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Post by Forte! on Apr 20, 2009 17:26:46 GMT -5
Dmitri was a wreck. More so than usual, at least. He glanced at Ana briefly, letting his hand fall back to his side, away from hers (he hadn't realized that he was still holding it), drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. The prospect of having to face Ivan seemed to have make him slightly dizzy now, as he stood looking up at the building, with it's smooth concrete siding and high windows. The woman at the desk looked at him curiously and gave him a small wave, and he looked at her dolefully and waved back. He'd had to spend a night here when Ivan had hit Z, and to be honest he never really wanted to go back. "Oh, Ana... He's going to kill me," he murmured, suddenly, looking rather green around the gills. But the part of his mind that had already resolved to do this made him bite back his words and stand up.
"Alright." He said, more to himself than her, since he was kind of looking over her shoulder at this point. "Let's do this thing." He seemed about to open the door, but then stopped, looking over his shoulder at Ana, "I can't thank you enough, you know that?" he said, quietly, barely audible but loud enough for her to hear. "Really. You've done a lot for me. I owe you one... or two..." And, seeming to have regained some semblance of normalcy, he opened the door, holding it for Ana. "Hello, detective," he said to the woman at the desk, who returned his greeting with a questioning note in her voice. He looked over at her, biting his lip for a moment and plucking up his courage again. "I... we... need to see Ivan. This is Ana. She's a friend." The detective nodded and said something that Dmitri didn't really catch, but she gesture for them to follow.
And there he was, same as ever, little beady eyes gleaming with rage as he saw his nearly-former stablehand. "Petrova," Ivan growled, and Dmitri flinched involuntarily, quivering on the edge of speech. Then Ivan spotted Ana, and his eyes widened. Dmitri caught the motion, and was confused. "...and Ana?" Dmitri cocked his head, on the verge of asking how Ivan knew that, but Ivan beat him to the punch. "What are you doing here?" Dmitri gathered himself together and faced Ivan, his head high, his heart low. "Ivan. I quit." Ivan took a moment to absorb this, and then, to Dmitri's shock, laughed. The ex-stablehand couldn't help stepping back a little bit, spooked. "Oh! So the mouse raises his head!" Ivan chuckled, and walked up to the bars of the cell, pressing his nose between two of them, his eyes gleaming with something akin to sinister mirth. He spat on the floor at Dmitri's shoes, and the ex-stablehand stared at him impassively, his heart pounding, tongue-tied.
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Post by Frenzi™ on Apr 20, 2009 18:00:47 GMT -5
;; It was quite obvious that Dmitri didn't want to be doing this. His palm slipped out of hers, and Ana couldn't tell who's was partially damp. Dmitri threw a look at her over his shoulder, and Ana just tilted her head casually. Then they stopped in front of the concrete building, and she barely caught the words that he mumbled. "Yah right, not if I end up killing him first," Ana said, only half-joking. This building held the man who had caused Dmitri so much pain and anguish over the years. Although someone had to be hurt to entreat Ivan to justice, Ana considered it a very small sacrifice. A short guffaw came from Illiana, her eyes sparkling. Ivan was the one who was caged, reduced to nothing more than a rat. A very fat rat, at that.
;; Ana didn't respond to Dmitri, for it sounded like he was just trying to convince himself that he could do this. What is the worst thing that could happen? They got cussed out? For god's sakes, Ivan was behind bars, finally. When he thanked her, Ana's cheeks turned another shade of red, yet again. "It's no problem, really. Hey, all you have to do is ask," she said, smiling. Poor Dmitri, this visit was definately going to do him more harm than good. The detective looked all-too-happy from where Ana was standing, and she raised an eyebrow curiously. Illiana didn't hear what she said, but she wasn't going to ask Dmitri. He wasn't standing any closer to her than she was.
;; Illiana curled her lip as she saw Ivan sitting there, the man she had only met once, and just briefly, and she already hated. The way Ivan called Dmitri by his last name, and the tone it carried, grated against Ana's nerves, 'He's just asking to be kicked in the face...' she thought, still glaring at him. Her fierce gaze met her confused one, and she inclined her head to the side a bit. She was about to ask how in the hell he knew that, and she assumed Dmitri was just as confused as she was, but Ivan beat them both. What were they doing here? Que Dmitri, and, cut. Illiana had expected Ivan to be furious, but his reaction was quite the opposite. The laugh seemed to boom from his frame, startling her. Ivan shot an accusing sentence at Dmitri, and then spat at his feet, but Dmitri did not move, just stood there, struck silent. Ana rolled her eyes and stepped forward, bending down to be level with Ivan, but still a half-a-foot from the bars, bright green eyes lit with contempt. "You dare call him the mouse? I believe you're the one trapped behind the bars of your cage," Ana hissed. She was absolutely livid, and it showed.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 20, 2009 19:32:56 GMT -5
He grinned at her dismissal of his thanks, greatly reassured by it. Ana was so wonderful... He was snapped back into reality by Ivan's cold stare, and he met it calmly, his hands folded behind his back, his expression impassive. The stone wall had returned to his features, and even the slight tint of purple around the eye where he had been hit didn't mar it. Ivan seemed to be fuming, his hands on the bars, his expression furious. His little black eyes narrowed, waiting for Dmitri to speak, but Ana beat them both to it with her fury. Dmitri whirled around, surprised. He could see the murder in her eyes and, then, in the corner of his vision, the look of disgust that passed over Ivan's face. "You!" Ivan spat, glaring at Ana, "You dare to stand by his side and defend him? He's worthless! Nothing!"
He turned to Dmitri now, glaring, "You seem to forget that the only reason you are here is because of me. That the only reason that you are off the streets, that you are worth more than a single, revolting, blood-sucking maggot, is because of me." he snarled, "Because who else would want you? Cripple! You can hardly stand on your own two feet, much less walk!" Dmitri seemed to have momentarily forgotten his confidence, and his eyes were fixed on the concrete floor in front of his feet. Then he rose his head, fire burning in his gaze. "You leave Ana alone, Ivan! If you lay a finger on her, you'll see just what this cripple can do. " Ivan chuckled, unimpressed. "I think not, Petrova," he said, just as stoic as Dmitri had been not too long ago, "I don't think you'd have the guts to lay a finger on me. I don't think Ana would, either. We both know what happens to girls who hit their daddies, don't we?"
Dmitri looked up, uncomprehending. But Ivan had turned to Ana. "That's right, Ana. Daughter. You ever wonder why your mother gave you away? Sent you to Arizona?" his voice had become a low growl now. "Because I wouldn't go to Australia, that's why! And because she didn't want you, and she broke my heart and wouldn't ever let me see you. Of course not!" He grew quiet suddenly, backing away from the bars, pensive. "Liar!" Dmitri cried in the silence. But... he remembered... The photographs. The only place where he'd ever seen Ivan smiling. A happy smile, that is. Cruelty occasionally caused a chuckle or a smirk... But... "Liar." He said again, but this time with less conviction. Ivan caught him with a look, and Dmitri grew quiet. "No. That can't be true. You don't even look alike..." But Ivan continued to stare at him, and he trailed off. "She did, though. And you know that, merzavec." Dmitri lowed his gaze, unable to retort.
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Post by Frenzi™ on Apr 21, 2009 16:52:27 GMT -5
;; The beady eyes bore into Ana's, but her gaze didn't waver. She was used to staring contests, and, wolves being one of her favorite animals, used eye contact a lot, especially when dominance needed to be handed out. As Ivan's furious speech tore into the silence, Ana responded, her voice barely a growl. "Hah! Dmitri means more to me than anything. I would stand at his back and defefnd him from swords, you blubbering idiot!" Her voice rose slightly as she shot the insult at him, though she remained in the same crouch that she was in before. Ivan did not scare her, she hadn't been terrorized her whole life by this man, and Ana felt very sympathetic for Dmitri for dealing with him.
;; Ivan once again went off on a rant, seeming to be set on insulting everyone within the hearing range. Insulting Illiana was one thing, but when he insulted Dmitri, the anger just simply grew. "He maybe be off the streets because of you, but you just plunged him into other horrible conditions! Maybe living under your rotted wing was better than Russia, but he knows he has a better life in store for him. Cripple? Who cares! Who else would want him? What a stupid question!" she snarled, her confidence not allowing her to say that she, infact, did. Ana turned her face towards Dmitri when he stood up for her, and a smile showed on her features. If she had thought Dmitri speaking would deter Ivan from his vicious attack, she was wrong. As soon as he finished the second sentence, Ana opened her mouth to retort that she would indeed, have the guts to hit him, but then, daddies? "What?" she asked, eyes widening slightly. She could not, did not, believe what she just heard.
;; Ana stayed where she was, body tightening as Ivan continued to speak, the venom seeming to poison the air around her, and made it difficult to breathe. Her eyes continued to get wider, and her face was nothing but disbelief. As he finished his first sentence, Ana simply mumbled, "I am not your daughter." All the fight had seemed to vanish, but it was there, hiding, and coiling to spring. The bit about her mother didn't surprise her, her aunt had told her enough about her mother, just enough to be satisfied. Though never like this, her aunt only said good things about her mother, and that she couldn't keep her. Not what Ivan had claimed. A low moan sprang from her lips, and then, it turned into a cry of outrage. She threw herself forward, plain fury etched into her face; but something held her arm fast, and wouldn't let her proceed forward. Everything else that Dmitri said wrapped around her head like a mist, just sort of pulsing there, Ana not processing any bit of it. Everything seemed to blur, except for Ivan, who stayed painfully clear, and a single tear trickled down her right cheek, staining a glistening path.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 21, 2009 19:28:00 GMT -5
Dmitri looked over at Ana as she voiced how much he meant to her, surprised. She had just voiced exactly how he felt about her, and he stared at her in silent reverence, even though he could feel Ivan's glare hot on his neck. Then Ivan returned his gaze to Ana and loosed a chuckle at the both of them, but did not speak. Dmitri continued to stare at Ana as she rebutted Ivan's comment, but shook his head ever-so-slightly, as if he disagreed. Ivan snarled, meeting Ana's stare and narrowing his eyes slightly, the ridges on his nose creased with disgust. "Impotent little..." he murmured, "Forget it. You're obviously too young to understand just what I've done for him. Just what he owes me." Dmitri looked up, and growled quietly, "I owe you nothing, Ivan! You fool! I have repaid whatever debt I had by the blood of my back and the sweat of my brow, and I will not give that to you any more."
Ivan stared at him in silence for a moment, as if absorbing his rebuttal, but did not have a chance to argue again, because Ana sprang at him. Dmitri didn't think, only reacted, grabbing Ana's wrist and being jarred forward by her motion. Action... Reaction! He nearly hit the floor, but managed to steady himself by grabbing the bars of Ivan's cell. He recovered himself with the most grace possible, and stood facing Ana, between her and Ivan, preventing either one from speaking or arguing with one another. "Ana... He's not lying," he said, gently, "but who cares if you are? We don't choose that, and, besides, you're a better person than him any day." Ivan opened his mouth to argue this point, but Dmitri whirled around and gave him a glare that made even him shut his jaw and listen to what his former employee had to say.
"Ivan. Shut up," he said, "I don't care what you have to say, and I won't listen to you argue any more. I'm leaving, and you can't stop me. I will feed the horses for you until you're out of here, but after that I want to have nothing to do with you. You hear?" Ivan had no answer, his face contorting with rage but no rebuff. He had nothing more to say, nothing more that he could do. Not here, not now. The camera in the corner of the cell would catch everything, and that would not help his chances of getting out any time soon. "Good. And if you ever, ever, even touch Ana or me again, I can tell you that you won't get off so lightly the next time." Ivan was, simply, flabbergasted. It was lucky that he couldn't see how much Dmitri was shaking as he took Ana's hand, turning back to her. The fright that ran cold thorugh his veins showed for a moment on his face, but then he composed himself. "Come on, Ana. There's nothing left to say."
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Post by Frenzi™ on Apr 21, 2009 19:59:08 GMT -5
;; Right before Ana had lunged, Ivan managed to say one more thing, and for that, Dmitri stood up to his former boss. Time had seemed to slip away, but the jar as Illiana was pulled back snapped her back into reality, but with it came more emotions. Hate, disgust, sadness, and many others welled up inside of her, choking off her throat, though only a single tear managed to roll down her cheek, leaving a sparkling path in the dim light. Now, all the fury was completely gone, expended in that final lunge, which had proved unsuccessful, luckily for her. If it had, well... she might've become Ivan's neighbor. Her father's neighbor. However clouded her mind was, she tried to make a mental note to thank Dmitri later.
;; Then, he blocked Ana's view of Ivan, and she was silently glad, trying not to let more tears spill out of her eyes. Dmitri's words did nothing to ease the throbbing ache in her heart, the only thing that seemed real to her anymore, but coming from Dmitri, one of the few people she really truly trusted, there was no doubting it, nor any point in arguing. As he spoke, the tears once again started to cloud her vision, but she tried to keep her voice clear, though the anguish still rung loudly as any bell. "If I'm what? That monster's daughter?" she said, closing her eyes and turning her face to the floor. After Dmitri told Ivan what he would do with the horses, she lifted her chin, blinking a few more sparkling tears out of her green orbs. "When I was younger, I always imagined my father as some sort of hero. He would come and take me away from my mother on a silver stallion, and that was the first time I became interested in horses." It sounded for a moment like she was rambling, but she wasn't, just closing this meeting with her father.
;; "Now I know, I was wrong. He came on a great stallion, sure, but that stallion was afraid, and seemed to know nothing but cruelty." More tears escaped down her face, and they continued in a steady stream, but her eyes were open, blinking normally. She was speaking to Ivan, but she looked right into Dmitri's eyes as she spoke. "I know that my father isn't my hero, it's Dmitri. And Ivan, think about that. I hope you can change," was all Ana said, before she shook her head, and then listened to the rest of what Dmitri said, trying not to break down sobbing. Dmitri's shaking hand met hers, and she opened her eyes, smiling weakly. As he spoke again, she nodded, turning towards the door, hoping to get out of the room, and out of the blasted police headquarters before she started to bawl. She definately didn't want that horrible lady seeing her like this, so after a moment, she tried to put on a mask, not knowing if it worked or not.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 21, 2009 20:54:13 GMT -5
Dmitri was really shaking, now, but he managed to conceal the fact by not looking at Ivan at all. His mouth had formed a hard line, but as he looked at Ana it twitched slightly into a worried frown, seeing the tears on her face and in her eyes. He didn't say another word to Ivan, nor did Ivan say anything to either of them, and, in a bubble of his own, Dmitri squeezed Ana's hand slightly, reassuringly, and made his slow, painful way away from Ivan, away from the cells. Away from anything, really. He felt strangely calm, hollow, but somewhere below that raged fear and pain and anger and... love. It took him a moment to admit that to himself... but, it was there, undeniable and irrevocable. But, for now, he was focused on getting out of here before the world crashed around his ears and he couldn't hold it in any more.
The detective manning the desk looked up as they passed, but didn't say anything. She had heard the tone of what had gone on, and, to be honest, she didn't care what happened to Ivan at this point. Nobody really liked him. He made his hasty way to the door, held it open for Ana, and hobbled thorugh, leaning against the face of the headquarters as soon as he got out, remembering to breathe. And he did, long, shuddering breaths that revealed how badly shaken he was. His shoulders were tremoring visibly with contained emotion, and he looked up at Ana through dark eyes. "A-Ana..." he choked, wrestlign the words out of his mouth, trying to keep his emotions at bay. He wanted to scream, or jump off a bridge... Something to distract him from the bitter rage that tore at his throat. He took a deep breath, and it subsided a little. There. That was better. "Th-thank you..." he whispered, still trembling, but not as tense as before.
He managed to pull himself together, and the gravity of the situation subsided, and he had time to think about what she had said... Did she really think that way of him? "Ana. You know I love you, right?" he hardly knew what he was saying. But it was true, oh, it was true... "And I don't care who your father is, or that you drink... er... green... somethings..." His shoulders hadn't stopped shaking, but a kind of serene calm had come over him. This was right, somehow... He stepped forward again, embracing her, shaking and on the verge of tears, for once not stiff or embarrased. Then, slowly, very gently, he kissed her. Once. On the forehead. And for a moment he was afraid that she would push them away. More afraid than he had been in his entire life.
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Post by Frenzi™ on Apr 21, 2009 23:48:50 GMT -5
;; The squeeze on her hand from Dmitri made her keep back the tears until they got outside of the building, though she glanced at the detective at the desk, wondering if she saw all that. Unfortunately, she most likely did. A grim frown pulled at Ana's lips, though she still was trying to blink back tears, she was succeeding less and less. Even though everything had just flipped upside down and inside out on inself, Ana was more than glad she had come. Otherwise, Dmitri might've not made it past the outside of the building, and she... well, she did learn the secret of her family, however horrible it may be. Ana wanted desperately to thank Dmitri, right now, but she couldn't open her mouth, for fear of her breath choking her, and the sobs breaking out.
;; Ana walked gladly through the open door that Dmitri held, and a chill breeze was whisking over the valley, seeming to pick up on the horrible moods. A small sigh escaped between Ana's lips, feeling the tear-stripes chill, and then seem to dissapear, leaving her face cool, and slightly refreshed. She hadn't really realized how small everything had suddenly seemed, and the outside world expanded, the wind picking up as well. Illiana turned her head towards Dmitri as he choked out her name, and she finally understood the extent of what Ivan had done to him, done to them both. She made a sad attempt at a smile, and whispered her own words, barely opening her mouth, "thank you." There was definately more she wanted to say, but the choking feeling came back, and the light, fluttering panic of crying came back, and she shut her mouth.
;; When Dmitri spoke again, the tears did start to come again, rolling down her cheeks, slightly faster than before. She spoke, her words still a whisper, but they were whipped righ to Dmitri from the ever-shifting wind. "I had my suspicions," Ana managed to say, though she finished with, "I love you too." As he continued to speak, another weak smile broke across her face, especially at the green drinks. She didn't correct him, and tell him the right name of it, just stood there, leaving against the wall. When he stepped forward and hugged her, she laid her face against his shirt, and sobbed. Finally the tears came, shaking sobs, though she stayed still, just standing there, crying. When he kissed her, they subsided slightly, and it was silent for a moment. Illiana wanted to throw her arms around his neck, but at the moment, she wasn't sure if she could reach up that high or not, so she stood there, still crying, but happy, very, very happy. "Thank you, Dmitri."
;; Indeed, that was kind of odd to write. xD All the emotions clashed, and I'm afraid it's like... freaking horrible, seeing as it's almost 10:30 here. o.e Tired is me.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 22, 2009 17:31:16 GMT -5
Dmitri continued to stand there, holding Ana as she trembled against him, his own shudders counterbalancing hers. The rage was slowly draining from his posture, the tension seeping out through the pores in his skin. A sick feeling had risen in his stomach, and he felt incredibly weak as the adrenaline rush wore off, as if he might just collapse on the ground and lay there, trembling, until he drifted off into blackness. Sleep would be nice right now, he thought vaguely, where his dreaming brain could sort out exactly what had happened and what was going to happen. Her words snapped him back into reality, and he grinned, shifting slightly so that he was more even with her in height. His heart was thumping in his chest at her next sentence, and slow relief wound across him. "I hoped you did. I really, really, really hoped that you would say that." He said quietly.
He stood still as she sobbed against him, his only motion a slight, comforting squeeze of her shoulders. Somehow everything was alright, now, even though he could feel his own tear hot on his face. Somehow this was... right. And he was happy despite the fact that everything had changed in what seemed like a few small, insignificant moments. "No need to thank me for telling the truth," he whispered, loosening his grip slightly so that he could look down at her, his eyes still glistening with the few tears that had come unbidden. A tiny frown crossed his features as he saw how visibly upset she was at Ivan's strange news. He supposed he would never understand the agony of having it revealed that someone you hated was so close to you. He hoped against all hope that Ana knew that she was herself, Ana, his best friend, and that just because the man who had hurt them both so much was her father didn't mean she had to change.
Suddenly a though occured to him, and at once he laughed out loud and a grin came to his lips. "Ana!" he exclaimed, seized by a sudden fit of joy, "I'm free, Ana! I don't have to listen to that horrible man any longer, or endure his anger or sorrow or anything!" He laughed again, throwing his head up to the sky and putting his hands on Ana's shoulders, the tears in his eyes suddenly tears of happiness. One rolled down his cheek and fell to the pavement, shattering upon impact and leaving a little dark mark on the concrete and a streak of wet across his face. "Oh, Ana. I'm so happy." He was a strange sight, grinning and crying and trembling all at once, but he felt as if a weight he had been bearing all his life had suddenly been lifted from his weary shoulders.
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Post by Frenzi™ on Apr 22, 2009 18:42:08 GMT -5
;; Ana had started to feel immediately better, and the tears started to exhaust themselves quite quickly, instead of a stream, now they were a steady trickle. She felt Dmitri relax suddenly, and the prospect she didn't quite notice. Was he really relaxing, or was there something else he wanted to say, or did the meeting just make him feel sick? Ana wanted to ask him what was wrong, but honestly, it was the wrong question to ask. There were just too many complications at the moment, but the knot of them had started to untangle itself, leaving behind a few free wires. Two hearts thrummed as one, and one line was left straightened out, for all to see. "I hoped that you might say the same," Ana said, a smile lifting onto her face. They had both confirmed their suspicions.
;; As he squeezed her shoulders, one that could barely be felt, the world seemed to piece itself back together, a few pieces twisted and turned to fit into a different one, but it was all back together. "How could I not thank you for the truth? It's honestly a dream come true," she said, looking up slightly at his face when he looked down at her. A momentary thought crossed Ana's mind, she probably looked like a mess right now, physically, and emotionally, which most likely showed on the outside. "I probably look like a mess right now, don't I?" she asked, feeling suddenly light and happy. Of course, after that whole ordeal it couldn't be shaken so quickly, but the mask couldn't be concocted yet either.
;; When Dmitri let go and let out a laugh, Ana was truly startled, and she tilted her head at him, wondering if he was all right. Then he explained himself, and she couldn't help a grin from spreading on to her features. He set his hands under her shoulders and let out another laugh, one that seemed so airy and happy, that it just floated to the heavens, and Ana stared up at, almost as if she could see it, for but a brief moment. Then, she followed the tear down to the pavement, letting a single word escape between her lips, "Splat." Dmitri was so happy! So exuberant and unburdened, and Ana tried to share in that joy, but couldn't completely, but now, the mask was ready. "I'm happy because you're happy," she said, grinning. The tears still seemed to trickle down her cheeks, but she was ignoring them, instead placing her eyes upon Dmitri's joyful face.
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