.woodcutter

Thalia narrowed her gaze at Ruslan with suspicion. Of course the dogs are the driving force of everything. “So if we take Kodi and Kaia out of the equation, you wouldn’t look for me right?” She sighed heavily and did everything in her will not to get too in touch with her emotions as she searched for the bartender. She needed more magical alcohol to tune those around her big time. “Pff, that’s what I’m saying. Listen buddy, fuck off.” With the increased hostility, she was losing her patience and if she’s going to have to deal with Ruslan, then the extra company was not needed. 

Thalia laughed again, she wasn’t buying it. “Ruslan, you just noticed it now?” When he came in contact with her hand, Thalia immediately froze. The emotions she felt for him melding with his own current feelings caused her to furrow her brows as she stared at him. On the outside, they were silent to each other yes, but internally? Thalia was a fucking mess attempting to block any sort of emotions, which is why she opted for avoidance and immersing herself in the vices. At that very moment it was difficult to do so and it didn’t help that they came in contact. Instead of retracting it, she clasped her hands with his and gave it a light squeeze as she rested it there. “There’s nothing to talk about.” she deadpanned. “What good would it do anyways? Look, it’s not like it matters, we’re still functioning.” 

“You’re my roommate. I would look for you for safety, but the dogs are good at finding you.” Ruslan figured that they might have had some bloodhound in them or something of the sort. He wasn’t very good at finding things; he always could never find the right words to say to her. Even though they lived together, he still wondered about the proper way to approach her on many things. He remembered a time when he was worried about asking her to join him for dinner for the first time. “Leave.” He nodded at the man and then turned his attention back to Thalia. 

He took cooking lessons from her. Ruslan wanted to be a better cook so he could impress the women he appreciated and also so he could make food for his dog, Kodiak, but today, he had a different issue to work through with her. He looked down at the magical potato in his hands. It was a cursed object, received through the mail, and he still had no clue about how to handle it properly. Even though he was older than most, he had never encountered such a magical tuber before. But if someone knew about these things then it had to be one of the greatest chefs in the world. When he saw her, Ruslan gently smiled and held up the starchy lump. “What can I do with a magic potato?”

“Like yourself? You should keep it.” she retorted back before taking a seat next to him. “Present?” she repeated. Why the hell would he gift her this…cute yet absurd thing. The piglet began to waddle over to her before oinking her way onto her lap. She wondered what Lukyan would think if she brought this home. If he was as feral as his wolf counterpart, then probably food. Sighing in defeat, she scooped it up into her arms and held it up. “Did you neuter it or some shit? Do piglets get neutered? Spayed? What is it? Boy? Girl?” 

She eyed the piglet and hummed lowly as she stated in a matter of fact tone, “Did you know one serial killer used pigs to feed the bodies of his deceased to scrap away the evidence? You’re encouraging such behaviour Feras.” She then placed the piglet on the ground and held the leash as she arched a brow at the lamia, “What they want to eat it? I don’t blame them. You should have let them.” She paused before staring dead into Ruslan’s eyes and asked, “What do you want from me?” 

“I cannot. The little one already loves you.” He said softly, as he watched the piglet set herself onto his daughter’s lap. They would become friends, or at least, that’s what he hoped. If she didn’t want him to be in her life, then maybe this little one could keep her some company. “A girl... I had the vets checked her to make sure she’s healthy.” He smiled softly at her. This wasn’t a conventional gift, but he didn’t see Emira as the type of person to enjoy the mundane. 

Emira did a good job at avoiding Ruslan for the time being. She needed her anger to subside and not have the need to kill him. So she held grudges, but it’s not like it affected her in any sort of way. She can go on without another person cause at the end of the day, she lived this long and came this far that it didn’t matter what others thought of her. 

Till this day and into the new year, this was how she was going to live her life. However, it seems as if she thought too soon seeing as Ruslan appeared before her at a bench with a piglet in hand. “What the actual fuck Feras!? she hissed out in Turkish. The vampire approached the two and looked unamused at the fact that he was giving her a fucking piglet as a present. “Is this some kind of sick joke? What the hell has Sotomayor done to you?” Glancing down at the animal, it was cute and small, but she wasn’t going to admit it. Instead she looked annoyed that her time was being wasted. “Take it back to whatever farm you got it in. Let it become bacon or whatever.” 

“Language. The piglet is very sensitive.” He replied. Ruslan was being serious, but he knew that she’d say what she want and do what she wants. His daughter was disrespectful but fiery and a part of him was proud of the person she became. Not all of her was ‘bad.’ “No, I do not joke about this. I thought that you would like this present.” He thought about giving her a weapon, but she was probably used to getting those. He wanted the gift to be personal and useful to her. Maybe this piglet could become a good friend to her. 

He got scared. Ruslan knew that Emira celebrated Christmas, even if it just meant participating in the sales, but he couldn’t bring himself to approach her then. She was angry at him and she could hold grudges. It was a trait that they shared, much to his dismay, but he was going to try anyway. As explosive and volatile as she could be, he doubted that she’d cause more trouble on a day like today. 

Ruslan raised the piglet and quietly spoke to the little thing. “Emira is difficult to get along with, little one, but she will take care of you well.” He gently patted the top of the piglet’s head and took a seat on a bench, hoping to spot the vampire. When he saw her around, he called out to her. “Don’t ignore me...I have a present for you.”

Date: 8 December 2020 Time: 13:21 PST Location: Main street, Downtown

“Mum wasn’t kidding when she said this place was quiet…” Ryo thought out loud as he walked through the heart of the small town; it was decidedly less busy than London ever could be. Finding the help he needed wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. As he once again became absorbed in thought about where to head next, a familiar smell came his way. The scent of death. 

Looking up, his eyes narrowed at a raccoon laying unceremoniously on the pavement up ahead — roadkill. Rather than avoid it like some other passerby, he crouched down to examine the animal closer and was able to determine it was beyond preserving. “Ah, a damn shame…” Ryo muttered before getting back up. “Raccoons are quite cute little things, too. They just get a bad rap for being resourceful. Can’t blame ‘em when we’re all just out here trying to live, right?”

He didn’t think that he’d have to watch any more of Sumire’s descendants but yet another one managed to pop up. Just when he thought that things were back to a peaceful normal, the most ostentatious of the Takanashi Main Branch Siblings had shown up. He already had his hands full with the second child. He sighed heavily and made his way over to the other man. “Please stop talking about pancaked meat in this way.” 

“What a ridiculous way to curse someone. Are they meant to say it, or are they meant to eat it?” she asked, knowing he wouldn’t have the answer anymore than she did. Briar shifted closer to squint at it, and then shot the man an approving look. “I think we can get it out of him. We just have to find him again, he was…” Her eyes darted around, and she climbed off her stool, frowning. In their discussion, the customer in general had scuttled off into the sea of bodies, as if thinking to avoid their probbing questions altogether. She climbed onto the stool again, testing its balance for a moment before she stood up on it, looking over people’s shoulders. Several paused to look, no doubt drawn by the ridiculous sight of a woman on a stool and a large man holding a potato, but when she didn’t do much more than frown, they turned away. “Well, if he’s gone, somebody in town will know something, yes? Keep the potato, I don’t know how to take care of a superplant,” she said with a shrug, glancing down at him. “The magic bean I saw tried to wallop me in the face, so keep an eye out on it.” 

Family…

If Emira wasn’t in so much pain, she would have laughed her ass off. In fact she’d applaud Ruslan for being fucking hilarious. Emira and the concept of family was nonexistent. Again, not even her coven can be labeled as such despite saving her life. It was all business or personal in a sense where they face her wrath. “Feras.” The vampire’s tone was firm and upsetting as tears began to form in her eyes. She was becoming frustrated again and it wasn’t helping that she was in excruciating pain. She wasn’t satisfied with his reaction. “You can’t…You’re so…” She wanted to cuss him out then and there. However, it was impossible to change someone like Rus who was so set on what he believed in. 

She needed to leave. Emira attempted to get up and out of bed, but she struggled immensely in pain. Flipping back down, she cursed in their native tongue as her tears began to fall. “You were supposed to be there…You always were…But why did you stop?” she whispered lowly. The truth in regards to her death was one she didn’t want to admit. However, at this rate what does she have to lose. “When I opened my eyes, I expected it to be you…Did you know that?” Her tone held betrayal and hurt, but being alone all her life and only having the lamia by her side, it made her expect that much. 

She didn’t know what to say at this point and so she looked and used all her might to turn away from Ruslan. “I’m tired.” she muttered under her breath as she curled into a fetal position. Underneath her wrath, Emira was grateful for Rus to find her, but she would never voice that out. She needed time to figure shit out for herself, hence why she was pushing him away for the time being. 

It was hard for him to look at her. Like most parents, he didn’t want to see his child in so much pain, but he wanted her to know that he cared. He wanted her to see that he was serious about being family and serious about being her father. Ruslan wasn’t a perfect man but he needed her to know that he was there for her. “If it makes you feel better, you can say what you need to of me.” He encouraged her, hoping that it’d make her mood lighter. If it helped, he didn’t mind hearing the worst from her. Sometimes children said hurtful things to their parents. 

“I didn’t mean to... I got stuck because of the war, away from you. I couldn’t get to you in time and I hoped that you could hold on.” His voice shook as he spoke as if he wasn’t accustomed to saying his truth to people. “I still went back to you, but when I arrived... He had beaten me to you... I didn’t want this for you...” Ruslan sighed and shook his head. “It... doesn’t matter what I want for you, I suppose, but I hope you understand that you don’t have to walk down the path he’s lead you down.” He wasn’t sure if she was talking about the night of her turning or if it was this night, but he spoke words that he never thought he’d explain. 

The fae expected a generalized response. It’s all that she seemed to be getting from him and it was becoming difficult with time. “It’s not…” she agreed as she thought of her father and all the other fuckery that occurred in this town. “At least you got to her on time.” She wasn’t the type to look on the bright side, but this was considered as an exception. His next words caught her off guard as she narrowed her gaze at him and gave him the notorious look. It merely translated to one that read ‘what the fuck?’. “Why do you keep doing that?” she blurted out of nowhere. “Did I ask you to leave?” She then shook her head and took a deep breath as she was mixing his feelings with her own. She didn’t get how her parents got the empathy down to a tee, but she forced herself to especially when she was under Xenos’ care. Taking a step forward, her gaze softened as she dropped her guard to point out, “You need to put yourself first for once.” 

Looking away, she casted her gaze downwards and pressed her lips into a thin line. Thalia was confused and for someone who always knew what she wanted, this conversation on the whole left her with a blank slate. “I won’t lie to you and say what you’re holding onto is a lot, especially for me. But that doesn’t mean you have to bear it all alone. I’m here for you if you need to talk or listen…or whatever you know?” Ruslan was probably the first of many in which she actually cared for. However, during her time in Lethe he was not only helpful and accommodating, but he was there for her despite of who she is. Therefore, with all this happening, she owed this if not more. 

“I almost didn’t... I was close to losing her again.” Ruslan did his best to keep his emotions inside and he was cautious of how his feelings could affect others. When he led armies and rebels, he was aware of how he needed to hold himself in order to inspire his people. It was harder to keep things hidden, however, when his roommate was a fae. “I don’t want to get in your way...” He was trying to be polite. He knew that she didn’t ask to feel what he was feeling so he didn’t want to force her to have to deal with his emotional turmoil. When she took a step toward him, he lowered his head and turned his gaze away from her. “... I don’t want to lose my best friend by doing that.” 

date: october 2020 time: 7:30pm location: Ruslan & Thalia’s home

After the whole parade fiasco, Thalia’s been keeping her distance from Ruslan as she allowed him to cope freely with what had happened to Emira. They did end up getting a corgi as promised and named it Kaia. So now Kodiak had a buddy around the house, most of their attention were catered to both pups for the most part. However, the fae knew that sooner or later she was going to have to discuss the lamia’s truth, especially when her empathy was at an all time high when it came to him. It bothered her. How he was capable of masking what he felt and burying it deep. It was the exact same way he did when he had encountered his ex-girlfriend and it was becoming unbearable to Thalia, despite it all not being her business. Therefore, she headed over to the training room and approached Rus during his workout. She made sure to have the dogs preoccupied with their toys and treats as she didn’t want them to distract him. “Hey.” she called out while crossing her arms. “Is it alright if we talk?…About what happened that night? How is Emira?…More importantly, how have you been?” 

@odvncu​

Ruslan preferred to keep many aspects of himself private. He seldom shared information and he knew that for some people, speaking to him was like pulling teeth. In his opinion, the less he said, the better. He wasn’t ashamed of his past, but he didn’t feel it was an appropriate thing to speak about. People were opinionated and these days, the voices that he couldn’t stand were the loudest. He sighed and decided to work out to avoid thinking about what happened to Emira. If things worked out according to plan, he’d be able to exercise until exhaustion and avoid having to speak to his fae roommate. Ruslan expected Thalia to be too preoccupied with the new addition to the household. Kaia, the corgi, seemed to have more energy than her small body could hold. Despite her stature, the bigger dog, Kodiak, seemed to have a difficult time keeping up her. 

Emira ignored Ruslan’s words as she kept drinking the blood bag dry. She was becoming irritable with all the reassurance that he was providing. She didn’t want it. This wasn’t the late 1500s, this wasn’t his war, but she needed him as much as she wants to deny it and it was eating her up inside. Therefore, the need to stay silent was a better option for the both of them as it wouldn’t hinder her escape plan out of Irving Plaza. 

The drive to the safehouse was brutal, but Rus’ roommate did attempt to ease the pain by healing her on the way there. It didn’t help that there were a few attempts at Emira trying to feed on Thalia, but with a shock here and a blood bag there, they were able to keep the vampire at bay. Once they arrived, she clung onto Rus and winced in pain as they headed into the safehouse. “I’d like those two bitches to try again. I will rip them apart, tearing them limb from limb Feras. I swear…” She cursed under her breath and eventually stopped protesting as both him and Thalia tended to her wounds and got her ready for bed. 

Laying there, Emira clenched and unclenched her fists repetitively as she kept her gaze on the ceiling. Now that she was alone, a lot of thoughts clouded her mind as she grew frustrated with herself again. She vowed that the first thing she’ll do in the morning is to leave. She didn’t want this and she surely didn’t want Ruslan’s pity. Speaking of the devil, he entered her room, but not once did she make eye contact with him. “W-why?” she croaked out. “A-after everything I said. This doesn’t change anything Feras. I’m using you if you haven’t noticed.” Cause in truth, Emira didn’t want to die.

Even as he treated her wounds, she continued with her threats, still fired up even while she was clearly in no condition to fight. Ruslan didn’t say anything. He hoped that she knew not to try and that he wouldn’t let her, not in this state. He grunted. It was still probably best to acknowledge her. Children spoke up in these ways when they wanted attention, right? He cleaned her until there wasn’t any blood left. Then he gave her a long sigh before leaving to walk with Thalia back to the car. 

When he returned, he saw her staring at the ceiling with her fists tightly balled up. He could feel the tension from their unspoken words, so he shifted uncomfortably while he waited for her to speak. He knew that he needed to give her time to collect herself. Ruslan approached her as soon as he heard her voice. Softly, he replied, “Because you’re my family. You’re my daughter.” He knelt down beside her bed and rested his hands on her knee. Ruslan wasn’t sure if she was avoiding his gaze out of shame or if she was truly upset with him, but he wanted to see if she’d change her hard expression. “You did hurt me, but you’re right, it changes nothing. I still care for you even if you feel like you must use me.”

“They like… what?” She twisted the potato around, narrowing her eyes at the message on it written in neat script. When she twisted the potato, the words shone a little, as if enchanted, and Briar snorted, disbelieving. “All this ruckus over this thing? Please, tell me this is worth something other than a bizarre love letter.” She tossed the potato into the air, watching the customer all the while, their eyes following it on its arc through the air and into her palm again. To the man, she shot a half shrug. “Can’t say, I’m not one of those people that can sense magic by touch. Maybe you’ll do a better job of it.” Briar handed it over to him, unconcerned with the way her customer was turning purple. If he didn’t want manhandling then maybe he should have paid her already. “Think if it was magic, it would do something, right? I’ve seen a magic bean once, it shimmered beneath the sun.”

A soft hum ran from her loosely closed lips, which could be mistaken as her not genuinely caring about what Rus was saying. In contrast, she did. “So you’re not de-homing any bees?” Her face of judgement did, however, appear to light at his question as she wrinkled her nose. “A book? Grandpa, the internet exists. I’ll just google it.” The lamia pulled out her phone before demanding, “Siri, look up timber industry.” As the automated helped followed her instructions, she showed Rus the screen of her phone. ”See? Technology!” She never had any doubts of so, but she was glad she made the right decision picking out the ax for Rus. He hadn’t insulted it just yet, which was perfect in her book. She challenged him with a look of narrowed eyes thrown right back at him. “No trouble here. Nothing to be suspicious about. I’m just a kind person, almost resembling Santa Claus. Can I try throwing it next?”