Run with Wild Horses (Kazan)

[ROXI REESE]

Seclusion.
That was the first thing that had come to Roxi's mind when she had found herself stranded on a seemingly uninhabited island. It had been a few days since she had been on the island and she was extremely thankful to her father and brother for teaching her all of the skills they had taught her including hunting with both a gun and a bow, how to start a fire and all of those other boy scout skills her older brother had been taught and she had made him teach her since she couldn't be a boy scout. So far she had built a small tent for herself out of leaves and vines and that had worked to keep her warm and dry so far. Food was a bit of a challenge though. There wasn't a ton of small game around the island and she was very cautious about what kinds of berries and plants she ate because she didn't know if any of them were poisonous or not.

She had been lucky enough to find a knife that had washed up onshore from one of the lifeboats survival bag or something like that. It was a good sharp knife and she definitely found it useful. It was the thing that had really saved her so far. And she kept it on her at all times.

Trudging through the undergrowth, Roxi let her light brown eyes scan her surroundings, her footfalls as quiet as they could be as she made her way through the trees and greenery. She wasn't sure what she was looking for but she needed clean water and while she wasn't quite sure how to find clean water, she knew that there had to be some around her someplace, otherwise there wouldn't be any animals on the island. A suddenly rustle in the undergrowth not far from her caught her attention and she froze, her eyes darting about as she looked for the source. A few seconds later, a group of four wild horses stepped through the trees and into her view. Awe and amazement spread across Roxi's face.

She kept her gaze locked on them and one of them, a painted stallion caught sight of her. It froze and she remained still, not wanting to scare it away. The horse looked at her with it's two crystal clear blue eyes before it loped off, leaping over a log. Stopping a few feet away, it glanced over it's shoulder at her once more as if to see if she was going to follow or chase him. Confusion and curiosity touched her expression and when the horses took off once more she followed their tracks down the steep incline she had climbed earlier.

When she thought she had lost the trail, a sigh escaped her lips but just as she was about to turn around and head back to her tent for the night, she stepped through a couple of trees and was amazed to see a clear pool of water in front of her. The horses were on the other side of the pool drinking calmly from the water. As she took the last few steps needed to reach the water's edge, her light brown eyes raised to look at the horses once more only to see them disappearing into the undergrowth once more as if something had spooked them.

Her better judgement told her to turn and hide but her instincts forced her to take a handful of water and slurp it up, relishing the feel of cool, drinkable water sliding down her throat. When she couldn't drink anymore, she felt around in her pockets to see if she could find anything to put some more water in but nothing was there. Her outfit consisted of her cowboy boots that she always brought with her, a pair of cut off shorts with a brown belt around her waist that had a belt buckle with a horse on it that she had won in a rodeo back home, a plain white tank top with her string bikini on underneath it. Her knife was in it's sheath and was tucked safely in her boot so that way she could get at it if necessary. Her dark brown hair hung in wavy curls down her back and she pulled the ponytail off her wrist and tied her hair back out of her face so she could force down a bit more water so she wouldn't have to come back to this place as soon. If only she could catch one of those horses, that would help her chances of survival so much more because she would be able to travel further and faster. She made a mental note to track down the horses sometime soon, she would need to get a rope first though.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

[/i]


.xXx. [/color] Dark, mahogany eyes narrowed quickly, signs of both curiosity and malice displayed in the creasing of the man’s forehead, as well as the alert, poised crouch his body held. Kazan’s expression was grave, expressionless; nothing but a clear slate, as if awaiting to be painted with emotion. His lips pursed into a thin line as he listened, his entire body tense, much like an elastic band when pulled tight; just waiting to spring into action. His eyes flitted from place to place in indecision as he watched the tiny mammal scurry about, completely unaware of the hunter’s presence. Weasels may be considered small game, though hunger had begun to gnaw at the back of Kazan’s mind, and he felt could use a meal to himself. The man didn’t always agree with the rules of the tribe, in that all food captured was to be shared. After all, wasn’t life supposed to be about the fittest surviving? He didn’t want to supply for old, haggard, sickly men, who didn’t have anything of value left. A harsh opinion perhaps, but Kazan stood by it entirely.


The man’s hand tensed around the hand-crafted spear in which he held, his thoughts drifting to whether or not it would be a useful tool, when applying to a rodent. They were quick, agile little creatures who, at the first sign of danger, would race down any nearby crevice they could. A spear was terrific when fishing or hunting larger game, though Kazan decided that here, he would be best to capture the animal by hand; a rather practiced skill of his. Being sure to stay completely silent, the man leaned his spear against a nearby tree, his hand slowly dipping down to pull out the knife that rested in the waist of his hide bottoms. His breath hitched in his throat as the animal paused, ears swivelling forwards and nose twitching fervently, only before it went back to sniffing along the earth below, causing Kazan’s muscular, bronze chest to fall with his exhale. He took no more time to size up the tiny creature, and instead, lunged forwards, hands shooting out to grasp at the now-fleeing rodent. He felt fur against his calloused, sliced palms and, on what he considered as both instinct and habit, the man’s hands closed, successfully trapping the small animal within his grip. He tumbled to the ground with the lunge, rolling into a sitting position with odd agility, before taking his knife to slit the throat of the weasel, putting it’s frantic, loud squealing to an immediate end. Kazan’s expression stayed hardened, not a hint of remorse entering his expression, only before dropping the rodent into his animal-hide sack, in which looped over one of his shoulders.


It was just as the man hoisted himself back into a standing position that a nearby noise caught his attention, causing him to look over his shoulder briefly, one brow cocking in question. He caught a glimpse of a painted figure rushing through the bush at higher speeds than usual, followed by several others, none of said island horses bothering to be stealth. Kazan targeted this fact as unusual immediately, as generally, the horses were calm, quiet animals; ones who didn’t want to bother, nor catch too much attention. The man slipped his knife back into his belt after brushing the blade against a nearby fern, before walking after the magnificent beasts carefully, his curiosity getting the immediate better of him. He followed after silently, stealthily, being sure not to make a sound, in order to catch the cause of such disturbances. The man slipped easily between the trees posing as obstacles for him, and due to the fact he was barefoot, the pads of his feet were noiseless against the ground beneath him. A gust of cool air brushed over his bare chest, causing a rush of goose bumps to race across his flesh as the man continued, completely oblivious to this fact. He was focused solely on what lay ahead, as the horses had stopped, or so it had looked like, through the mess of dense tropical trees.


It wasn’t long before the man slunk closer towards the animal’s, his eyes flickering from place to place, in order to catch the cause of their fright. And then, before he could get nearly closer, the beasts took off once again, leaving Kazan momentarily confused, all before his eyes captured an unfamiliar, female figure, kneeling down beside a pond. His eyes narrowed into thin slits immediately as he watched her, his stare critical, calculating. He was well-hidden in the shadows of the large leaves of the ferns around him, though, after a moment, stepped free from the foliage, exposing himself to her completely. His expression was entirely flat, eyes narrowed, jaw tight. There was a wary prospect to his expression, though aside from that, he was nearly unreadable. He came closer a few steps, not nearly intimidated by the smaller girl, before pausing, taking a moment in silence to observe her. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, though Kazan tried to pay attention to the details about her instead; the lean, agile frame she had going, the intricate clothing she wore. It was obvious she was not from around here; obvious she was one of the castaways.

“You’re lucky that water is safe to drink.”

Was all the man said, his voice bitter, cold, and dominant.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 934
Muse: Alright
Notes: Sorry it fails, I'll get used to him eventually. xD[/size][/blockquote]

[ROXI REESE]

When she was finally finished drinking, she slowly rose to her feet, starting to wonder if she should look around to see where the horses had gone. Maybe they weren't that far away and she could work on gentling one of them today. The sun wasn't setting yet, she still had time. Before she could really put much more thought into going after the horses, a man's voice spoke behind her, causing her to jump and instinctively pull the knife out of the sheath in her boot, poised to swipe it at anyone that came within her reach and threatened her. Her heart raced in her chest and her light brown eyes were wide as she stared at the man, the knife still held tightly in her hand. After a few moments, when he didn't show any signs of moving towards her or attacking her, she forced her heart rate to slow down and relaxed a bit though she still remained cautious of him.

Lowering the knife a bit, she let her light brown eyes look him over briefly. He was wearing what appeared to be animal hides for bottoms and no shirt adorned his upper body, leaving his muscular and tanned chest and abs exposed. She felt her knees go a bit weak at the sight of him only half clothed but cleared her throat and pulled herself together before he could notice the shift in her expression. He had dark hair like hers that stood up a bit while his dark eyes were calculating as he seemed to be sizing her up as well. When she had collected her thoughts and pulled her eyes up from his abs to his face, she remembered that he had spoken and she should answer now. Thinking back to what he had said when he had startled her, she almost rolled her eyes like she would do to something her brother would say to her when the answer was obvious.

"Of course it's safe to drink. The wild horses were drinking it already when I got here. I'm not that stupid." she replied with a bit of sarcasm in her voice as she raised her eyebrows a bit, watching him thoughtfully. He couldn't be a castaway from the ship because he was barefoot and looked much too use to the lands around here. Plus he had snuck up on her without her even knowing he was there until he had spoke. Could there be humans living her? It was quite possible. All the things needed to survive were here.

"Who are you anyway?" she questioned, a questioning and slightly suspicious look on her face as she waited for him to answer the question, still not sheathing her knife. Her eyebrows were still raised in question as she waited for him to answer before she offered her own name.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

[/i]


.xXx. [/color] The man crouched, entirely still, as he watched the woman, the shadows of the foliage surrounding him leaving dappled patterns across his muscular, bronzed frame. He’d never seen a woman like her before, with such odd clothing and such an odd demeanour. It was so, utterly easy for the man to come to the conclusion that she wasn’t from this island; she seemed like a fish out of water, to Kazan. Around here, everyone in the tribe knew everyone else. She, obviously, was from some, outside land in which the man had never ventured to, or for that matter, heard of. Was there for odd, stangers? The man took a brief glance around the woman, confirming she was alone, before slowly stepping from the depths of the trees and bush, in order to make an appearance. Her back was turned from him, giving him the advantage, though Kazan didn’t intend to abuse it, just yet. He had enough advantage as it was, with his brutish size.


Kazan waited a moment before he chose to speak, his words blunt, and entirely unwelcoming. It was how the man seemed to come across majority of the time, and to be quite frank, that was how he preferred it. If he wasn’t given reason to be nice, or kind to a stranger, then why should he? After all, this woman was on tribe land. That, in turn, made her property of the tribe. In all truthfulness, Kazan should bind her hands and feet, and drag her back to camp. But, something held the man back; curiosity, perhaps? His train of thought shattered as the woman turned around with the sound of his voice, whipping out a rather articulate-looking knife, and holding out before her in a very defensive, startled manner. Kazan simply observed her, face unmoving. She was startled, with the way her eyes had widened, breath accelerating immediately. And, why shouldn’t she be? Kazan hadn’t made his presence known to her at any point in time before speaking, so it was natural for her to react. However, it just told the man she was edgy, and quick to react. She needed the security of a weapon, in order to feel safe. The thought caused a small, mocking little smirk to tug at his lips, though the expression was barely existent.


The two spent a moment of silence just to size one another up, and Kazan was thankful for the time, taking a moment to graciously look her over. He was a man in each and every way, and although he was a hardened one at that, there was always part of him that would be weakened when around a stunning woman. Kazan’s brow furrowed slightly, nothing more than the deepening of his grave expression, at the thought. All of the movements deprived from his emotions were tiny, detailed, and it would take someone who paid attention to even catch them. And then, the woman broke the silence, her words obviously disapproving of his statement. “Of course it’s safe to drink. The wild horses were drinking it already when I got here. I’m not that stupid.” Kazan’s brow cocked at the comment, though no hint of recognition or even amusement sparked within his facial expression. He stood still for a moment, just watching her, not bothering to answer. He just stared at her, as if what she said was overly idiotic, even though it wasn’t nearly, before the girls spoke once again, causing a small, amused smirk to curve Kazan’s lips. “Who are you anyway?” Completely unfazed by the knife that was still drawn, Kazan quirked a brow, before tilting his head in a rather predatory, yet critical and judgemental manner, before responding.

“Kazan.”

He answered bluntly, his smirk quickly vanishing. The man took a threatening step closer, his expression shifting to turn into a more serious, offensive one. His eyes narrowed once again and, dark and brooding, trained on her, refusing to leave her own eyes.

“And you,”

He paused between words, taking a moment to let her squirm, before going on.

“are on Tribe lands.”

Kazan’s fingers twitched in longing to grasp at his knife, in what would usually be his greeting for a stranger. However, he kept composed and calm, and instead, an amused, mocking little smirk curved his lips, before the man uttered another hushed, sarcastic set of words.

“So much for not being stupid.”

He said, his smirk threatening to grow into a grin, before Kazan stifled it, and dropped the expression entirely.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 783
Muse: Meh
Notes: Aha, sorry if it fails again. T.T[/size][/blockquote]

[ROXI REESE]

It took him a long moment before he finally answered her question, simply stating his name. Kazan. It sounded wild and cold like the man himself. Her light brown eyes couldn't help but wandering his body once more as the silence between them held on even longer. It wasn't technically an uncomfortable silence, it was more suspenseful than anything. Well, suspenseful for her as she still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do. She would be stupid to think that she would stand a chance against this man if he tried to capture her but she would fight anyways. She wasn't one who gave in easily, especially when someone else was trying to get her to do something she didn't want to do.

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she watched his expression. Unchanging and unreadable was the best way to describe it. For when a bit of emotion did flicker across it, it was only there for a moment before it vanished once again to return to the same sinister look he carried. When Kazan took a threatening step towards her, her first instinct was to back away but trying to outrun him wouldn't work either. Basically she was trapped and no matter what she did, he would catch her. She felt a bit helpless but wasn't about to let it show. As he stepped towards her, she grasped the handle of her knife a bit firmer, not raising it again but fully aware that it was there and ready to use it if the time arose.

His words filled the air once more and almost gave her goosebumps as he spoke. He spoke slowly, cutting his sentence into pieces to make it even more intimidating than it already was. The smirk that spread across his face as he spoke these words made Roxi a bit irritated since he seemed to be mocking her earlier statement about not being stupid. So what if there was a tribe that lived here? She was just getting a drink from probably the only non salty water source on the island. No big deal. Finally feeling like her knife wasn't needed at the moment, she slipped it back into the sheath that was inside her boot and strapped around her ankle. If she did end up needing it, at least it was within reach.

"If you ask me, you're the stupid one. You don't even know what I'm capable of." she replied, raising her eyebrows a bit as she spoke and letting her own smirk spread across her face as she watched him. She kept her eyes locked on his frame as she waited for him to move, knowing that he was going to do something in reaction to her words. She was definitely pushing her luck with this man she didn't know but she was never good at being teased and normally her words went straight out her mouth without her thinking about them first. In fact, as soon as her words left her mouth she knew she was probably in trouble now but she would fight him even if she was going to loose in the end anyways.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

.xXx.

[/color] It wouldn’t take a genius to see the conflict raging within the girl before Kazan, her instincts battling relentlessly against her rationality, in what seemed to be a very close war; fight, or flight? Her instincts told her to escape, to abandon him, and all things unfamiliar to her, this much Kazan knew. For, it was natural within all humans, Native to the island or not. When one wasn’t familiar with something, wasn’t sure of what they were capable of, they, almost naturally, feared them. Kazan supposed fearing the unknown was entirely true. And, while her instinct told her to flee, her rationality kept her standing firmly in the same spot, knife drawn, expression set. It spoke to things about her character, like the fact she was strong, or rather, tried to be. She was most likely a force to be reckoned with, to any weak man at least, and was probably as driven as the raging sea. It wasn’t an intimidating fact to Kazan however, but rather an intruding one. What would it take to break her, to have her shaking in absolute fear?

There was a part of Kazan that rejoiced at the thought of seeing her broken; seeing her vulnerable, weak.

It was the man’s instinct, his way of living. He couldn’t much help it, to be entirely honest. It’s a dog eat dog world, and either you kill, or be killed. Not that Kazan quite expected that he’d end up killing this woman, of course. He wasn’t entirely remorseless; certainly, his conscious would nag at him about the deed, should he ever take the life of a woman, especially one as obviously attractive as this, without good reason. Kazan would never rejoice in taking the life from a woman, as they’re beautiful, fragile, flawless creatures. Unlike men, of course. Kazan’s brow almost furrowed at the thought. Men are scoundrels; disgusting, worthless, pathetic, vile, scoundrels. Kazan didn’t think of himself in this way, though thought so of each and every other man, unless proven innocent. His mother would agree with him in the fact they were all monsters, if only she was here to do so.


He felt her eyes on his frame, and couldn’t help but to hope the woman was feeling even remotely intimidated, by his obvious display of brute strength displayed by his thick, chiselled body. He hoped she understood that he knew these grounds like the back of his marred hands, and should she try to run, he would be quick behind, following like a hound on the job. At the thought, the man stepped forwards, his eyes immediately flickering towards her hand, where it tightened around the knife she clutched so protectively. His lips twitched into the beginnings of a smirk, before the man’s brow furrowed, and he pursed his lips into a thin line, unwilling to show the amusement any longer. It was just enough to let her know that he felt weapons were pathetic, and hopefully, would leave her feeling somewhat helpless. He spoke, and irritation flashed across her features for a moment, as the woman slipped the weapon into her footwear. Kazan supposed she had some sort of sheath hiding within the boot, but gave it no true thought or concern. “If you ask me, you’re the stupid one. You don’t even know what I’m capable of.” At her words another amused, teasing, though handsome smirk spread across his lips, a low chuckle slipping from him in clear amusement. It was a low, deep sound; one that rumbled within his larger chest, only before snaking up through his throat, and past his parted lips, greatly sobered.

“I’m not worried.”

Was all the man said with a quirk of his brow, as the life within his expression slowly began withering away, leaving only the ghastly mask visible. After speaking the man took a few steps forwards, so much so that he was only a few mere inches away from her, to look over her expression, his chest rising and falling quickly, as he took in her scent. He would try and confuse and trick her, get her comfortable, perhaps. But then, after a moment of the tantalizing closeness, Kazan bent down with a quickness one could barely ever see coming, only to wrap one arm around the back of her legs, and stand once again, successfully throwing her over his shoulder. He didn’t bother to speak, or care as to if she was comfortable, but instead took off a steady walk, in the general direction of the camp. He could only hope she wouldn’t scream too much.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 796
Muse: Meh
Notes: Ahaha, sorry he only talks like.. once. D: AND FEEL FREE TO DO THE STABBY-STAB-STAB thing nao. :] [/blockquote][/size][/blockquote]

[ROXI REESE]

She could tell that he was watching her battle through whether to run or stand her ground but she knew that running wouldn't do anything because he would simply catch her and while attempting to fight him wouldn't end well for her either, she was going to try it anyways. While she may not be as brave as she was trying to appear, she figured if she at least acted like she was then it would be easier to believe. Her light brown eyes watched him carefully, not paying much attention to her surroundings anymore since he was her most immediate threat. His expression was very challenging to read and it was starting to get on her nerves. She wasn't use to not being able to tell what people were thinking and the strange sense of mystery that he seemed to have around him was driving her crazy. It made her want to figure him out, get to know him better but now wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that. Right now she needed to figure out what he was planning on doing to her.

Her muscles were still tense as she watched him take a few more steps towards her, filling the rest of the gap between them until he was only a couple of inches away from her. She had to look up a bit to see his eyes and while her instincts telling her to run were screaming in her head, she couldn't get herself to listen to them and instead found her breath catching in her throat at his close presence. While she tried to force her eyes not to leave his gaze, she couldn't help but glance down at his toned and muscular body that was so close to her she could reach out and touch his perfect abs.

Finally forcing her gaze to return to his eyes, she watched him carefully, narrowing her eyes for a moment when he started to lean down as if he was going to tie his shoe. But instead of tying his shoe, in one fluid motion he had her by the legs and had flung her over his shoulder and was walking to who knew where.

"What do you think you're doing!? Put me down! I'm warning you! If you don't put me down I'm gonna. . . do something. . ." she threatened, though she couldn't think of what she would do to him quick enough for her words to make that much of a difference which frustrated her even more. Kicking and screaming, Roxi tried to look around for something to grab a hold of or anything that would do something to stop the steady and even foot falls that he was making.

Suddenly she remembered the knife in her boot. Moving and squirming until she could reach it with one of her hands, she pulled it out of it's sheath and held it in her hand for a moment before finally reaching up as far as she could and catching him on the upper arm with the knife. He had no clothes to protect his skin and as soon as she pulled her knife away, blood was welling up from the wound and dripping down his arm before it hit the ground.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

[/i]


.xXx. [/color] The closeness between the two was excruciatingly taunting; nothing but a reminder of vulnerable desires, and very strong, primal longings. Kazan could feel her warmth and presence near him, and it only made the young man want to lean in closer, to breathe her in. It was an urge he discouraged, one that both disgusted and infuriated him, but it was there nonetheless. He knew there would be no chance of it simply flitting off at his mental asking, to make matters worse. He would need to stay composed, determined, and keep himself in line. Sure, it isn’t often one comes across a mystery of a woman, one that is clearly near your age who, though you try not to pay attention to such details, has looks on her side. But even still, Kazan would need to ignore it. And if he couldn’t?

Problems would certainly arise.

It was at this disturbing thought that the man’s lips pursed and he leaned down fluidly, in order to wrap a single arm around the back of her knees and hoist her over his shoulder. She was light enough to make the trek back to camp more than bearable, though it was her reaction Kazan wasn’t looking forwards to, and for every right reason, as well. “What do you think you’re doing!? Put me down! I’m warning you! If you don’t put me down I’m gunna... do something...” Kazan let out a coarse sigh at her words, accompanied with an eye roll, deciding to completely ignore her. Or, well, as best as he could at least. Her worse were typical; outraged, violated, threatened. Kazan was used to it, and therefore, unfazed. It was when the girl started to kick and scream however that the man let out a low growl in slight frustration.

“No one’s going to hear you.”

Was all he bothered to mutter, his grip around her tightening, in order to keep her writhing form steady. He wouldn’t want to drop her, would he? It was then that the man’s thoughts came to a grinding halt, as a precise, sharp pain ripped across Kazan’s upper arm and bicep. His steps halted immediately and his eyes narrowed as pain blossomed within his arm, causing his expression to contort into one of absolute fury and disgust. The man turned his head slowly, carefully, to turn his murderous eyes towards the girl who, probably thinking it would help her situation, had sliced his arm open with her little knife. His jaw tightened sporadically, a sign of his brutal anger, before the man let his arm go limp and fall back towards his side, leaning ever-so-slightly in order to let her body fall gracelessly to the ground below him.

So much for not wanting to drop her.

The thought almost lit a spark of amusement within the man, though it was quickly diminished once he cast a glance towards his arm. Blood trickled down the length of his arm, following the grooves of his muscles, before sliding down the back of his hand, towards the ground. The man wasn’t entirely bothered by the pain, he’d certainly had worse, though it was more the fact that the girl had actually cut him that had him so infuriated. Kazan wasted no time from the moment he dumped her from his shoulder to lean down, whipping out his own knife, only to straddle her, knees astride her sides, and press the edge of the blade firmly against the soft skin of her neck. He was sure not to focus on the fact he was, once again, so close to her, and instead, focused on her expression, as well as the thrumming of her neck against the knife. It wasn’t a well-made, shiny knife like her own, but rather an un-sanitary, chipped, obviously over-used knife in which he’d carried for many years. She was just lucky it no longer had weasel blood on it. The man leaned down towards her, expression like stone, before speaking.

“But, see, you don’t know what I’m capable of, either.”

He commented quietly, pausing for a moment to study her, before continuing.

“The difference between us? You should be worried.”

And with that the man pressed the blade against her neck, a threat, though not far enough in order to break the skin. Instead he pulled back entirely and hoisted himself up to his feet, looking down at her with cold, harsh eyes. He slipped his knife back into the waistband of his bottoms as he watched her, the blood along his arm beginning to dry, as the wound slowly began to start it’s healing process. He would have yet another scar to add to his count, though it didn’t really bother the man. He saw scars as prizes, rather than flaws. Each and everyone told a story, and hopefully, this story could have a good enough ending to bother telling.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 846
Muse: Alright
Notes: Weoo, for mood swings. :][/blockquote][/size]

[ROXI REESE]

Right before she had actually gone for her knife, so many things had been running through her head that she almost couldn't think straight. She was trying to decide what would be worse, facing his wrath or the wrath of whatever tribe it was that he belonged to and was probably taking her to. In the end, she had decided that her chances were better against one person than a whole group of them, and if her death would be what came out of this meeting then she would rather he be the one to do it. When she finally made a decision, she didn't really care where she cut him, just as long as she was able to get him to put her down. As soon as her blade met his flesh, she pulled it away, not wanting to cause him too much harm.

As soon as her blade left his arm, he stopped abruptly and in one fluid motion, he let her go, dropping her to the ground with a hard thud. As she was met with the sudden closeness of the hard ground, her breath was slightly knocked out of her chest and she groaned before taking deep breaths to regain her composure. All of a sudden she remembered he was still there and probably furious. Her light brown eyes darted to look up at him, rolling over on her back so she could see him clearly.

He didn't waste any time in straddling her on the ground once more, which she would have been excited about having him so close and in such a compromising position had it been in other circumstances. But such thoughts were deliberately forced from her mind as the smooth and sharp surface of a knife was pressed against her own throat, her breath catching in her chest as she laid still, her eyes looking into the dark eyes of her captor. Her lips were parted a bit and her heart was racing in her chest as she froze. When he leaned even closer to her, she swallowed hard and his words sent shivers down her spine as he spoke them, the blade pressing against her neck a bit firmer though not breaking the skin.

After a long moment of the two staring each other down, Kazan rose to his feet and put his knife back into the sheath at his waist band. Her eyes watched it before trailing slowly up his chiseled body to reach his face once more. That was it? Just threatening? She had been certain that he was the type of man to give her something to regret what she had done to him. But he simply did the opposite, making her furrow her brows a bit but quickly forcing the expression to disappear, not minding the fact that he hadn't harmed her in any way.

When she was able to gain her composure and get her breath back, she carefully rose back to her feet, her whole body sore from hitting the ground so hard but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind. Brushing herself off a bit, she straightened the thin white tank top that covered her upper body and looked over at him for a moment before reaching down and picking up her knife which she had dropped when he had dropped her. She was lucky she hadn't landed on it. She held it in her hand for a moment before sliding it back into the sheath in her boot and returning her gaze to his face. As she watched the man thoughtfully for a moment, having a new found respect for him now that he hadn't hurt her, her eyes were pulled to his upper arm where the blood was still slightly flowing from his wound she had inflicted.

Guilt immediately weld up inside of her, especially since he hadn't done anything to get back at her and she felt like she should help him, try to do something to help him after she had hurt him. There was a foot or two between them now and neither of them moved for a long moment before she finally made the first move and stepped towards him. She paused as her hand was about to reach out and touch his arm, unsure what he would do if she tried to help him but her stubbornness pushed through and she gently wiped some of the blood off with her hand before stepping closer, filling the little bit of space that was between them. Her light brown eyes remained locked on his cut for a moment before they flickered up to look at his face for a moment and then glancing away, only to return again and become entrapped in his eyes.

"Um. . . you should clean that up so it uh. . . doesn't get infected. . . I'll help you." she spoke finally, stammering a bit as she forced herself to look away from his gaze. Without waiting for his response, she went to the water's edge which was still very close to where they were since they hadn't even made it all the way around the clear pool of water before he had dropped her. Thinking for a moment, she tried to come up with some sort of cloth to use to clean his wound. Finally she simply reached down and pulled her tank top up over her head, leaving her in her cowboy boots, cut off shorts and bikini top.

Folding the shirt a bit, she dipped a good portion of it into the water before heading back over to where she had left him. Being gentle, but not too gentle, she pressed the wet cloth to the bleeding wound, the cool water and pressure finally getting it to stop bleeding as it started to scab over. When the blood had ceased to flow, she wiped the drying blood off of his arm and hand. Only when she was finished did she let herself look up into his eyes once more, not much space in between them and her hand still slightly holding his own as she absentmindedly stroked it with the shirt even though there was no more blood left to wipe clean. Her eyes watched his face carefully, her lips parting a bit as she got lost in his eyes, almost as if she were in a trance of sorts.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

.xXx.

[/color] If there was one thing Kazan would never be afraid of, it was physical pain. He could cope with loosing blood, watching as it slithered from one of his wounds, draining out from where it belonged within his body. The sight of blood or wounds had never bothered him, nor did the pain that came with it. Of course he was human, so he most certainly experienced pain, but he’d grown to have a extraordinarily good tolerance to it; he’d grown to understand that, should he be in pain, the best way to drown it out was to react through rage. When one let their mind be so completely consumed by fire and anger that they could barely control themselves, well, that tended to make one forget about the pain. It was for this reason that Kazan had wasted no time to come to a halt, dropping the offending woman from his shoulder as soon as her blade left his flesh. It wasn’t a large wound, certainly nothing new to Kazan, though it was the fact she actually figured she had the right to slice him, that had him angry. She was a trespasser, here. She had no rights, no respect. If he carried her back to the tribe, she’d most likely be bound and kept hostage, until the tribe gained satisfaction with her answers to their questions. Perhaps she’d figured that she would have a better chance with facing Kazan alone, rather than the entire tribe. The man almost smirked.

Little did she know, he was a hell of a lot less merciful then their chief.

The man’s dark, hardened gaze followed the girl as she fell, hitting the ground below her hard, so hard in fact that he could hear the breath slipping from her chest, in what he considered as a moment of brutal vulnerability. She groaned, a sound Kazan recognized as a sign of discomfort, before she began rolling onto her back, probably in order to see him. It was as she did so that Kazan whipped his blade from his waist and leaned over her, shoving her lifted shoulder down harshly to “aid” her in rolling over completely. He straddled her without hesitation or reservation, for this was not nearly a moment for him to ask permission for such closeness, and he placed the blade roughly against her throat, his eyes narrowing in obvious malice. Her eyes found his, though instead of the sobering, remorseful effect it may have had on most, Kazan leaned closer, as if purposely displaying the fact her gaze would not stop him for whatever he wished to do. He was not a weak man; the mere, pleading, frightened look from a victim wouldn’t stop him.


As Kazan leaned in to speak to her, he felt a slight shiver run through the girl’s body, and the action almost gained a small smirk from the man, though he kept his expression dull. The blade pressed more firmly against the vulnerable, exposed skin of her neck, all before the man pulled himself up to his feel, and tucked the blade back into the waist of his bottoms. He watched as she recovered, looking over him in a seemingly confused manner. He knew very well she probably expected him to kill her, right then and there, and at her look he rose a brow, as if challenging her to keep on looking at him in such a way. She was lucky he’d spared her life, though should she keep on looking at him in such a thankful manner, Kazan might just change his mind.


His eyes were cold as he watched her hoist herself back up to her own feet, not a single thought entering his mind about the fact he should have offered her a hand. He just stood still, watching her, as she picked up her blade, and placed it back into her boot. Well, that was improvement at least. As long as she didn’t try to wound him once again, Kazan supposed he wouldn’t feel a growing need to punish her severely for it. He was very much a dominant male, and when threatened, took it entirely too seriously. She watched him for a moment after standing, a rather... thoughtful expression on her face, and Kazan’s jaw tightened in return, his own expression turning cold. He didn’t need to be looked at like that. He wasn’t any sort of savoir, he didn’t want to be thanked. The man made a point of adverting his eyes towards the sky as a nearby bird cawed, taking the sound as a chance to escape her look.

It was as the man was glancing towards the sky that the girl, whom of which he still didn’t know the name of, stepped closer, causing his head to snap back down, eyes narrowing in on her. She reached out towards his arm and he took a step back, expression turning to one of offense. What in the hell did she think she was doing? The girl continued though, her hand darting forwards to whip some of the blood from his wound, casing Kazan’s expression to turn confused, his brows furrowing with unwelcomed question. She stepped closer and the man tensed, not entirely sure if he was alright with the loss of personal space. He was very much like a wild animal when it came to others; unpredictable. He could lash out at any moment, and yet, tended to shy away from contact he didn’t welcome himself. “Um... you should clean that up so it uh... doesn’t get infected... I’ll help you.” Her words caught the man off guard, causing his lips to purse once again, as well as his arms to cross over his thick chest, causing the muscles within his arms to tighten, blood continuing to flow from the wound at a slower rate. He’d never been offered help. Why did this girl think he needed it, anyways? He didn’t need to be saved. The man watched as she left his side, shocked into speechlessness for a good moment, before speaking.

“I don’t need your help. I’m quite sure I know how to tend to my own wounds.”

He said, his tone cold, bitter. His attention was shifted though as the girl removed her top, drawing Kazan’s eyes towards her sleek, fit frame, though he tried to fight it. She still had some sort of small attire on, though the man found himself trying to purposely advert his eyes once more, fearing she may see him watching her far too intently. The woman dipped the cloth of her shirt into the water before coming near to him once again, and pressing the cool cloth against his wound. Kazan tensed, grinding his teeth in a somewhat aggravated manner, unsure why, exactly, he was letting a woman tend to his wound. He dropped his hands back to his sides, no longer feeling the need to cross his arms, and she started cleaning the dried blood from said areas, an act Kazan had never experienced coming from another person. Sure, his mother would clean his wounds when he was a small child, but after she passed on, no one ever bothered to care. The man watched her as she continued, only before his gaze found her own after a good moment, and he paused, eyes running over her expression, his own hardened face softening, just slightly. The two just stared at one another for a good moment, only before Kazan realized what exactly was happening and he pulled away roughly and took a few steps back, before walking towards the small pool of water. He didn’t bother to thank her, or even continue arguing. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do, as far as talking with this woman any longer.


Instead, Kazan kneeled down before the small pool of water, exposing the long, thick scar that stretched from his right shoulder blade down to his left hip. He cupped some of the water in his hands and brought it up to his lips, sipping lightly at the liquid, before speaking, not turning towards the girl.

“I’m assuming you like horses, then.”

It was much more a comment then a question, as Kazan rarely felt the need to ask questions, to come across as unknowing about something. It put him at a disadvantage. Why not state something as if he already knew, rather than coming across as a complete idiot? The man kept the fact that he had a horse of his own to himself, though remembered that he still didn’t know the woman’s name, and decided to ask her later on.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 1, 471
Muse: Alright
Notes: Sorry if it fails, I didn't proof it. And it's super long, and he only talks like.. twice. D:[/size][/blockquote]

[ROXI REESE]

When she had moved towards him, going in to touch his arm at first, he stepped away from her and she glanced up at his face for a moment before being brave and closing the space in between them once more, looking at the wound closer and wiping away some more of the blood before going to the water's edge and soaking her shirt in the clear liquid. As she had her back turned to him, soaking up the crystal water to use to clean his wound, his harsh voice reached her ears and she couldn't help but smile when he spoke, though making the smile disappear as she rose back to her feet and started towards him once more, the half soaked shirt in her hand.

"I'm well aware. But I figure I owe you one since you haven't killed me or anything yet." she replied, her voice simple and speaking with a matter of fact tone, as if daring him to challenge her words and call them false. She knew that he could have killed her at any moment, and he had plenty of opportunities and the motive to do so as well. That was what made it all the more interesting as to why he had still let her live and hadn't given her a scratch to remember him by when she had wasted no time cutting him up a bit. When she finally reached him, she wiped off the blood and made the bleeding stop easily before cleaning off the rest of the already drying blood.

It didn't take long for her to clean his wound and he didn't move while she did it either which was good because she would have had to chase him down if he did. She owed him for not hurting her even after she hurt him and she wasn't going to be happy until her debt was paid. Once she was all done, she looked down at her now blood stained white tank top and contemplated what to do with it before finally stuffing part of it in the back pocket of her shorts, leaving the rest to hang out of her back pocket to dry.

He moved away from her as soon as she was done tending to his wounds and though his temper seem to have gone down quite a bit since their little incident with the knife, he still seemed cautious and suspicious of her and she wasn't surprised. She felt the same way towards him. Hell, she didn't even know if she would make it through this day without him killing her. Especially with the track record they had going so far.

Her eyes followed him though as he walked over to the side of the pool and bent down by the water. Taking in the sight of him, a smile started to tug at the corners of her mouth as she saw the muscles in his back contract and bend as his shoulders moved when he reached down to scoop up some water. Shaking her head to clear her mind once more, she silently scolded herself for getting distracted and tried to keep herself in the here and now. Looking at the ground for a moment, she pulled herself together again and only then did she let her light brown eyes return to look at his back once more. There were already scars visible on his body and one rather large one in particular and she couldn't help but want to reach out and just run her fingers along it. Just as the thought entered her head, his words startled her back into the present as he spoke.

His comment caught her a bit off guard as it had nothing to do with anything but then she remembered the beautiful painted stallion she had followed to the pool of water and a smile spread across her face once more. Tilting her head a bit as she watched his back for a bit longer, she thought of her reply though he hadn't really asked a question, more commented but she felt like she should reply anyways.

"Yeah I use to ride a lot back where I came from. Horses are my favorite animal. They're so beautiful and pure spirited. And when you're on them. . . you just feel so. . . free." she spoke, her answer starting out simple as she watched him for a moment when she answered. But then her eyes shifted out into the jungle where the wild horses had disappeared to and it made her think back to her home far from here. She had horses and would always go on adventures, just her and her horse. And whenever her parents would make her mad, she would always take her gelding and they would go hide out in the mountains for a day or two before returning home to worried parents.

Pulling herself back to the present for the third time in less than five minutes, she slowly began to walk towards him, making an arch so that her final destination would put her next to him. Her foot steps were audible and she knew that he would be able to tell exactly where she was at all times, the thought almost sent a shiver of excitement down her spine. When she finally made it over to him, she stood a couple of feet away though, giving him his personal space if he so wanted it though her light brown eyes remained on him. Watching him with a bit of a thoughtful look as she waited for him to speak or move or do something.

[KAZAN]

Kazan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

[/i]

.xXx. [/color] It spoke good measures of the young woman, when, despite Kazan’s not-so-subtle hint towards the fact he didn’t want to be touched, she stayed determined, persistent even, and stepped forwards in order to wipe some of the drying blood away from his wound. His arm tensed as she did so, feeling as if hundreds of tiny, relentless little needles were jabbing into his flesh, thought the man stayed entirely composed; nothing but his sudden stiffness and tight jaw to give him away. He’d been through worse pain before, there was no reason on earth for him to shout and holler and cry; those were for the pathetic, embarrassing, weak-hearted souls within the world. Kazan was so determined to come across as strong, all the time. He wouldn’t ever shed a tear, wouldn’t ever let his eyes show sadness. He was hardened and guarded; it was how he had to be. Weak people got murdered—that was always how it worked.


Though, as the woman turned towards the water, kneeling down to pull of her top in order to soak it, bitterness seemed to devour the man’s calm exterior entirely, eating up all previous lenient thoughts. His lips pursed, hands curling into loose fists, as he tried to keep his eyes from her fit, lean body that was now very, very exposed to him. He spoke, commenting on the fact he didn’t exactly need her help, though the girl just continued soaking her shirt, before standing and turning towards him. Had she not heard him? “I’m well aware. But I figure I owe you one since you haven’t killed me or anything yet.” Immediately, Kazan’s brows furrowed at her words, his eyes flitting towards the sky, both regret and anger flashing across his expression. And yet, when his gaze finally found hers once again, his spoken lyrics spoke of only composure, completely contradicting his expression.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

Was all the man said, before his facial features shifted, taking on a new, darker expression. His eyes smouldered brown; dangerously close to obsidian, as the man watched her tend to his wound, pausing between comments to get her attention.

“Besides, that can always change. It doesn’t take much for me to turn on someone.”

His words were blunt and the truth; both a warning, and a hint. His lips curved into a small, partially amused smirk as he looked back towards her face, wrenching her eyes from his now-covered wound. The expression was tiny, barely even noticeable, though it was the nicest expression he’d offered the woman yet.

“Especially if you keep testing me.”

He commented gravely, though his expression stayed somewhat amused, however permanently hardened his features seemed to be. She finished cleaning the wound after a good moment, the slight breeze cool against the damp skin of Kazan’s arm, before the woman tucked her bloodied shirt into her back pocket, leaving most of the shirt to hang out loosely. Was that very practical? The man though for a moment, thinking about the fact it wouldn’t be smart for her to be walking about in the middle of the jungle with a bloodied shirt in her back pocket. Leopards have an excellent sense of smell; it’s an obvious danger. Kazan almost rolled his eyes, at the thought. Why were people so damn clueless? So, it was after the Islander moved away from the girl, out of not wanting to be too close to her (mostly out of fearing a loss of control), he walked towards the water’s edge once again. As he brushed past her however, the man paused, leaning forwards to reach around her and snatch the shirt from her pocket, before continuing his walk to the water, and leaning down to begin soaking it once again. He laid the shirt on the surface and cupped some water within his hands, before sipping, and explaining himself.

“Carrying blood with you is asking for trouble.”

He said, his tone flat in attempt to steer her away from the fact he might actually be worrying about her safety. Kazan didn’t let himself worry about others. He just... Didn’t want to be blamed for getting a young girl killed by a nearby leopard. Of course. That was obviously what he was thinking. The man tried to convince himself such things and, after failing rather miserably, decided to change the subject, commenting on the fact it seemed like she adored horses. After all, the girl had been rambling after the herd, hadn’t she? The man prodded at the girl’s shirt as she answered, half of his mind trying to convince him to let the top sink to the bottom, so she couldn’t have it back. He wouldn’t mind looking at her without it for the rest of their time together. “Yeah, I used to ride a lot back where I came from. Horses are my favourite animal. They’re so beautiful and pure-spirited. And when you’re on them... you just feel so... free.” Subconsciously as the man listened to her speak, he stopped moving, a smile threatening to spread across his features. He, of course, drowned the longing out with the thought of her slicing him open, but couldn’t help but to pause, in order to let his mind consume what he’d just heard. Horses were the only thing aside from a woman Kazan could ever call beautiful. They were amazing creatures, and it seemed as if this girl knew that. He began soaking the shirt again, rubbing at the blood to try to get it to come off, before speaking.

“I have one; she’s from the herd you were rambling after. Name’s Blue.”

He said quietly, pulling the shirt from the water and ringing it out tightly, watching as droplets drained from the ends of the fabric. He had a stalky blue-roan mare, in which he just let roam with the herd, due to the fact there was no way she could go anywhere. She didn’t come when he called or anything wild and far-fetched, though she knew who her owner was, and when the mare caught sight of Kazan, she was often very welcoming. Although she was a younger and calm-seeming mare, once fired up, she had one hell of a temper. The man almost smiled once again while thinking of the mare, before turning back towards Roxy, vitally aware of how suddenly close she was, his expression somewhat softer than before. It was still hardened for the average person, but for just Kazan alone, it was progress. The woman was actually getting somewhere.

“You never told me your name.”

He commented with a raise of his brow, as if asking a question, before holding out her now blood-free shirt towards her.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 1, 150 exactly
Muse: Alright
Notes: This post is weeird, and sorry it took forever, BUT SHE'S GETTING HIM TO TALKHDSUIA.[/blockquote][/size]

[ROXI REESE]

As her hands finished cleaning his wound with her shirt, his comments reached her ears but she didn't reply to any of them, determined to finish cleaning his wound before she gave him a response. His words were both harsh and confusing at the same time. He was definitely a hardened man, that much was easy to tell. But what was hard to tell was if his words were an actual, serious threat or if he was giving her a hard time and trying to make her think that he was more dangerous than he really was. She had no doubt he could take the life another without so much as batting an eye but the thing that left her curious was his last comment. He had said that it was easy for him to turn on someone, especially with the way she was testing him. But how exactly was she testing him? Sure she had cut him open with her knife but other than that she hadn't done much to severely push her luck to the point that he would turn on her in such a way for him to kill her. Had she?

But perhaps he wasn't talking about it in that sense. He was a male and a very instinctual male at that. So could he be talking about both pushing her luck with his temper and with tempting him in a more sexual way? She hadn't been doing anything to push the limits in a seductive way besides when she had stripped off her shirt to clean his wound but that couldn't have effected him that much could it? She wasn't really sure but she was very interested to test her theory and see what happened, even if that meant testing her luck as well.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, he moved towards her and it seemed as if he had read her mind because he paused when he came to stand right in front of her, looking down at her with those dark, mysterious eyes of his for a brief moment before he leaned down towards her, the space in between them becoming even less than before. Her breath caught in her throat at his closeness and her lips parted a bit as she looked up at him with her light brown eyes when she suddenly felt the shirt pulled out of her back pocket by his hand.

Letting the breath out that she didn't even realize she had been holding, her light brown eyes followed him as he made his way towards the pool of water once more with her shirt in tow. Rolling her eyes at herself for how excited she had gotten at his closeness just then, she shook her head quickly before starting towards him, her steps slow and careful as his words reached her ears once again. This time he was warning her that carrying blood was asking for trouble. She blushed a bit at being so stupid but in her defense, she rarely had to worry about such things back home. Back home the biggest predator they had was cougars in the mountains and the only time you would be carrying around blood would be if you were out hunting. But she never went hunting without her brother or father.

She couldn't help but smile once more as he placed her shirt in the water and started to rinse the blood from it. Though he would probably never admit it, this was probably one of the sweetest things he had done for her and possibly any girl. He was basically saving her life again. On a remote island she wasn't use to, there were all sorts of dangers out there that she didn't know about and while she was good at hunting and surviving so far, she hadn't come across any real dangers just yet so she had to count herself lucky. Who knew how long it would be before she was killed for something stupid that she should know better but didn't. Her smile remained for a moment longer and she thought about coming back with some smart ass remark about how she didn't need his help like she normally would to anyone else but she knew that he would probably become angry and quit helping her, even in such a small way as this. And if she was hoping to survive on this island then she would need to suck up her pride and hold her tongue or he would quit helping her and let her die. So she forced herself to remain silent and instead finished filling the space in between them until she was at his side.

When she was standing next to him, she didn't bend down but instead remained standing at his side as he continued cleaning off the shirt which didn't take nearly as long as she thought it would. He spoke once more, going back to their conversation about the horses. When he said he had one named Blue she felt a smile make it's way across her face once more. He had succeeded in taming one. That was exactly what her next goal was and if he had already done it then maybe he would be willing to help her catch and tame one as well. It would make a huge difference in helping her survive, especially since it would make it easier for her to travel around and hunting larger game would be easier as well.

She didn't want to get too excited just yet though because he probably wouldn't be too excited about helping a stranger so she would have to play her cards right if she wanted his help with this as well. His strength and knowledge would both be useful in capturing and taming one of the wild horses. It would make things a lot easier on her too. She decided that the best approach to the subject that she could come up with would be to make it seem like his idea in a way and hopefully have him suggest him help her but that was a long stretch. Especially since he was incredibly hard to predict and there was no telling how it would work out but it was the best thing she could come up with.

"That's incredible! I would love to see her sometime, if you wouldn't mind. . I was going to see if I could tame one of the horses as well, at least to the point where I could ride them. I figure I wouldn't be as easy to kill off if I was on horseback." she replied, an amused smirk on her face as she finished speaking. She was careful in the beginning of her comment to ask his permission in a way to see his mare. After all, she didn't want to come across as demanding, she knew that would get her no where with him. And she also was sure to add more to the end of her comment so he had time to think about his response before he would have to speak once more. She also made fun of herself a bit since it didn't seem like she would need any help getting herself killed.

When he suddenly rose to his feet and turned to face her before handing her the now clean white shirt, she was suddenly aware of how close they were and she forced her eyes to raise up from looking at his muscular abs. She was such a sucker for a guy with abs. His voice reached her once more but this time it was much softer and calmer than it had been before though still held the same firmness to it as it always did.

"Roxi. My name is Roxi." she replied simply, her voice softer still and a flirty smirk was on her face as she watched him with her light honey brown eyes. A sudden rebelliousness came over her as they stood rather close though there was still a foot or so between them. And her stubborn personality was coming out once more as she took a breath before stepping towards him a bit more, her eyes looking back up at his when the space between them was much smaller than before. They were so close now that their bodies were almost touching. As she looked up at him, a smirk was still on her face and she tilted her head to the side a bit, raising her brows a bit as if challenging him to take advantage of them being so close.

[KAZAN]

K

azan


Live, fight,
Crawl back inside,
Sick, blind,
Love left behind...

[/center]


.xXx. [/color] The man’s words were carefully chosen, hardened and blunt with a fair amount of warning, in order to keep the girl before him in her metaphorical place. Kazan was, in a way, trying to hint to her not to push him, as should she get a bit too daring here, a little too stubborn there, he may snap without realizing it, until afterwards. Kazan is very much a dominant male type of person, and so when he feels threatened, even in just a minor way such as being touched without his consent, the wilder, instinctive part of his mind screams at him; fight back, you’re stronger then she is. It’s always been something the man has had to deal with, and he’s coped somewhat well, all things considered. When one grows up alone, they tend to grow a “kill or be killed,” sort of mentality around life. Not saying you need to go about killing everyone, but one had to be careful. Extremely careful.


The man was brought from his thoughts as he leaned in closer to the woman before him, his own, darkened eyes burning into her lighter ones; digging through them, as if looking for anything useful within their auburn depths. He noted the discreet hitching of her breath within her throat as he did so, her lips parting; signs of excitement coursing through her, he assumed. Maybe, just maybe she was like him in that sense. Personal contact with a woman was a hard thing to endure when one was so instinctual, but even without that fact, during sex was one of the only times Kazan let himself go. He didn’t need to be guarded, or reserved. He didn’t need to hold it all back. If he wanted to be furious, he could be. No one would stop him. It was a primal need, or rather want, though at the sight of the girl before him looking at him like she was, he wondered, just briefly, if perhaps she felt the same. How old was she; how experienced? Was she thinking of him the way he was thinking of her? Kazan shook the thoughts from his mind, before his arm snaked around her, brushing against her side unintentionally as he did so, in order to snatch the shirt from the woman’s pocket, and walk off towards the water as if he hadn’t just been blatantly staring at her.


After doing something that could be taken as nice, it was only natural for Kazan to come up with some, sarcastic comment about her carrying around blood. It was an actual danger, but even so, Kazan knew he could have phrased the question in a better manner. He could have explained to her gently, softly, like most other men looking to get some female attention would. Instead, the thought of such acts disgusted the man, and he just furrowed his brow, mostly out of determination. She would make his job so much easier if she would stop being so damn nice, though. That much was entirely true. The man’s jaw flexed at the thought, before releasing, as he once again felt her presence nearby. She was close to him, very close, watching him as he watched her shirt. And yet, the man didn’t mind. As long as she wasn’t challenging or threatening his dominance in any way, he would be happy. He continued to wash the article of clothing as the two began speaking of horses, and Kazan mentioned he had his own, named Blue. His lips almost curved into a smile at the thought of the mare, before the man furrowed his brow and scrubbed at the material slightly more vigorously, determined to keep a straight face. “That’s incredible! I would love to see her sometime, if you wouldn’t mind... I was going to see if I could tame one of the horses as well, at least to the point where I could ride them. I figure I wouldn’t be as easy to kill off if I was on horseback.” At her words, Kazan actually smirked. He paused, his hands hesitating in mid-washing fo the shirt, before continuing. He spoke but a moment later, his voice hoarse, rough, though there was slight amusement within it.

“You could just ask for me to help, you know. Don’t need to make a speech of it.”

He glanced up at her momentarily to flash her a small smirk, one that was both mocking and teasing, though that was just how Kazan was. He couldn’t kid without mocking someone, couldn’t laugh unless he was being harsh. It was how the man functioned, and it wasn’t as if he would be changing it any time soon. He paused, his smirk slowly fading away as he thought, before continuing to answer her earlier comment.

“And as far as seeing my mare goes,”

He paused once again, in attempt to subdue another smirk out of mocking teasing.

“Depends if you’re still around by then.”

He said all too easily, once again mocking her being a novice within these lands. He was lightening up certainly, as he wasn’t trying to murder her any longer, but even still, he was stiff, his words rough, and still very blunt and hardened. It was only moment after he’d spoken that he dubbed the shirt as clean, lucky about the fact the blood was so fresh, and stood abruptly, before holding out the girl’s shirt for her. He didn’t move away from her, even after noticing the close proximity between the two. He just watched her, his question lingering in the air around them as silence took over. “Roxi. My name is Roxi.” And then, before the man got a chance to answer, she was moving, closing the distance between the two. She looked up at him, a flirtatious little smile spread across her lips. Kazan’s body tightened, each and every muscle within his frame slowly contracting, his eyes meeting hers, as he was far too afraid to let his gaze wander down her slender frame. Fuck. The man let out a heavy sigh, his jaw flexing, before speaking.

“You should be more careful,”

He paused, his words low and deep, nearly a whisper.

“Tempting men can be dangerous.”

He spoke carefully, his voice still very low, as if his words were a secret meant for her, and only her.

Show me where it hurts,
And I’ll make it worse.
Are you holding on?
Keep holding on.

Words: 1, 089
Muse: Meh
Notes: Sorry if it failsssss
[/size][/blockquote]

[ROXI REESE]

When his arm snaked around her to reach for her shirt, the warmth of his skin brushed against the bare skin on her side, giving her goose bumps where he had touched her. But she didn't speak and made her way to his side as he went on with washing the shirt. As he was busy at work on her shirt, he spoke once more, telling her that all she had to do was ask for his help instead of making a speech about it. She couldn't help but smile at that, tilted her head back and looking away as he called her out on her technique that had of course failed miserably with him. Turning her head to look back down at him, she sighed loudly, knowing that if she wanted his help then the only way to get it would be to suck up her pride yet again and ask for his help which she hated doing. Mainly because she hated having to ask for help or rely on others. But in these circumstances it was ask for help or die so she could probably make an exception to her rules this one time.

"Alright alright. . . Would you be so kind and help me with the horses." she replied, dragging out her question a bit and adding a hint of sarcasm to it though not enough to offend him or make him think she was mocking him at all.

It was so strange talking to him because he was unlike any guy she had ever met before and she was use to knowing what to do with guys and knew how they thought. But with Kazan, it was all different. He was unreadable. And that simple fact drove her crazy beyond belief. For a moment she found herself wishing that he would act like the guys back home that she was use to dealing with but then she realized that she wouldn't be as interested in him as she was now if he was just like the guys back home. Of course.

When he spoke about his mare once more and answered her question she had asked him to see if she could see his mare, he looked up at her with a smirk on his face before speaking again and her mouth hung open a bit in disbelief and amusement at his words. So little faith he had in her survival. Oh well, all the more need to prove him wrong and show him that she could survive in a place like this. She decided not to reply to that and instead just used her teasingly shocked expression as a reply.

He was on his feet in a moment, handing her the shirt that she tucked in the back pocket of her shorts once more though her eyes never left him as she daringly took a step towards him, filling the gap in between them even more than before. As she stood so close to him, she could see the muscles in his entire body contracting when her gaze fell to his chest and she immediately pulled it back up to his eyes as he spoke, his words were low and deep, almost as if it were a secret though she could still sense the same firm tone in his voice that he always seemed to carry. She watched him for a long moment, not saying a word before she finally opened her mouth a bit as she prepared to speak.

"I'm aware of the risks." she replied simply, her voice just as secretly and soft as his had been. She didn't move any closer though, not wanting to push him over the edge if he didn't want to go that far. It was his move. Though she know what she wanted him to do, she wasn't going to make that decision for him. Her eyes watched him carefully, not leaving his face as she waited to see what his next move would be, her heart drumming in her chest with anticipation.