NO FOOTSTEPS ON THE GROUND ---

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I'm lookin' for a place,
I'm searchin' for a face

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February 1956

Desna had a unique past as far as nations were concerned. It was questionable if he could even be considered a nation, given no one ruled over Antarctica. He had come into existence a long time ago. He wasn’t sure how long, seeing as the passing of time for him could only be told by seasons back then. He hadn’t had a calendar or even anything to record time on if he had wanted to. That was what happened when you were completely alone in the frozen wasteland of Antarctica.

Desna had survived those earlier years by being resourceful and the convenient fact that he would survive as long as Antarctica did (though he didn’t know that at the time). He survived by killing and eating seals and penguins, as well as using pelts, blubber and bone for various things. He crafted his own clothes, sewn of baby seal pelts with dried intestines for thread and a piece of bone acting as a needle. They were simple, and he would keep remaking the same type of clothes in the years that followed.

That was until Desna made first contact with another being. He had been watching carefully as the various expeditions landed and explored. He had pilfered more than a few things, some because they looked useful and he knew ways to use them. Other objects just caught his eye and appealed to him. He still had that collection of ‘found’ objects in his igloo.

However, today was very different. Desna had a pair of trousers and a t-shirt on. His feet were bare, despite the blistering cold weather. He was far from cold; this was where he belonged after all. He had received a number of gifts delivered on various expeditions since the other nations of the world had discovered he was here. Hell, he had even visited other continents now, making him no longer quite so oblivious to what was out there.

Desna had become much more bold, moving to and from the new Antarctic bases going up in his world. He kept a close eye on the explorers and their various structures added to regions of his home. There was a new one just opening today. It was called “Mirny” and would be the first Russian base here. Des had been watching Russian explorers as much as the rest over the years and he was naturally quite curious.

He parked himself on a mound of ice that had a dusting of fine snow. The temperature was very warm on this part of the continent (for Desna at least...) and Des had brought his pack (another thing sent to him that he had now lined the outside with seal fur) with some cooked seal inside it as a snack. He hadn’t been forced to eat huge quantities anymore, since the recent explorations brought supplies. Alfred had begun sending a surplus years ago with those expeditions so that Des could have more of a variety. It was a good thing that it was always cold here, so any food kept well and Desna was creative enough to stretch it far. He hadn’t brought any of the food he had been sent, as he was hoping that the explorers here opening this new scientific base would part with some supplies.

Des didn’t approach the base itself, but he could easily be seen from its location. So instead he simply watched and waited. He was a patient individual and as such he just sat, chewing slowly on some of the seal he had brought with him.

TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 596
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain Ivan had decided to go on the next voyage to Antarctica a while ago. He wasn’t sure when it would be, or if his leader would be thrilled about it, but he didn’t care. As far as he was concerned it didn’t matter what his boss thought, he was going anyway if only to get away for a bit. The opportunity for him to do that came in February of 1956, and he took it. His house was full of other countries and while he didn’t mind the company that made up the USSR, they did get a little out of hand at times. Especially when his sister got a little overly obsessed with him and wouldn’t leave him alone. Every so often everyone needed some alone time, and so he would take a trip and once he got back everything would be back to tolerable again. Besides, he didn’t mind the cold and was curious about the continent. Others had been there, that he knew for sure, and so he had overheard a few stories, but not much. Many of the other nations didn’t particularly talk to him all that much. They thought of him as big and scary, and while he knew he could be, he wasn’t always like that he didn’t think. Maybe he was, judging by how some of the Baltic States acted around him if that was any indication. Anyway, he sailed with the crew, and most of them seemed to leave him alone for the trip down. They only ever talked to him if they either needed him to do something, or food was ready. Ivan honestly didn’t really think of himself as that intimidating, but maybe it was the fact that he was rather irritable as of late that made them wary. Or maybe someone had told them he was important and to be left alone. They were all possible, and really Ivan didn’t care which as long as they didn’t whine about him being there. He hated hearing whining, and didn’t put up with it when it was directed at him. That was actually a good way to get yourself ‘lost at sea’ so to speak. Or just thrown overboard, that was a good possibility too, and it was considerably less messy than other ways to get rid of people. Anyway, after a long journey they finally reached the icy and cold continent and started setting up camp. It was called Mirny, and their first Russian base on the continent. After setting up several structures he decided that was enough for now and that he could take a break. He looked around for a bit for somewhere that was out of the way, when he spotted someone he didn’t recognize. He certainly hadn’t come with the ship, and the way he was dressed suggested he was unbothered by this weather for some reason. Alright, he had the nation’s interest, and so he walked over to the shoeless male sitting on a block of ice. ”привет” he said simply with a wave of his hand. It meant hello in Russian, but he had no idea if the other being would understand that. Actually, he wasn’t sure if he knew any languages and what they would possibly be. So thus he had gone with a wave too as a form of greeting. 558 / Pancake and Des /I'm sorry this took forever [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #08088A; border-bottom: 10px solid #08088A;]February 1956

Had this been several years ago, Desna wouldn’t have been this bold. The approach of anyone would have made him flighty. He’d slunk around watching from a distance and pilfering at thing or two for his own living space. With the introduction to a few others like him, he’d been sent more supplies on various trips out here the frozen wastes of Antarctica and it made him more bold and expectant. To say he was hoping for more was an understatement but he chose to avoid that when finally someone approached him.

The man who did approach still managed to make Des a little nervous. He was quite tall, in fact, towering tall. He had to be at least a foot taller than Des. The nervousness didn’t come from height though, there was something about him that set Des on edge a bit. It wasn’t that serious so he tried to ignore the instinct to take off. The prospect of something new used to make him explore safely or stay away from it. Since visiting the rest of the world and experiencing the traumatic and aw inducing other landmasses with completely different climates, creatures and even plants (Something Des had little experience with before), he had learned to embrace the difference as a good thing.

Des’ charming smile came naturally to his face when the man approached, so despite that nervousness he wasn’t frightened or intimidated enough to want to turn away. He was here for a reason. He had seen many different types of people in his world before. He was still in a transitional portion of his life where he had to adapt, and that included meeting people that he was not completely comfortable with off the start.

Des took another bite of the charred seal, chewing it slowly as the other approached. Desna grinned a little more when the other said hello in Russian. Naturally, by now Desna had many languages he could speak, seeing as the number of people coming and going from his continent were from vastly different places with varying linguistics. Russians may not have had a base before now, but they had made many explorations. ”Здравствуйте! Ты выглядишь странно для русского человека.” He responded, (Hello!! You look strange for a Russian man).

Desna had immediately noted the oddly white hair that was so similar to his own and that he hadn’t seen on younger men. Add to that the man’s physical build and he was definitely unique to Desna but also quite familiar. ”You haven’t been here before have you…? And yet you don’t seem that bothered by the weather…most people usually are.”

[/b] Des continued, still in Russian. He couldn’t be sure what languages the other spoke after all.

Desna wiggled his toes in the snow to reach the most solid portion underneath so he could grip the ground beneath it, he rose up to his feet. He stuck out his hand to shake the other’s. ”My name is Desna, nice to meet you.”[/b] He offered up, no longer feeling the initial nervousness. One day it would go away altogether, even for people like Ivan who had made him more nervous than the usual before social contact.

Desna had picked up the hand shaking thing back when Alfred had first arrived here. The first non-animal being Desna had interacted with was Alfred. He had shied away from contact with others having gone so long alone. The run in with Al had been an accident, but Desna remembered the way he had interacted and had learned to use similar routes in social conversations since. From the handshake to the way he introduced himself, all of it emulated Alfred’s way of making conversation during that first contact. Desna hadn’t yet reached a social comfort to begin distorting or playing with this method of introduction and contact initiation even after decades.
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TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 645
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain To say that Ivan was interested in the being he had come upon was an understatement. It was far below freezing on the continent, yet he wasn’t wearing shoes or even a coat. That meant that the cold was of no bother to him. To such an extreme as this was a little strange though. He was fairly certain humans couldn’t adjust to such a thing, or at least he hadn’t seen any do so and his country wasn’t exactly considered warm. Actually, the fact that it wasn’t warm was what kept most invaders at bay, being that running tanks through nonsensical snow was more than a little difficult. There was also the fact that it was the largest country, and so trying to take over was no small feat, and really at this point seemed to be more than a little impossible. Ah well, he was fine with that. He got beat up enough as a child, he didn’t need such a thing at his age certainly. It was one of those moments where one considers themselves too old for such shenanigans. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t go to war if he was told to, it was just more of an annoyance because he just felt like it should be over and done with now. Anyway, he approached the intriguing person sitting not too far away and wondered if he would make his usual impression. Yes, he knew most thought he was creepy, and no he didn’t particularly care all that much. Most of them were at fault for how creepy he ended up, so they deserved it honestly. Some of the much younger countries didn’t really deserve it, but eh it was a little late to change impressions now, and besides it got people to not try and pick on him at least. It also kind of meant people listened better when he spoke, because otherwise he may throw a pickaxe at their face. Hey, they were countries it wouldn’t really damage them permanently. Though some may consider that rude, but he wasn’t exactly partial to caring about that either. Anyway, it would seem the other being new Russian, and he had to say he was and wasn’t shocked. Sure Russians had been there numerous times, but why had none of them ever mentioned someone in a t-shirt and no shoes before? It seemed like it should be one of those things you should mention when returning. Hearing the statement that he looked strange for a Russian man he raised an eyebrow. Was that a compliment or an insult? ”How so?” he asked simply. The next question made him return the smile though Ivan’s was significantly more on the creepy scale than the friendly scale. ”No I have not, I have not been allowed until now. Apparently things are calm enough that my request was granted, though I must say I probably didn’t really give them much of a say in the matter.” he stated. Sure, it was the middle of the USSR and things were vaguely hectic, but there was nothing he could do about it and thus him taking a trip was probably no big deal. Though, really he would have gone regardless because he needed a vacation. He did hope they remembered to feed his cat though because he feared the fluffy beast may try to eat one of them in their sleep otherwise. ”I’m used to the cold. It’s cold back home most of the time.” he stated with a shrug continuing in Russian. Sure he knew other languages, but he discovered the other being new Russian and not if he knew anything else. Besides, he was Russia, he should be speaking in Russian. Then the other introduced himself and stood up. ”I am Ivan, nice to meet you as well.” he stated and took the outstretched hand for a shake. ”So…why are you here exactly?” the taller nation asked the being in front of him. 662 / Pancake and Des /-punts ivan- [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #08088A; border-bottom: 10px solid #08088A;]February 1956

Desna found the way other people dressed when in Antarctica strange. It was a difference in opinion and if anyone asked him he’d say that that much outerwear was just asking for a good sweat. He found it a nice comfortable temperature and the snow felt great between his bare toes. Too much warmer than it is here and the ice would be melting! That would be terrible and ridiculously warm.

Des was still not as informed about normal human beings so that also wasn’t a great factor in his perspective. He saw his perspective and was just beginning to understand that others saw things differently. The others he had spoke to were mostly nations themselves and therefore not a great judge of what the bulk of the population felt. Though, given the way the nations also bundled, they were not so adjusted to the apparent cold either.

If the cold kept Russia safe, it was an even better defence to Antarctica. It was so cold here that the normal human couldn’t live here as a permanent residence. Its primary use was for experimentation that wasn’t possible anywhere else in the world. There was so much undiscovered by the human population here that Antarctica was considered much like a mystery and as a reserve to protect those mysteries before they were found. Desna’s ultimate safety came from the caution of humans to visit this frozen wasteland and the fact that they couldn’t form a comfortable habitat here.

Desna didn’t mind the stations set up for study in his lands. He’d have been more concerned if people came along and started to pollute what he had come to see as a comfortable home. As it was, extreme changes happening out here were not that common. Desna didn’t care much for change, though he managed well enough when the occasion arose. Like right now for an example...his world had changed a lot in the past couple decades.

Des took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering. He felt he had all the time in the world so a moment was probably a bit longer than what others might consider a moment. ”Well...you are taller and your hair colour is much more like mine than like that of the other Russian men I have seen.”

[/b] he explained. It was a poor explanation for what he really meant. Des hadn’t had enough experience with people to draw out a conversation on their physical appearance.

”Also, you pay more attention to your surroundings. People in general assume there is no one around here, so they don’t notice me that often, even when I want to be noticed...”[/b] he added on to clarify another difference. Des had sat there a while with no one approaching...so he assumed they just hadn’t noticed. This wasn’t necessarily the case but his outlook was still quite a simple one.

Desna got a tad confused at the answer he received when the other explained his lack of knowledge on the place. ”Who are them? Who said you were not allowed?”[/b] he asked puzzled. Desna didn’t have a set government to work with, so naturally this idea of being ordered to do something was extremely strange to him. He’d had difficulties with other people when this same topic had arisen.

Desna’s smile grew a bit when he heard that the other came from a fairly cold area as well. ”Really? That explains a lot. Perhaps I should visit Russia sometime...though, I am not sure where it is, nor how to get there.”[/b] he added with a laugh. ”Perhaps later...”[/b] he tacked on, still keeping to Russian. Des was fluent in several languages due to the many based formed here, so moving one language to the next was no issue for him. Russian was just as comfortable as English.

Des smiled with delight when the other shook his hand and he repeated the name back to himself, ”Ivan...”[/b]. He’d remember it easily enough...Des shrugged and stuck his hands in his jean pockets when the next question popped from Ivan’s lips.

Des had many reasons for being here and the question took a bit of time to formulate an answer to. ”Well...for starts, you are setting up in my home so I figured I’d keep an eye on things. New arrivals means I was going to check things out anyways. Also, new arrivals are often pre-warned that I am here and bring me some gifts. I figured I’d stop by and see what there was for me here...I can always use new things from new places.”[/b] Desna explained. ”I especially like when people bring new food. Did you bring any food from Russia for me to try?”[/b] Des asked, sounding hopeful. Though his words could be taken as selfish in a way, his tone suggested curiosity instead of self-entitlement.
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TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 806
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain Russia was used to the cold, but he never really got warm, so even in warm weather he still wore the scarf his big sister gave him. So, while he didn’t bundle up quite as much as others did, he was technically still wearing a coat and scarf with a sweater underneath. It was just, considerably less so than the humans he was with. After all, he wasn’t even wearing a hat or anything covering his face. He did have gloves on at least, but they weren’t exactly anything you would call super heavy duty. This was probably a dead giveaway that there was something a little odd about him. Most wouldn’t be able to tolerate such temperatures after all, and he was pretty sure Des could figure out that he was a little odd. Just as Des had to figure out that Ivan could tell he was a little odd. Though then Desna decided to point out how he was strange and he pondered that for a moment. ”My sisters both have similar hair colors, but I do suppose most don’t.” he stated referring more to humans than nation and city spirits. He had seen a number with odd hair colors, but humans didn’t tend to have the same type of hair color usually. Actually, he was pretty sure some of the Nordics had some white blonde hair as well. He knew his sisters hadn’t been here, and so he did assume that it was possible no other Russians that looked similar to him had been here as of yet. Then Desna mentioned that he paid more attention to his surroundings, and people assumed that nobody was here so he wasn’t often noticed. That was more because he was often getting attacked as a child so learned to be aware of everything to try and avoid it. Wait, that meant that he was here when others weren’t too, and so did that make him a spirit of sorts of Antarctica? It really was the only thing that made sense, especially considering the attire. Any normal being couldn’t grow up in a climate like this and still be wearing such clothing without freezing to death. ”Old habits. It was necessary at one time, it may not be as necessary anymore, but habits are hard to break.” he stated simply. Yeah, he used to get attacked far too often certainly. Then he was asked about who told him that he wasn’t allowed. ”My bosses. I am not an easily controlled person though, so I don’t always give them a choice in the matter.” he said simply. Hey, as far as he was concerned he overruled them on some things. One downside of the Soviet Union was that he had far too many bosses for his preference right at the moment, and getting anything he wanted done was a bit hard he had to say. Thus, he tended to sometimes go over their heads on matters of wanting to go on a trip somewhere. With as many beings as he lived with, he was pretty sure he deserved some time to himself every so often. It seemed that Desna was surprised about there being other cold areas in the world. Maybe he hadn’t met anyone else used to it in that case. ”You could always come back when we return if you wanted. I have a ton of people at my house anyway so what’s one more?” he stated with a shrug. If he was correct about who Desna possibly was, then it could be very interesting, and he kind of wanted to know more about him. Besides, the house was plenty big enough for it, and really he had to add a rather large number of rooms to accommodate everyone when the merge was decided upon. Then Ivan had decided to ask why Des was here, because he had a slight hunch at this point and wanted a confirmation. Pondering the answer he raised an eyebrow. ”I wasn’t told, but I’m not surprised. I…do not talk to others all that much. They probably knew, and so I suppose we’ll find out what they brought. Food is an easy one, just got to make it, and I know how to make most everything originating from Russia so you’re covered there.” he said with a shrug. ”Desna, are you the spirit of Antarctica?” he asked going on a hunch. Hey, it would make sense considering he was here and the continent was supposed to be only inhabited by creatures designed to live in such conditions. Humans, and human like things were not designed to live in such conditions, but nation spirits…well they couldn’t exactly die like most and thus would be able to survive and learn as they went. 796 / Pancake and Des / His muse is too quiet D< [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #08088A; border-bottom: 10px solid #08088A;]February 1956

Desna didn’t consider himself to be odd. Quite the opposite. He considered the others coming in and out of Antarctica odd. Their heavy layers couldn’t be comfortable to move around in. They had all these strange things with them that he had never seen before the arrival of people in Antarctica. On top of all of that they clearly knew nothing about the land they were in, or at least nothing compared to what Desna knew, obviously. Desna’s frame of reference was small though, and as a result he viewed things he was used to as normal, despite the fact that he was the abnormal one. He was aware that to those landing he must look strange though, given the obscure outfits they all slugged around in. He was positive they had to be sweating in there.

Des puzzled over the sisters comment first. ”Sisters huh? Similar hair colours? Do they live with you in Russia then?”

[/b] Des inquired. Desna had little to go on and just moved to the assumption that his siblings were just female version of him. Des didn’t have siblings, and given his location he never would.

Des smiled, ”I just figured it was natural necessity. How can you ignore what’s around you when all the little ticks and changes alert you to what is coming. I mean, it doesn’t snow much but I can always tell when it will snow by paying attention. If people had thought to look closer at the land itself they might learn something...”[/b] he explained. I think its always necessary to keep an eye on what is happening around you...”[/b] He finished, basically correcting the other in the assumption that it may not be as necessary anymore. Of course, Desna had no idea the scale of what Russia had gone through to this point.

As Ivan mentioned his bosses, Des pondered over the purpose of having a boss at all. He’d never had one personally...”So these bosses said no? You said yes? And just took off to come here? If that is the case, who is truly the boss in that situation?”[/b] He laughed.

The smile from early grew a little at the prospect of travelling again. He’d gone to a few places now, but never another cold place! ”Perhaps I will...I’ll think about it while you are here and get back to you. If not, I’ll tag along next time for sure.”[/b] Des offered. Des had a huge thirst for knowledge about many things and the chance to view more of the world and see new things was appealing. Of course, he wasn’t sure how long Russia was going to be here and given time anything was possible.

Desna frowned a moment when he heard Ivan doesn’t really talk to others. He had a mixture of thoughts trailing through his mind. They started with wondering why Ivan didn’t talk to them and transitioned to the fact that it wasn’t likely there were extra supplies brought that could be definitely spared for Des. He didn’t get a chance to comment on it and ultimately chose not to anyways. If Russia didn’t know about Des, it didn’t matter...he did now. Well..sort of. But that inevitable question came up and cleared that last bit of doubt.

”Spirit...hmm...Perhaps? I am not sure what I’d call it, but if you are like others I’ve met, then I assume I am what you think I am. I’ve been here a very long time, and I live here certainly. Antarctica is a name I’ve been called...But I am solid, so spirit isn’t the word I’d use.”[/b] Des offered. ”And you are Russia right?”[/b] Des had been making that assumption based on small observations and more importantly, the fact that he hadn’t been directly approached by many people. Those who were not like Des himself, generally were more baffled and confused by the appearance of a teenage boy hardly dressed for the weather. Nations were more inclined to approach and ask questions, sure, but they didn’t give Des the impression of being completely befuddled. Instead they asked all the right questions...like now.
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TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 806
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain Russia heard the question asked about his sisters and pondered a moment. ”Yes, I have two sisters, one older and one younger. They are a bit more blonde rather than white, but it’s still a very light blonde. Yes, they currently live with me, though they have not always done so.” he said with a slight shrug. It was true enough, there were several periods of time where they had gone off and became parts of other countries or had just not lived with him. Now it was more like when they were kids, all living together in the same giant house, but with other countries, a few capitals, and the nation pets as well. That really was quite a lot of beings living in one house, and he wondered how long he would be able to tolerate this many people before going even more insane than he already was. Truthfully, it would probably be pretty hard to top his insanity at the moment, but he had a feeling if he had to deal with constant marriage proposals from his little sister it might just happen. The girl terrified him, and saying no did nothing to deter her efforts, if anything it just made her scarier. Listening to what Des had to say, Ivan gave a slight sigh. ”Most don’t really need it anymore honestly. It’s only those who actually had to use it at one time that have the observational skills. With technology the way it is, there isn’t much of a need to constantly pay attention to your surroundings.” he stated simply. Well, on most of the continents that was true, but he was pretty sure that didn’t apply here. ”Here, that’s not quite the case, and it’s kind of important, but most people aren’t accustomed to such conditions because they’ve never needed to be. I am because I had to be, just as you have I assume.” he noted. The next statement made him laugh as well. ”It wasn’t so much that they flat out said no, it was more that they weren’t thrilled about my decision to go. They are definitely still boss, but they know that it would be quite difficult to stop me since my mind was made up.” he grinned slightly. These bosses were pushovers in comparison to others he had in the past, so he took some advantage of the fact that they didn’t know how to control him in the slightest. That’s what they get for taking over instead of getting the country passed down to them. Anyway, he had then asked if Desna maybe wanted to come back with them. Certainly he had plenty of time to decide, and hey it would mean he could get all the souvenirs and food from Russia he wanted. Though, really he wondered if the crew knew about him and brought some things. Why hadn’t he been told? Granted, the other countries who had been here weren’t always on great terms with him, but still this was something you should probably mention. ”Let me know what you decide. You have plenty of time before we go back to figure it out.” he stated simply with a smile. That was true enough seeing as it took quite some time to get here, and so they weren’t going to be leaving quite so fast. There was research to be done after all. He would probably not get involved in such things, as he wasn’t really a scientist, but he could do other things like observe wildlife or whatever. Maybe Desna would show him around a bit. That could be quite fun actually, and he might learn more that way too. After all, if Desna really did live here then it was safe to say he knew the place far better than anyone else. Hearing Desna’s explanation, and affirmation, Ivan gave a smile. ”Yes, I am Russia. I use spirit because many consider us the heart and soul of a country and thus the country’s spirit of sorts. I guess soul would work better technically.” he noted with a shrug. There were many things you could call them, but spirit and soul seemed to be the most fitting. Granted, insane also probably fit most of them, but let’s just ignore that little fact and move on. Though, what could they do now? He supposed they could probably wander around a bit, just so long as he was back before anyone tried to report him as missing. ”So, what is there to see on Antarctica? I assume there’s more here than snow and ice of course.” he asked simply. Hey, he’d never been here, and was now curious as to what was here. Thus, he figured he would ask the person who was likely to know the most about such things. 803 / Pancake and Des / my everything hurts [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com

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I'm lookin' for a place,
I'm searchin' for a face

Des pondered over the idea of siblings for a moment but couldn’t imagine having any himself. Perhaps it was the fact that he had lived alone so long, or maybe it was just the fact that he couldn’t fully place where he had even come from. ”Okay. So do you spend time with them then?”

[/b] he asked out of curiosity. What he really wanted to know was what Ivan did with his siblings. Des found so far that feeding people was the best form of entertainment he had to offer. Sure there was hunting and making thing too, but he did all of that just fine on his own. Generally he did it with others because they had never done it before, not because it was particularly entertaining to Desna.

Desna found himself nodding in agreement. It was true; people didn’t need to pay attention anymore. The further up the social chain a person was the less they had to pay mind to the world around them. In a place like Antarctica, not reading the signs could mean getting severely lost. It was like a wasteland after all, a frozen one mind you. The long night was even worse for getting lost without minding your environment. ”I have noticed that your people keep bringing in more and more new toys and gadgets. If it’s anything like that back in your homeland, I imagine the upgrades must be spectacular.”[/b] Des agreed. It was only 1956 and the technology even 50 years earlier was lacking. Desna had little contact with civilized worlds though, so he was less likely to see the true growth.

Des smiled back at Ivan. ”Of course I have had to. I live here. And as you aptly pointed out, the conditions here require it. Most of your people have only ever been here during the great light periods. They rarely stay for the long dark ones. That is when you really must keep your wits about you.”[/b] he explained.

Desna still didn’t quite understand the point of a boss. If you could demand what you wanted or ask what you wanted and get it, why not just do it anyways the boss be damned?! What is the point in being the boss if the person you are boss over can just do what they please? He certainly didn’t want a boss dictating to him what to do. ”Hmm…sounds to me like you’re the real boss.”[/b] Des offered.

Des wasn’t sure when the ships were heading back to Russia, but he figured if they did go he’d be there for a few months given the changes of season and the time it took to travel there. He had to plan carefully if he chose to go that route. As a result he wasn’t fully committed to the idea just yet, but he did love the thought of going and seeing a part of the world he hadn’t seen yet. He just hoped it wasn’t as toasty as America was when he visited there. ”I will be sure to let you know if I come to a decision.”[/b] Des replied.

Listening to the Russian describe what he perceived as the reason to use the term spirit, Desna found it was fitting after all. ”I guess spirit works too,”[/b] Des conceded. Desna was only familiar with the term from others to begin with. He hadn’t really understood who he was or what his purpose was until the first personal contact he had made. Since then his ideas had begun evolving and changing, as was expected to happen.

Des found himself laughing at the other’s question. ”Give n what I saw in America…if you are used to anything like it…there isn’t much here. I mean, there is loads of snow and ice as you say. There are a couple of nice looking mountain ranges, some pretty scenic places, lots of penguins and some seals if you know where to look…and by that I mean they are not uncommon.”[/b] Des offered. ”Of course, I know the best places to look for them…and the best ways to get close contact with them. The animals out here are not afraid of us because they have no reason to be.”[/b] Des explained. ”I could take you ice fishing…and penguin hunting, seal hunting, or even just sightseeing. There is a lot to see…but it will mean a lot of walking and it will take a long time between places.”[/b] Des explained, giving fair warning.

[/div]

DATE: February 1956
TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 747
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

[/style][/blockquote]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain Hearing Desna’s question he shrugged slightly. He did suppose he spent time with them. After all, he did live with them so that was a little unavoidable. ”I do, I live with them so we spend a lot of time together.” he said with a slight smile. They did sometimes get a little irritating, but he dealt with them just fine. As long as they didn’t get too clingy he was okay with them. Though, usually at least one did, and then there was the possibility of the other getting upset about it and then becoming clingy too. They really were kind of a hassle at times he had to admit. Ah well, he did sort of love his sisters, he supposed. That is, if you wanted to call it that. They were his family, and had always been there basically. He cared for them, but he wasn’t sure you could quite call it love. Ivan wasn’t really sure he quite understood the entire concept of the emotion. Being a little on the crazy side did that to a person after all, so it was understandable in a way. Maybe he was more than a little on the crazy side actually, but that wasn’t important at the moment. Hearing the comment about new toys and gadgets he smiled slightly. ”It didn’t use to be like that. Things are much more advanced now, and keep doing so quickly as more discoveries are made with the new equipment. Many of the new gadgets aren’t really all that needed for your average person though.” he said with a slight shrug. He certainly didn’t have a need for most of the scientific equipment that was highly advanced. Ivan just nodded as Des smiled and said that of course he had to be used to the conditions here due to living here. ”How long does the long dark period last?” he asked simply while a bit curious. The scientists didn’t talk to him much, and besides if they weren’t here during it did they really know how long it would last anyway? Hearing Des’s comment about his boss he decided he should probably explain what he really meant by boss. ”He’s boss over the people in my country more than me. I don’t control my people, and they technically can’t know I exist. They make rules and are supposed to lead their people to prosper, but that doesn’t always happen. It’s kind of complicated in the way it works honestly. They rule the country, but not really it’s representative.” he explained a bit better. Well, at least he hoped it was a better explanation than the one he had apparently given before. Granted, there was also the fact that Desna didn’t have a boss and never had one so the concept probably seemed strange to him. The people needed a leader, or else they were a little chaotic and all over the place. Sure, not all leaders were great, but it was better than nothing most of the time. Then Desna said he’d let him know if he came to a decision about coming back with him and Russia just nodded simply. That was fair enough. Besides, they were going to be here for a little while yet and thus that gave the continent plenty of time to answer. Hearing that Desna was apparently at Alfred’s, and was wondering if Russia was like that, Ivan raised an eyebrow. ”I haven’t been to America in a very long time.” he noted simply with a slight frown. They were sort of in a war right at the moment actually. Well, it was more of a glaring match, but still that wasn’t the point. He listened as Desna spoke about what was around and found himself quite interested. He wanted to inspect a penguin certainly and wondered if they would be able to catch one alive for Ivan to see up close. ”Why don’t we start with sightseeing? I don’t mind walking, and I certainly don’t mind walking in the cold.” he said with another smile. It didn’t matter how long it took, the scientists wouldn’t miss him being around anyway. ”I’ll be here for a while, we can do something or see something different each day?” he questioned simply. 712 / Pancake and Des / sdlfasdf -kicks russia- [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com

Apr 29, 2013 20:09:53 GMT -5 Desna "Antarctica" Bartholomew said:

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[style= font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight:bold; color: #5882FA; text-transform: uppercase; height: 50px; line-height:80%; text-align: center;]
I'm lookin' for a place,
I'm searchin' for a face

Desna took a moment considering Ivan’s answer. He began wondering much more about what that would be like; having people around all the time and spending tons of time with them. He did a cursory glance around of the landscape considering its beauty and the sort of peace he got being out her on his own sometimes, and recalled how sometimes it was quite lonely. He decided the company wouldn’t be terrible, but it’d become old very fast. He wasn’t sure he could deal with having people around all the time. He needed personal time too. ”I’ve decided that having people around all the time like that would be irritating without chunks of each day for personal time...what if you didn’t like your sisters? Would you still have to live with them? You do like your sister’s right?”

[/b] Des asked for clarification.

Des was surprised to hear the part about many of the gadgets and things being not that necessary for the normal person. His surprise was evident on his face. ”The impression I got from Alfred was that technology had brought people a long way and done wonders for personal living. Especially given some of the things he has sent me since we met.”[/b]

Desna was comfortable here as was to be expected given who he was. He was probably the only being on earth completely comfortable with Antarctic temperatures and seasons. Given right now was the Antarctic summer he was naturally very comfortable. Antarctic winters brought more coverings, clothes and furs as would be expected of someone in winter weather; though his winters were much colder than anywhere else on earth. Hearing the question of the long dark period Des smiled. ”Half the year. Half the year is the long dark period, and the other half the long light period. Basically its dark here for half the year and light here for the other half. For a few months of the dark periods there is nothing but darkness with no signs of the passing day.[/b] he explained. Ivan would be seeing that more clearly once he had been here for a while.

”Very few people from other places stay for the dark periods. Usually it’s just me. There have been a few times where people have stayed, but I am not sure it was intentional. Especially for those poor guys who were so unprepared a few years back. They were not doing so well until they realized seal and penguin are edible. Their ship got stuck in the ice...not sure if it was intentional or not, but they were foolish to try it with no experience. Most of them survived though.[/b] Desna explained. He was referring to the Belgian Antarctic Expedition in particular.

Desna found himself with a lot of questions after Ivan’s explanation of his boss. So he started popping them out as soon as the other nation stopped talking. ”Why can your people not know? Alfred said the same thing but I never thought to ask him. If they don’t lead the people to prosper why do they remain the boss? Shouldn’t they be replaced? And if they rule the country and you are the country, how is it they don’t rule you as well?”[/b] He didn’t understand the boss thing at all. Not having a population had left Desna a little lacking in terms of how nations who have a population operate. The concept of a boss was fascinating to him, but also a bit obscure.

Desna couldn’t keep the pure delight and excitement off his face when Ivan said he didn’t mind walking in the cold. Des had run into people who didn’t mind walking, but the cold had always been a concern for a lot of people. ”I have a team of sled dogs back at my place. We can go there first to minimize the walking. Not to mention I need a few supplies for camping out too...it’ll take a bit of time to get from one place to another and there is so much to see, it’s sometimes hard to do it in a day. So I’ll bring my stuff on my sled and stay near here at night times.”[/b] Des explained.

Des was going to try to make sure some things were done as close to here as possible to allow for one day excursions, but there would be a few of them that required a few days or even a week to get there and back again. He’d propose the places and let Ivan decide how far he wanted to go. There was no one safer to explore Antarctica with than Desna. He’d make sure nothing went wrong.

[/div]

DATE: February 1956
TAG: Ivan/Cal
WORDS: 779
LYRICS: "Damn Cold Night" By Avril Lavigne
OUTFIT: A pair of trousers and a pale blue t-shirt. No coat. No shoes.

[/style][/blockquote]

[/quote]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 415px; background-color: #4E387E; border-left: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-bottom: inset 3px #FFFFFF; border-right: inset 3px #FFFFFF; -moz-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; border-radius: 200px 200px 0px 0px; true] This truth drives me into madness I know I can stop the pain Ivan waited patiently for Desna to consider what he was saying and give a reply. After all, it was rude to just start talking again, and it wasn’t a certain obnoxious nation and thus he was fine with waiting. Hearing the questions he pondered those for a moment. ”If I didn’t like my sisters that would be an absolute nightmare and I’d go live somewhere else despite what our governments want. I do like them, but they get to be a bit much sometimes. They aren’t the only ones there either. We each have capitals, some of which stay with us, and then a few other countries and some of their capitals are there as well. It is more than a little crazy at times. Why do you think I took a trip here for a break?” he stated with a slight smile. He liked his sisters, but their family was insane sometimes and he didn’t always want to deal with it. Desna’s surprise at his next reply was probably due partially to the fact that he may have not explained it well. Or maybe Alfred had forgotten about all the technology that was virtually useless to your average person. ”It has, but not all of it is really something your average person would use. Some of it is for people of specific professions that anyone else would never use. For example, I don’t have use for half the stuff the scientists studying here use in their research.” he pointed out as an example of sorts. Then Ivan had asked about the dark period and how long it lasted. Some parts of Russia had a dark period, so he was at least a little familiar with it. Only far up in the north, and for not nearly as long. It wasn’t that surprising though, he’d seen that when he had control of the feral Alaskan girl. She had a period where it never really got dark and one where it never really got light. ”One of my previous colonies had that actually. She was way up north so the same thing happens for her. The moon doesn’t move though?” he asked curiously. That could be a sign of a passing day of sorts, but maybe it didn’t which was interesting. He had never really paid that much attention to Alaska’s dark periods. Actually, he had never really paid that much attention to Alaska other than to irritate her. That was the fun part of course naturally. Desna explained that very few people stayed for the dark periods. He also explained that it seemed like someone had gotten stuck here several years ago too. That sucked for them. ”Well, there is the problem of never being able to get experience if you don’t try to begin with. A more controlled environment where supplies could be delivered and such maybe to get such experience as would be necessary.” he pointed out idly. The next questions made him ponder slightly. ”It is a well-kept secret. People hate and fear what they don’t understand, and our immortality isn’t something that’s easily understood. Really it’s safer for the nations this way so that we aren’t exploited or constantly feared. Well, because unlike Alfred’s people, mine have never really gotten to pick their boss. They should be replaced, but often aren’t because unless the people rise up and have them killed their rule never ends. Every so often someone organizes a revolution and try things again. Humans are selfish, and tend to not care about anyone other than themselves. They rule the land as well as the people, and while I represent the people and the land, I’m not a being that can be ruled over. I act as a representative and get to make suggestions, but am often not listened to.“ he explained the best he could. It wasn’t as if they could have him killed, he supposed they could technically throw him in jail, but what good would that do? Eventually whoever guarded the prison would realize he wasn’t aging at all and then things could get out of hand. It would mean everyone would know the secret, and then he wasn’t sure what would happen exactly. It could be basically anything. Ivan really had no issue with walking in the snow. He was more than used to it by now that was for sure. He’d done so for years back home in Russia. Hearing Desna explain he had a team of sled dogs to get around he wondered where he got the dogs. ”That’s fine, I doubt they’ll even notice I’m gone.” he explained with a slight shrug. He also had no issues camping in the snow. Granted, it was much colder here than in Russia, so he’d grab some of his own supplies as well. ”Do we want to eat before we start on this adventure?” he asked with another grin. 819 / Pancake and Des / bluh [/style][style=display: none;]made by ashkir at rpg-directory.com