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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2008 2:44:14 GMT
"You could say that," Ian replied calmly. He moved again, smoothly, swinging himself down another couple of levels until it was only a single fire escape that separated him from the strange wolf. "I've run into a few. Couple of us banded together, but we're too lazy to form a real pack. That, and I don't think Stanton'd appreciate it."
Slowly but sure, Ian felt himself relax. There was still the danger of a fight from this rogue, he knew that much; there was always the danger of a fight. But, for the moment, the worst of the tension seemed to drain away and he was comfortable enough to merely talk. Ian found that, in his line of 'work', exchanging information was always vital, especially with a new acquaintance. If he could, he would attempt to make a good impression.
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on Feb 23, 2008 1:24:05 GMT
Stanton. He was the dominant Alpha of the larger pack. The other was a female, Rayne; Nikolai hadn’t gathered a surname, so either there wasn’t one to gather, or the female was keeping some details about herself secret, not that he thought that unwise. Still, a single name was perhaps… he supposed the word was ‘cliché’. It mattered very little to him either way, and so he pulled his mind off such matters and gave a quiet, “Hmm,” as an initial response.
Could this other male actually help him, or was Nikolai ‘barking up the wrong tree’ as the saying went? He supposed there was only one way to know, and he could still fish for his answers without betraying any of her actual specifics, without putting her in any kind of jeopardy. Some people saw the target of a search as an opportunity; who knew what this male might do with the information that Nikolai was searching for a female? Perhaps he would help, or maybe, just maybe, he would double back and twist the situation to his own benefit. The Russian didn’t know this other wolf well enough to judge one way or another.
“I’m looking for someone,” he finally went on to say. “A female,” he continued, holding his hand up to the appropriate height to give Davies a visual reference for size, “looks to be in her twenties, pale eyes, dark, curled hair. She might be alone, or with others, but she has a definite… presence.” Lidochka was a leader, born and bred, and it showed in her stance and gait; Nikolai remembered both, clearly.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2008 18:34:00 GMT
Ian's eyes narrowed. He didn't know this male, and therefore, didn't know his intentions. There was no way of knowing whether or not Zuyev meant to track his female down for an...unsavory reason. Ian's conscience wasn't completely clear, but the last thing he wanted to do was put an innocent female in jeparody. Granted, if she was a wolf, she could probably more than take care of herself, but still. Ian was somewhat old-fashioned.
"Do you mean to do her harm?"
It was blunt, but there was no use beating around the bush. "No offense," Ian added. "But I don't need any more blood on my hands."
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on Mar 29, 2008 3:08:16 GMT
Nikolai had no intention of explaining his full intentions or reasoning to this unknown male, but if he could get valuable information, then he would do whatever it took to find some news of Lidochka, and her location, even just a passing mention of her, proof that she was alive; something other than the grim and miserable ‘no sighting’ to note in his journal of sorts at the end of the day when he sat, legs stretched across the padded seat and back against one locked door, in the truck that acted more or less like a makeshift home.
Managing to keep the distinct flicker of wolf from his eyes when he replied, he kept his voice level when he responded, “Quite the opposite. She’s an acquaintance.” He kept the terminology vague, to better protect himself and more importantly, Lidochka. “We were separated some time ago, and I’ve been looking for her ever since.”
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2008 4:46:13 GMT
He noticed the lack of detail. While he could understand Zuyev's caution, it would make helping him pretty damned near impossible. Much as Ian wanted to pry, he knew he was on shaky ground; appear to interested and he might blow any possibility of keeping this wolf as an ally. So, the dark-haired wolf just nodded slowly, considering the information -- and his words -- carefully before he replied, "There are probably a few females in this town who match her description, but if she has this...presence, as you say, maybe she won't be too hard to find."
It was with practiced ease that he dropped to the ground before his new acquaintance where he could study the other male up close. He didn't stare, merely took in what he could in a brief glance, and finally offered a gloved hand. There was still much that Ian knew he needed to learn about Zuyev, but he didn't seem like the shady sort, he could tell that much.
"I'll see what I can sniff up."
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on May 11, 2008 20:50:47 GMT
If Nikolai could protect Lidochka even when he wasn’t at her side, in whatever way he could, then there was no doubt in his mind that he would do that, regardless of how peculiar it might seem to others around him. Usually he didn’t talk to others unless he was seeking information, or, obviously, ordering food somewhere, and even then it was short, to the point, never more than was necessary. In fact, Nikolai had always been at his most vocal when around Lidochka, feeling he could speak his mind more freely. Otherwise, he was somewhat silent, stoic and stony-faced.
That was just who he was, who he had been raised and trained to be. No matter of surprising circumstances were likely to change that now, and Nikolai was more than content with that fact. Why should he change? His behaviour was businesslike; perhaps it came off as rude or even just plain offensive to some, but they weren’t his associates. He cared very little, if at all.
As Davies came down to his level, he met the gaze when it was aimed at him, and when the hand was offered, there was a window of silent stillness wherein nothing happened. And then Nikolai took the gloved hand in his own, the two males agreeing to the nonexistent terms of their arrangement in that simple motion. “Anything you can find would be appreciated.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2008 17:09:07 GMT
The handshake was brief and businesslike; firm, without becoming a contest of strengths. Ian nodded shortly -- he would do what he could to help. It never hurt to build up good business relationships and, besides the stone-faced thing, Zuyev didn't seem to be too bad of a wolf.
"Any idea where in the city she might've settled?" he queried. "It's not like I don't have the time to do a city-wide sweep, but narrowing the search area would make it go faster."
It would have been easy to demand some kind of payment for his services, but Ian didn't play that game, and he didn't think Zuyev would, either. Just as well to establish a good working relationship and try to prove to the Russian wolf that he was trustworthy. Bit of a crafty bastard, yes, but generally trustworthy.
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on Aug 29, 2008 11:43:31 GMT
A business transaction. That was all this was, really, or at least the beginnings of one. Depending on what Davies could dig up, it might go on to become a regular occurrence, if Nikolai felt the other male was worthy of trust, if he proved himself to be reliable or otherwise useful. Quite a bit younger though he was, in all likelihood, Nikolai Zuyev had been raised to be confident and to hold himself straight and tall, so while he might have been the youngster in this meeting, he certainly wasn’t showing it. For all intents and purposes, the Russian male was holding himself like an experienced, dominant male who had seen more than his fair share of the unexpected.
“I couldn’t tell you.” As before, his English was flawless, the accent smooth and American, put into place consciously but sounding perfectly genuine, as if he belonged here in Los Angeles. Anyone listening in would have no idea that he was Russian, that he didn’t really belong, and Nikolai had no intention of changing that. His name might not have been American, but there were immigrants in any country; Davies could believe whatever he wished.
“It’s possible she joined with a pack, or some other sort of group.” ‘Possible’ being the key word; Lidochka would not have joined just any group, and Nikolai hoped that, if she had allied herself with others, they were up to the task of protecting her. So help them if they weren’t. If Nikolai heard that she had been with such a group and they had failed to keep her safe, then he would act accordingly, regardless of the odds.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2008 22:05:00 GMT
Well, it was a place to start. For whatever reason, Ian himself avoided the packs -- not that he had anything against that mentality, it just didn't suit him. Something about the crowding made him uncomfortable. Always being surrounded by others, never a moment to yourself. Not to mention the whole 'following orders' deal just wouldn't do. No, he lived well as a rogue, managing his own business with no one -- well, almost no one -- else to worry about.
"We only really have the two main packs in this city," he told Zuyev. "Though you probably noticed that. I can start out in this part of town and work my way over to the other territory -- sniff around and see what comes up. It'll take awhile, but at least it's something."
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on Dec 29, 2008 14:43:39 GMT
It had never occurred to Nikolai to ally himself with a pack at any time during the decade and more he and Lidochka had been separated. It would have meant settling down, making some kind of life for himself, and he was in no way ready to do that, not until he found proof one way or another of the female’s whereabouts. Lidochka meant too much to him to just leave behind in any shape, way or form, and packs held territories, claimed land, lived in one place. That life was not for him. Not anymore. Back in Russia, he had had a life, a home, a place where he belonged. Here in America, cut off from the one thing he knew, that was no longer the case. So he would do whatever he needed to do, make alliances with people such as Davies only to cut those ties later without any word or warning.
“A male known as Stanton on this side of the line, and a female called Rayne to the other,” Nikolai said, showing Davies that he had indeed done his homework, at least enough to know who was who and where they belonged, respectively. But there was only so much he could get from snooping around and interrogating the odd cornered supernatural here and there. “You’ll need a way to find me if you hear anything.” An unnecessary statement, but a problematic issue. Nikolai did not own a cell phone, nor had he ever. Which begged the question, how would they know when and where to reconvene if Davies managed to dig up any information?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2009 20:07:05 GMT
Ian nodded and frowned, trying to think up a solution. Cellphones tended to be the most convenient, but Zuyev didn't seem like the most technically savvy wolf in the city. If nothing else, there was always the designated meeting spot -- not the quickest way of getting in touch, but it was better than nothing. Besides, it wasn't as if he'd be able to gather the information by the end of the night -- it'd take a few days, at least.
"How 'bout this," he finally said, "Give me... five days. I'll snoop, see what I can find, and then we can meet up somewhere? There's a place on this end of town called Lorraine's -- crappy little greasy-spoon diner. I'll meet you there around ten and give you whatever info I've found by then."
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Nikolai
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Come with me into the trees; we'll lay on the grass, and let the hours pass.
Posts: 26
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Post by Nikolai on Apr 10, 2009 19:44:32 GMT
It wasn’t that Nikolai couldn’t operate anything technological or was in any way a technophobe, he just preferred a hands on, direct approach, something he had been raised with and had come to believed in. He preferred things face to face, clean-cut and honest, and if he couldn’t get that, then most of the time he just didn’t want to know. But here and now, it was a problem, and even he could acknowledge that. It was something of an inconvenience, just as much as the fact that he couldn’t afford a phone right now as it was. The money he could get from vampires that he killed was kept and saved for food, obviously. When weighed side by side, food was infinitely more important than any kind of modern convenience.
“Lorraine’s at ten in five days,” Nikolai echoed by way of acknowledgement and also to show that he had absorbed the details and already committed them to memory, not so much a habit as it was a skill he had learned and perfected over the years, something that had come in useful many times in his life, and one that was made all the easier by a wolf’s ability to store information for later recollection.
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