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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 15:44:38 GMT -5
Lorrie entered the park and grinned. It reminded her of home. She walked looking at the trees of diffrent shapes and sizes. She than saw a small pond that had a huge tree next to it with a bench under. She walked to the bench and sat down. She took a deep breath of fresh air than looked at a mother duck with her ducklings that were in the water. She smiled at the small family of ducks. Lorrie than took out her sketch book and started to draw the ducks and the pond that they were in. She decided silently that living in this town wouldn't be so bad as she thought it would be. Hopefully her dream of having a ranch would come true. She than started to slave away on her drawing happily while listening to the nature in this beautiful park that she knew she would visit very often in the future.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 13, 2008 17:18:01 GMT -5
The trees were clustered and intertwined in a crazy dance of species and color, bursting up in colorful flowers and green shade as the light filtered through the leaves. Dmitri had never seen so many trees in one place before, was astonished by the variety of trees compared to the disappearing Russian taiga forest. He had finally found peace, though, and he was enjoying the park immensely despite the gnawing pain in his leg as he limped along. This was a pain that he could hardly live without, stopping only whilst he slept. His gait was halting, awkward, like his speech. Everything about him had that same, lumbering appearance, from his angular face to his large hands. Those fingers were not pianist fingers by any measure.
He rolled along, stopping here and there to stare at the wildflowers in awe. It was a cacophony of color and scent, he could hardly resist plucking them. He caressed the bulbs with the tips of his fingers, feeling the silken texture of the petals and the refreshing cool of the stem. He eyed the irises with a particular affection, whispering something under his breath in Russian. Dmitri had always had an certain love for the iris, the silken texture of petal as taut as skin, the dew still clinging to the firm stem and the slightly darker petals. When he finally stood up again he saw a familiar face, looking out towards the sparkling pond. It was Lorrie, who he had met in the coffee shop. His brow furrowed as he looked at her, wondering if he should announce his presence.
"Hello," he settled on finally, striding towards her with his peculiar limp, looking out at the lake and the reflection of the sky. Little fish danced in the pools, and the ducks knifed through the surface gracefully.
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 17:27:53 GMT -5
Lorrie looked up from her sketch and looked at the source of the voice to see, Dmitri. "Hei(finnish hello) Dmitri it's good to see you." She patted at the space next to her on the bench once she saw the pain he had by standing on his gimp leg. "How do you like this park? I think it is beautiful. It reminds me of home."Lorrie ignored the height and size difference between them for her father was about Dmitri's size."I can tell I'll be visit this park alot from now own." She gives him a friendly smile. " May I ask you something?Why would a russian man move far from Russia? Was it because of horses? If it's not too personal to ask if it is than never mind I'm sorry for being my nosy self."
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Post by Forte! on Oct 13, 2008 18:00:32 GMT -5
He gave an uncertain, fearful grin as she greeted him, ears warmed by the sound of the Finnish. "Privet," he replied, looking around uncertainly. He stared at her for a moment when she asked him to sit, but after a long silence seemed to understand and limped over awkwardly. He shivered slightly in his winter coat as he sat, hands in pockets, eyes fixed on the lark where it met the horizon. He looked down at her sketch and smiled for a second, never having been much of an artist himself. His attempts were those of a child. With Dmitri, what you saw was what you got, mostly, he had no hidden talent, nothing extraordinary to show. Perhaps this was what made him so odd, his simple normalcy.
He listened to her question with a resigned look. "It wasn't any choice of mine," he said, a bit quietly. His eyes looked off toward the horizon in a way that suggested some sort of trouble. Homesickness, maybe, a longing to be back on the comfortable Russian turf. "I came for work. I could never find a job at another stable, for... obvious reasons. I could not bear to leave the horses." He looked rather somber at the prospect, and did not elaborate any further.
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 18:11:48 GMT -5
Lorrie looked at Dmitri sadly.For she could only begin to image the problems he had to face growing up with a gimp leg. She slowly put a hand on his shoulder gently and gave him a tiny sad smile.Then gave his shoulder a squeeze and said " I you ever need help tell me ok? And you're always welcome at my home or my parents ranch." She saw him glance at her sketch and saw him smile. She took the sketch out of the book and put the paper in his lap. " you can have it. "she smiled warmly at him." I can teach you how to if you like" she said wanting that smile she had saw earlier to return plus she loved helping people sketch."Where from Russia are you from?" She asked wondering. She could tell he was trying to get used to speaking english. She didn't mind about his thick accent for it was nice to her to hear someone with accent like her's.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 13, 2008 18:31:10 GMT -5
He returned her glance uncertainly, having to look away because of the pity he saw in her eyes. He wasn't used to that, having grown up with seven siblings and never having an ounce of luck in his life. It was true that surgery might have fixed his leg, once, maybe even today with any luck. But he would never have enough money to get it fixed, and did not even know if he wanted to at this point. He hardly felt alive without it. He flinched slightly at her touch, as if she had hit him, but feeling the gentle lay of her fingers on his shoulder he didn't move. He gave her a grateful look as she spoke again.
"Thank you," he said, quietly, to both of he statements, looking down at the picture in his lap. There, the sketchy lines of a light pencil marked the unfinished profile of a duckling. He smiled briefly, holding it up to the light so that the sun showed the marbled texture of the paper. "No, you do not have to teach me. Beauty comes to some more than others. I have none of it. I am merely a beholder of beauty," he looked off toward the horizon again, as the sun glinted blindingly off of the cold water, "I am from Leningrad, near there, at least. Sad place. Unfriendly. Not surprising, given its history."
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 18:42:34 GMT -5
When he looked away from her when he saw the sadness in her eyes, she was shocked because he looked as though no one ever looked at him like that. " You might not be able to draw good but every single person has beauty in themselves all they to do is find it." She smiled at him encouragely."And this town might be a new starting point in your life. This town seems to have friendly people in it. And you have a job here.So I think you'll be able to build a happy and steady life just make some friends, do good at work and you're all set." She than looked out at the pond watching the fish and ducks swim about. For the next few moments she just watched the beautiful scenery and the life that lived in it like the trees, flowers, animals and more. She sighed happily and content.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 13, 2008 19:01:17 GMT -5
Dmitri was hardly looking at her, looking uncomfortable again. He never seemed to be quite at straights with the world, and this was one of those more awkward times for him. He stared at the picture resting lightly in the crook of his thumb and first finger, then back out at the real ducks, swimming in circles, making noises that brought him back to the geese that flew over Russia. He sighed sadly, feeling for a moment as if he might cry. Maybe leaving home hadn't been such a good idea after all. Maybe he could have lived, somehow, without horses. As long as he could be close to the cool Earth and the taiga. The chill cold even seemed welcoming to him. Perhaps he would go back for Christmas? It was coming up fast. But, no. He had better stay.
"Life is funny like that, for me," he said, quietly, thinking. He had seen the beauty in all things, in all people. Maybe not Ivan. But Ivan had taken him in, given him life. Without horses there was no life for him. Without horses he probably would have withered away long before now, with his contemplative nature. "Mostly friendly people," he said, frowning slightly, "I think that my life will always be my life. It will be hard some times, but life is never an effortless thing." He looked down at the ground, unearthing the fragile sprout of a flower with his good foot, staring at it as it strove towards life. He knew that feeling. Oh yes. He knew that feeling.
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 19:11:52 GMT -5
When she saw that he was very upset as though he was going to cry she wondered how hard is life had been. She sighed than rubbed his back to try to calm him while she listened to him speak. She frowned at when he said some friendly people wondering what he meant by that but brushed the thought away. She hoped she would be able to help him in any way to make him happier. his sadness reminded her of an old friend of her's that had a rough life as his. She pushed the though aside not wanting to think of sad memories. She decided she would help as much as possiable no matter what. Thinking of her old friend brought homesickness. She than thought of when she'd go see her parents and friends in the mountains. She looked at beautiful flower that was afew yards away, she smiled at it.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 13, 2008 19:29:23 GMT -5
He shied away from her touch, holding his empty hand out a few inches away from his face, as if he were afraid that she might strike him. His expression changed quickly, becoming apologetic. He looked abashed, blushing slightly and adding to his normal bemused expression. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then did not. What was there to say? He sighed, eyes half-open as he accepted her touch with a bit of trepidation. His leg was smarting from the sudden weight he had thrown onto it in flinching, and he sat up a bit more before leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, the palms of his hands pressed onto his eyes. He rested his chin on his hands after a moment, blowing on his fingers gently every time he exhaled.
His eyes moved to the ground in front, where a cluster of reeds hugged the surface of the lake. His eyes strayed further, to the wildflowers that skirted the edges of the trees, the beautiful irises with their fleshy lips and delicate flowers hugged by the perennials, those rare red snow flowers. He looked back at Lorrie after a long moment, regret shining in his eyes as he stood up unsteadily, suddenly uncomfortable. The picture was still held loosely in his hand, tapping against his bad leg as he simply stood, looking at her for a moment and then away at the horizon. He felt silence stretch between them, almost tangible, on the edge of conversation.
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 13, 2008 19:48:43 GMT -5
She looked at him in sorrow when he flinched. He reminded her so much of Sam her dear friend. She nodded understandingly when he stood.A lone tear went down her cheek as memories of Sam flashed through her mind. She wished her friend was still with her but sadly Sam wasn't because of his father. Oh how she hated that man as rage raced through her vains. She looked at a rose bush hich calmed her down. Lorrie loved roses they always calm her somehow with there beauty. She looked back at Dmitri wondering what was going through his mind and what happened to make him like this but she wouldn't push him but give him space to heal his wounds from his past. She looked back at the roses than got her sketch book to draw them while waiting to see what the man near her would decide to do.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 14, 2008 16:10:15 GMT -5
Dmitri saw her crying and looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. He coughed loudly and stared at her for a long moment, grayish eyes locked on her green for a long moment. He was blushing slightly, unnerved and feeling out of place as he reached out and touched the inside of her wrist by way of comfort. then he walked a few steps away, falling easily into his rolling gait as he left her side, head lifted to catch the wind. It ruffled his hair gently, and for a moment he looked at peace with the world. This was a rare thing for him, but he had been drawn out of his sadness by the gust of wind and the smell of the lake.
The wind stopped, and he turned back, looking a lot less bemused and lost. He reached down to stroke one of the roses that bobbed up to meet him, looking down at the deep red center. He carefully ran his fingers along the smooth side of the thorns, feeling the ability to cut there, just beneath his fingers. Then he looked back up at Lorrie with a weak smile, standing still. He did not want to move now, for he knew that would only bring the pain he had come to know so well. "Spasibo," he whispered quietly, barely on the edge of hearing, "thank you."
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 14, 2008 16:21:28 GMT -5
Lorrie sniffed and smiled weakly at Dmitri when he tried to comfort her. She watched him go to the roses and than got an idea. She quickly drew him with the rose. She walked over to him and said "No thank you. You didn't have to tell me anything but you did anyway. You also gave me insperation"showing him the recent drawing."If you ever needto talk than you can come to me anytime" Her thoughts were stuck about the blush on his face but push thoses thoughts away from her head. She looked in his eyes than smiled sweetly. She than looked at the rose bush that had calmed her moments before and than said "I'm sorry about when I cried I just..it was just that some sad memories came back to me of my old friend Sam." She smiled bitterly. She than looked backed at the man next to her.
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Post by Forte! on Oct 14, 2008 17:24:02 GMT -5
Dmitri glanced at her over his shoulder as she spoke, then, slowly, returned to her side and sat down, leaning back as he rubbed his temples errantly. He opened his eyes to look at her pictured, staring for a moment at his profile. It was a good sketch, outlining his sloping shoulders in light lines. He gazed at the rose lovingly, he had always been a great lover of flowers of all sorts. But roses... they were too sharp, cut to easily, defended their beauty with all they had. Other flowers submitted to the touch of hand, roses did not. They were all the more beautiful and terrible for this.
"I told you because you asked," he said, not really understanding what she meant by what she said. He answered what was asked of him, then, with a meaningful look back at the painting, he said, "Chudesnaya. Ti takaya chudesnaya," not bothering to translate. It was clear enough by his tone what he thought and what he meant. Wonderful, splendid. He ran a finger across the graphite softly, outlining his back with his finger. "You can do the same," he said quietly, listening to her with a sort of shaky reverence in his tone.
He returned her smile, but his own looked fearful, uncertain, as if he were baring his teeth. He was so used to being hurt, he couldn't believe how strange it felt to be... fine, for once. Not great, but just okay. That was better than usual. "Ah, I am sorry. Do I remind you of this... Sam?" he asked, curious as he looked away from the sketch and out at the rose bush, silhouetted against the lake in glorious bloods of blood red.
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Post by SceneFairy on Oct 14, 2008 17:34:40 GMT -5
She smiled at him when he said she could do the same.She could tell he had been hurt alot like Sam had. She looked at him when he asked her the question than nodded slowly."Yes...yes you do. Sam was a good friend of mine." Her eyes full of sorrow. "He had much pain inside like you, he let it get to him and let his father get to him. If only....he told me the truth that day." tears going her face."Everytime I think of him my chest tightens but the pain is getting easier to deal with. That's apart of the reason I moved to get a fresh start and be able to heal away from home where even the smallest things remind me of him." She looked at the roses to calm herself down, a blush on her face of emmbaressment for crying in front of Dmitri.
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