring. Standing again, as if he couldn't make up his mind, Barsuk put his bag back over his shoulder once again and walked slowly past the girl.

All he saw was that she was holding what seemed to be a small packet of papers, and he made out two words- snow leopard. Ah! Now he remembered her! Well.. a bit. There weren't many of each animal besides panthers and wolves, so once you knew you weren't likely to forget or mistake them. He himself was the only badger in the school, and he prided himself on that. Barsuk could only wish, though, that no bee shifters were placed in his class. He might have to quit, should that happen. In any case, the air of Russians called to him and he somehow felt the need to introduce himself.

"Snow leopards, da?" he said with a smile. He was using the French peoples' approach- fit a bit of both languages into the question, so the other could reply in whichever they were most comfortable in. It also worked in his favor because if she wasn't who he thought she was, he could pass off the other language as a force of habit based on his nationality. It was a perfect plan and he was surprised he didn't use it sooner. Making a mental note to stash this little tactic away, he just held a smile and put his hands in his pockets.

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Comments: Funfun.
Wordcount: 650.[/color][/size]

[Alina Cedlov]

Ven sighed softly as the teacher stood and gathered his items, ready to go, no doubt. Now she didn't have anything to keep her mind occupied. Her eyes fell back down the the table in front of her. She gazed darkly at the title page, assuming that she'd have to get back to reading the rest of it. Ven had only gotten halfway through, though the rest of the report mostly focused on detailing the weather conditions and plant life in that part of the mountains. Important information, no doubt, yet uninteresting to read about. Ven only cared because it pertained to the snow leopard, currently endangered. She'd hate to have to see the day when the only remaining snow leopard were in zoos and Shifters like herself, though those were rare enough as it was. And they didn't exactly count.

Ven looked up when she noticed the man had halted beside her chair. She leaned back in her chair so she wouldn't have to crane her neck to make eye contact. From this angle she was even more certain of her previous assumption, especially with the height added to her list of evidence. Then he spoke. The accent was unmistakable, and the word that was tacked on to the end confirmed it. Alina smiled back then. Called it, she found herself thinking. She noticed the use of two languages and assumed it was out of uncertainty. She had met many Russian born people who spoke barely a word of Russian. Alina disapproved of people who discarded their native tongue, especially for the sake of fitting in and assimilating. Ven had learned to speak English at an early age from someone who came from Britain, then her family had moved to Australia. A faint Russian accent remained, but her words came out with an unmistakable English accent.

"Right. This is a report on a population being monitored in the Altai Region." The words came out sounding so much more natural and musical. English was such a blunt, straightforward language. Not particularly ugly, just... uninteresting. Russian had a flow to it; the delicate rise and fall of the words left no blanks for the listener to fill in with assumptions. The speaker's emotion and meaning were clearly denoted. "I'm Alina Cedlova," she introduced herself, standing politely. It felt GOOD to be able to say her actual name at last and be confident in the knowledge that it would not be mispronounced. Her last name had been changed at the passport office to match her father's. Alina remembered the grouchy lady insisting that she and her mother had to change their names. It had not been an issue with most immigrants, but this particular lady had a serious chip on her shoulder. She would not listen to any explanations of masculine and feminine and the difference in languages. It was not a big deal, but Alina much preferred it to be said correctly. "You teach here?" She automatically switched to the formal, respectful form. She'd noticed many people of her generation disregarding the honorifics of their language, which irked her due to her rather strict upbringing. Adults were addressed formally, end of story.

[Barsuk Evgeni Yusoupov]

~ ★ ~

[/font]
KILLING TIME, AND TIMES KILLING YOU.
E V E R Y ∙ W A Y ∙ T H A T ∙ I ∙ D O[/center]

Grabbing the strap on his bag and hoisting it up higher on his shoulder, Barsuk got a bit startled not hearing English come from the young lady. So he was right. A small smile spread on his face before he nodded at the explanation of what was on her papers. So he was right. On two accounts. Score one for his ego? Nah, all in all Barsuk was a very conservative, prudish, easily embarrassed man. He didn't have an ego and if he did, it was when he was fighting someone or in class to keep up a facade of 'I'm better then you, so maybe you should WORK in class so you can be better then me' to up the grades the kids got. There wasn't another shifter like him, so it was nice to meet another Russian.

The girl craned back to look at him and he hastily stepped to her side, making it a bit more comfortable to look at him. "Sorry." he said, glad to be ignoring English for at least a moment. English was boring, to be honest. The grammar barely made sense, and the same with the pronunciation. Russian was a pristine grail of phonetic amazingness as far as he was concerned in this mostly-English school. There was little room to make an error as far as pronunciation, but in English.. oh god. The idioms were nuts as well. How did you pronounce 'wound' and 'wound' differently and it meant different things? You wound the bandage around the wound? What? Why didn't 'buick' rhyme with 'quick'? If teachers teach and preachers preach why don't grocers groce? How does the alarm go off when it's really turning on? Barsuk would never know, but he was curious as to who in the hell thought it would be funny to start these things. Personally he'd like to meet them, if only just to punch their lights out.

"Right. This is a report on a population being monitored in the Altai Region."

He nodded. "They're not doing very good are they? Because of hunters and such?" he tilted his head slightly before grabbing the chair beside her. He stopped- completely forgetting his manners. "Oh. Sorry. Do you mind?" he asked, letting go of the chair. It was only right. She was here first, and he could completely understand if she didn't want to just sit and have a random chat with a teacher. Regardless of if he was a teacher or not, he used the respectful forms. It didn't matter to him who was older or more in charge, it was a matter of respect. And if you didn't respect others, how were they supposed to respect you? Sure, later on, after a conversation he'd be more comfortable and go to the more lax forms, but for now- respect. And he liked it that way.

"I'm Barsuk. Well.. Mr. Yusoupov here." he nodded. This was the only case where he feared his first name might sound stupid. He was essentially calling himself 'badger' and while he was proud of that, to English speakers it just sounded like a funny name. To a Russian speaker, it would seem as out of place as if you named yourself 'butterfly' or 'baboon'. But still, it did feel nice that this person wouldn't just stare at him blankly and mutter 'Bars.. uck. erm.. Youz-paw?' like he'd had a lot of times before. "And yeah, I do. Self defense and kung fu." nodding again, he fidgeted with the strap a bit more and looked back at the report. "So is that your shift, or are you just really interested in snow leopards?" who knows, she could have been a bug shift and this was just one of her interests. It was always safe to check.

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[Alina Cedlov]

At last! Alina had been under the impression that she was the only Russian person here. The only Slavic, even. Yet here was someone with whom she could communicate with on a much more comfortable level, even if he was a teacher. She was pleased with this discovery, and it made this trip to the library so much more worth it. Ven had come here to escape the world for a bit, and a nice conversation with a fellow Russian would certainly fit the bill. And he was a teacher. This could prove beneficial in the future. Like any Russian, Alina believed in connections. She wasn't working an agenda, but the information would be filed away for future referral.

"They're not doing very good are they? Because of hunters and such?" Alina nodded, adding, "There was a decline in their prey populations recently, but it is mostly poaching and conflicts with locals." She stopped herself there, not wanting to launch into a long speech on the plight of endangered animals. The man, as of yet unnamed, reached for a chair, then paused. "Oh. Sorry. Do you mind?" Alina cracked another smile, gesturing at the chair with her whole hand. "Sit, please." Alina was glad for the more comfortable position for her neck. He had to be over 2 meters tall, and even after he'd moved back it wasn't exactly enjoyable maintaining eye contact from her low chair. Now that he was seated Alina felt like she could carry on a conversation easily. She noticed his formal words but thought nothing of them. It was typical for two strangers meeting, even if she was only a teenager. When strangers jumped straight to informal she felt patronized. Alina did not like being spoken to like a child.

"I'm Barsuk. Well.. Mr. Yusoupov here. And yeah, I do. Self defense and kung fu." Alina's eyebrows went up as he introduced himself. She didn't laugh, because she didn't think it was funny. It was just... different. Then again, everyone here was strange. "That's an odd name. It's not your given name is it?" It was direct, but then again no one ever accused her of being too subtle. Come to think of it, it was likely that no one ever accused anybody from their country of being too subtle. Alina guessed that he had adopted the name because he shifted into a badger. Or he shifted into something completely different and had acquired the nickname before his first shift. She studied him in this new light, trying to see if he appeared badger-like at all. Then again, if he' introduced himself as Medved would she think he acted like a bear? More likely than not, yes.

Alina mentally scanned her list of classes that were set up for next year. "I don't take any of those classes. I used to study Tai Chi Chuan, but haven't taken any lessons for years. I still practice in the mornings, though." Her thoughts lingered on the English titles that were given out regardless of social hierarchy. She had been referred to as Ms. Cedlov on occasion by the staff, something she'd gotten used to quickly. It was undoubtedly just as disorienting for any foreigner when learning a different cultures specific use of honorifics.

A group of students walked by then, looking at the the two of them sitting there. Each wore a puzzled expression as they tried to decipher the words. Alina smiled to herself. She had missed being able to confound people instantly when she suddenly spoke to her family in Russian. Her attention was brought back from these memories when the teacher spoke. "So is that your shift, or are you just really interested in snow leopards?" He was gesturing to the binder on the table. She looked at, then looked back. "Both. My shift is a snow leopard. After I first shifted I started to look into their status in the world. Before I knew it I was completely involved." It had been rather depressing, actually. She had always been an animal lover but never an activist, exactly. Then she became very wrapped up in this particular study, eagerly anticipating each new report that she could get her hands on. The population was almost stable, but it wasn't large enough to handle very many disappearing snow leopards, which was what had just happened. "I'm guessing your shift is a badger?". She was genuinely curious, due to his out of the ordinary name. What irony it would be if he wasn't!

ooc:: I'm a bit confused on how Alina should address Barsuk. She can't just go by first name, because he's an adult. When a kid addresses any adult that isn't a close family friend or relative it's by the first and second name, like Aleksander Vladimirovich. Mr. Yusoupov would sound wrong, especially since she knows he's Russian. She could go by Barsuk Evgeni, if she knew his second name.

[Barsuk Evgeni Yusoupov]

~ ★ ~

[/font]
KILLING TIME, AND TIMES KILLING YOU.
E V E R Y ∙ W A Y ∙ T H A T ∙ I ∙ D O[/center]

Nodding softly, Barsuk's mind was still in a slight bit of shock. This was all going so nicely. He really expected something to go wrong. Anything to go wrong. Like it normally did. Of course, that probably went wrong because he was speaking in his second language. When told to sit, he gladly obliged- the bag was heavy. Situating the leather bag beside him in the chair, he again pulled out the book he had attempted to read and flipped to the page he had stopped on. Flicking the ribbon bookmark out of the way of the text, he once again tried to read.

' .. into the room and succeeded in seizing him by the shoulder; he was a warder; but Nikolay pulled his arm away and..'

Ehh.. he was lost again. With a heavy sigh he pushed the book out in front of him. It was really taking a toll on Barsuk not to be able to read. It wasn't even the translation, so he should have been able to easily read it.. but, alas, his mind was against him today. He was only drug from his book-induced sadness by Alina speaking to him again. Well she was right, and it had certainly been the first time he was asked. Well.. since he got here at least.

"No, it's not. I was given this name in my school when I was around.. uh.. 11 or so. They said I fought like a badger who was having his honey stolen from him." he laughed softly, shaking his head side to side slightly. He pulled his sleeves over his hands and cracked his knuckles before pulling the sleeves back up. He'd found many people who didn't like the sound, but his hands hurt if he didn't do it. Throwing punches and kicks had popped his joints so much as a kid that it now physically hurt not to have the joints pulled. And he pulled his sleeves over them to deafen the sound, for the people who found it disgusting. "I adopted it when I came here, because I really disliked my original name. Valentin. I changed the patronymic of Evgenievich as well.. sadly people had horrible trouble both writing it and pronouncing it. I still use it out of habit sometimes.." Barsuk smiled a bit. "I'd have rather kept it, but for the sake of getting a job.." he shrugged again and looked down sadly.

When she mentioned Tai Chi he nodded absentmindedly and just continued to think. It didn't cross his mind he was being rude, on the contrary, he was thinking about realyl anything at all. His green eyes wandered to all the books on the shelves, to the top shelf, that housed the old books. The nice, rustic looking leather bound classics. He saw a few of his favorites, The Idiot, Fathers and Sons, a few old encyclopaedias, few old medical books.. he'd never really looked up there before and he made a few mental notes as to which books he would have to check out.

"Both. My shift is a snow leopard. After I first shifted I started to look into their status in the world. Before I knew it I was completely involved. I'm guessing your shift is a badger?"

With a start Barsuk blinked a few times rapidly like a kid waking up from a day dream. "Sorry.. I've been out of concentrating lately. I know this book by heart-" he gently nudged the old, dusty book he had been toting around- "- and yet I can't concentrate on reading it." with a soft laugh he pushed his hair out of his face and adjusted his shirt a bit. "But yes, you're right on that one too." his lips formed a small smile and he waved to the kids straggling around to listen to them, causing them to run. Who wanted to be noticed by a fighting teacher who was 6'7? Some brave kids, and these weren't only one stuck around for longer then a few minutes after his companions left. "I am indeed a badger."

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Comments: Well there's the reason (that I just pulled out of my ass) for his name being how it is, as well as letting her know his middle name. Everyone is happy~!
Wordcount: 683.[/color][/size]

[Alina Cedlov]

What memories all this was bringing back! Alina listened closely as Barsuk explained the origin of his nick name, more like a title, she realized now. She nodded sympathetically as he explained how he'd had to alter his second name. It was for the sake of getting a job. She had altered her surname for the sake of getting a passport in a timely manner, so she felt she could empathize with him.

Barsuk Evgenievich. It would certainly draw some looks when people heard that in place of his Westernized title. Well, they could adapt. It shouldn't be too strange anyway, seeing as the students came from all over the world. All they held in common was the shifting. Everything else... If they wanted to make it here, adapting would have to become second nature.

The topic changed to their shifts. It turns out his shift was a badger after all. Big surprise there. Despite the sarcastic comment to herself, she still felt satisfied having her guess confirmed. Badgers were... fierce, as far as she knew. They weren't exactly known for their patience and tolerance. Poor guy must absolutely love being a teacher. Then again, he taught self defense and kung-fu. There were plenty of opportunities to vent your frustrations in a class like that. And you could hit your students and get away with it! Alina laughed mentally. That was doubtful, but still a fun thought. He seemed to get enjoyment out of scaring those students away, though. Ven followed their inglorious retreat with her eyes, then focused on the one who'd stayed behind. The younger student made eye contact, but looked away quickly. Poor child. She was aware of the intimidating presence this "Mr. Yusoupov" cut. The students in his classes probably had some sort of terrified hero-worship for him. Yet here he was, relaxing in a library, reading classical literature and speaking with a stranger in a strange language. Ven didn't blame them for their curiosity.

Alina did not mind when the teacher's attention drifted away. He'd explained that he was having trouble concentrating, and beings as they were't actively conversing at this moment she wasn't about to hold it against him. In the meantime she let her own memories take over her conscious thoughts. What did she miss most about home? She wasn't thinking of the dusty, lonely house they had habitated in Australia for a short time. She was thinking of their spacious apartment overlooking the Neva River. Visiting the breathtaking Amber Room in the Catherine Palace. Marveling at the giant malachite vase and its lapiz lazuli twin that were on display in the Hermitage. And that was just in Sankt-Peterburg. Her thoughts shifted to the magnificent countryside flashing by on train rides across the country. The seemingly endless forests of stately birches standing erect below layers of ice and snow. The kind babushkas selling hot, wholesome food at every train station. How many times had she gone to the ballet? When she was little she would fall asleep before the end and her mother would always have to tell her about it the next morning. There was truly a lot to miss. So much culture, so much life, available to people from all walks of life. No matter how poor you were, opportunities to enjoy the rich culture abounded. Alina smiled sadly as the familiar feeling of nostalgia washed over her. "What do you miss the most?" The question was abrupt. She hadn't really intended to ask it, which frustrated her. She hated losing her icy self-control. The question probably seemed to come from now where, since Barsuk had not been privy to her thoughts up to this point, so she added, "From Russia, I mean."

ooc:: Lovely! That will work fine. ^^ Also, writing this post made me nostalgic. "/

[Barsuk Evgeni Yusoupov]

~ ★ ~

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KILLING TIME, AND TIMES KILLING YOU.
E V E R Y ∙ W A Y ∙ T H A T ∙ I ∙ D O[/center]

Shaking his head quickly, Barsuk tried to dispel the few memories coming back to him. Mainly guns and such, blood noses and bleeding ears. To be honest, he didn't want to remember many. Yes, he had enjoyed his time in Russia, and yes, he had enjoyed- for the most part- his schooling, but it seemed that all the bad memories outweighed the good. It was so much easier to remember the bad memories for him, since they were the most recent.

His last good memory was walking down the streets, holding hands with his mom and seeing a horse walking. "Mom! Can I pet it!" he had cried out, amazed at the size of the horse compared to him. Barsuk was very short at the time. "Only if you ask him permission." she motioned to the tall man leading the horse and Bars happily ran up to him. "Sir! Sir! Can I pet your horse?" his green eyes glittered and his white blonde hair lay messy form the wind. He just looked so happy the man couldn't say no. With a nod, he lifted the little boy up and Barsuk gently placed his little hand on the horse's nose. A snort of hot air caused him to smile and laugh. "Can you ride her?" he asked. "Of course!" he got the reply. Barsuk's mom nodded softly and the man lifted Barsuk up and onto the saddle. He was captivated with the feeling of being everyone elses' height. It was then he knew he wanted to be able to ride a horse. When he was finally set down he ran back to his mother and took her hand, waving a friendly thank you to the man. "Spasiba!" he called. "Did you have fun, Valya?" she asked happily and he nodded as they started back for their house. That was 2 years before he was sent to the school, and that was the last loving memory he had. It was probably a tell tale sign that he was smiling while thinking about it.

It was probably a surprise that his animal wasn't a horse.. he did have a connection to them at a very young age.. and indeed he was like a horse- hard working, strong, perseverance- but the hostile, raw aggression wasn't there. To be honest, Barsuk loved to fight now. He enjoyed winning, but when it came to love or anything like that- he froze and backed out of the situation as soon as possible. He guessed that was why he was a badger and not a horse. Badgers weren't widely known for romance. He wondered idly what about Alina made her a snow leopard.

"What do you miss the most?"

The question was sudden, but he didn't mind. It had been a long spot without conversation and it was nice to have it. He spent most of his time alone, hence the 'fear of affection' type thing he had going on.

"Oh. Well.. I remember sitting on the streets and listening to music. I can find the music here, you know, but it's so much different when they're playing it right in front of you and you can hear the applause and such.." it was true, a lot of things he saw affected him. He tried to learn the balalaika, but found he never really had time to learn. His fingers were a bit to short to do much at the time as well.

"From Russia, I mean." she said quickly, as if trying to cover a mistake. "No, no, I know." he smiled encouragingly. "There's nothing to miss from here, because we have it."

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Comments: Sorry sorry! I had to make up an accurate memory. XD[/color][/size]

[Alina Cedlov]

"Oh. Well.. I remember sitting on the streets and listening to music. I can find the music here, you know, but it's so much different when they're playing it right in front of you and you can hear the applause and such.." Alina listened and nodded her head slowly once to show that she understood and agreed. When he finished speaking she looked past him, at the far wall. She wasn't staring in to space now. She wouldn't do that now that there was someone in her immediate vicinity that she was conversing with, however sporadic the discussion was. She was looking away briefly just to think, to allow her thoughts to roll back and forth and settle. Because neither of them were speaking and this was in fact a library the silence seemed more... absolute. The background noise was minimal. Only the softest murmurs of conversation floated around, as everyone was keeping their tone low so as not to bring the fury of the tyrannical librarian upon themselves. It was a peaceable quiet though, nothing oppressive about it. Alina felt no pressure to fill the silence with meaningless babble. She got the feeling that this man had a similar view of communication as she did, as he seemed just as comfortable sitting with his own thoughts as she.

Russia was a place she had lived as a young child and visited frequently after moving away. She appreciated it's beauty and many aspects of the culture there. She identified herself as Russian. She was proud of her country, rooted for it in sports, and was pleased at any new advances it made. When she thought of it in the big picture though, she would never choose to live there. Her parents had left as soon as the opportunity arose, and she saw the wisdom in their choice. It was a hard country to live in if you took away the blinders for even a moment. She was lucky to be here, even if it was lacking in the substantial culture and class of Russia's finer cities. What else could she expect though? It was an isolated, lonely little island meant for freaks who couldn't be trusted among normal citizens.

She used "freak" in the most affectionate way possible, of course, never having had a problem with her own shifting. It did, however, leave her feeling isolated at times. She was used to the closeness of her family. This was probably why she had so willingly jumped into conversation with Barsuk. He represented something of her home, of her family. Not to mention the quiet company provided her with a welcome distraction from her brooding, loathsome homesickness. She hated admitting to herself that she was homesick, but she was. Seeing the majority of the kids go traipsing back home for the summer holidays wasn't helping either. Her parents were taking advantage of her time at the boarding school to complete countless research projects and the like and there would be no one at home for the majority of the summer. It wouldn't be a welcoming, homely place at all. Just as lonely as here. No reason to want to be there. Yeah, just keep telling yourself that.

Another group of people walked by, but they were absorbed in their own conversation. Alina didn't move but her attention shifted to the students. They were rambling on about an upcoming trip to the beach. Alina shuddered briefly, thinking of the blindingly bright sun, the oppressive heat, and the crowds of people. One of the older kids made eye contact and seemed to recognize her. An invitation to go to the beach was relayed, but Alina only jerked her head back and shook it rapidly. "Ugh. No thank you. It's way too hot today." The group moved off without a reply, having completed their courteous act for the day. Alina missed the entire point of going to the beach. People went there to cool off, but why bother when air conditioning, fans, and thick walled stone buildings provided the same effect? She had a serious aversion to hot weather. Ven even dreaded the upcoming walk to her room, knowing she'd have to step outside to get to the dormitory building. Looking back at Barsuk, she said "Wild elephants could not drag me out into the summer heat. I often wish there was another school like this one located closer to the Arctic Circle."

ooc:: Sorry it took me so long to reply to this! I actually didn't see it and for some reason I hadn't checked until now. And it's such a blah post too. Gah, sorry, I really couldn't focus on it for some reason. I kept leaving and coming back to it, just spitting words out here and there.