Our New Home, Ostanki

The tall Russian man pushed open the heavy doors to the vestibule, lips quirking up in a soft smile as the dog behind him wriggled between his leg and the door and ran through into the large open room.

The smell of rotting flesh followed behind the dog as it bound around the room, sniffing at everything it could.

Alyosha crouched down and clicked his tongue, calling the dead German Shepard towards him, scratching behind its ear affectionately. He wasn't daunted by the smell of rotting flesh at all. In the months it had been since the dog had started following him, he had gotten used to the constant smell.

"Our new now, Ostanki," he crooned softly, his blue eyes softening as he stroked his pet.

Noah had again managed to slip away from Dusa, a small smile graced his lips as he padded down the hallway, a few hours of freedom would be a welcome relief, more so now that November was behind them.

Having to spend the month with the woman constantly keeping an eye on him had not been pleasant.

As he neared the vestibule on his way down the stares he heard someone talking.
Immediately his footsteps became a little softer as he peaked around the corner of the staircase.

Noah wasn't one of spying but he was cautious around people he didn't know.
However all he could see was a man playing with a dog, the creature hidden from his view by the man's back..

His nose wrinkled softly, an odd smell lingered in the air, it was highly unpleasant but he couldn't quite pin point what it was.

"Lets go find room, Ostanki." Alyosha's accent was thick; he was new to speaking English and it was very obvious.

He wanted to find a room he could crash in and sort his bags out. He had two heavy bags, one filled with books and the other containing his necessities and any more books he could cram into the bag.

The Necromancer pushed himself to his feet and ran his hand through his fringe, pushing it back out of his face with a soft hum as he bent to pick up the bags he had dumped.

The bags were easily slung over one shoulder as he stood to his full height again, his ponytail swaying with the movement.

"Heel," he ordered, long legs taking him towards the hallway. He'd wander around until he found a room he could crash in.

Find a room?

The man was obviously new to the mansion if he hadn't been given a room yet.

Noah bit his lip for a moment before deciding to be the good Samaritan, the man could be wondering around for hours trying to find the right room, worse yet he may stumble into someone elses room.

"Excuse me, if you need help finding a room, I can help you."

He muttered as he padded down the staircase, pausing as the man stood up completely, he was huge, easily a foot taller than Noah was.

The Lycan's eyes fell on the dog at his side, his eyes widening slightly in shock, the creature was nothing more than a corpse, slowly decaying and rotting away.

The dog bound forwards, yapping excitedly as he made a bee-line towards the Lycan.

Like any other dog, Ostanki loved attention. Apart from Alyosha, Noah was the closest person that could give him attention. He'd take advantage of that and bug Noah until he gave him the attention he wanted.

"Thank you, would be much appreciated."

Alyosha pursed his lips when the dog rubbed against the Lycan's legs and yapped.

"Ostanki, come. I am sorry for him. He is like little puppy." Lyo gave a sheepish smile.

Noah tensed when the creature bounded towards him, his hands clutching nervously to his chest.

He knew it was a dog, and as such probably harmless but it was half decomposed, a reanimated corpse, not something you saw everyday and not something the Lycan was currently overly fond of.

"You're...w-welcome..."
He stammered quietly as he tried to coax the dog away from him, the creature made him nervous as he could already feel his ears and tail exposing themselves beneath his clothing.

Noah gripped onto his beanie and pulled it down tighter as he looked back at the man that towered over his own height.

"Do you happen to know what wing you're in?"
He asked as his socked foot scratched against his own ankle.

"Ostanki."

The tone he used for the single-worded order was firmer than his previous tone; not quite snappish but not conversational like it had been before.

The dog whimpered and crawled back towards its Master, rubbing instead against his legs for attention.

"I am sorry. He just like attention. He is harmless pup, really." Ostanki couldn't hurt a fly. He just didn't look or smell the part of adorable, playful puppy.

Wing? Yes... he had been told this. What was it? "Air... Are... Ara?" Something similar to that. He couldn't remember the exact name.

"It's okay, he's just not the sort of dog I am use to."

He admitted, this man seemed all to comfortable having a dead dog but it was rather unusual even amongst supernaturals, wasn't it?

Though Noah really couldn't be one for saying what was normal, give his nervous habit.

"Aria."

The Lycan corrected, well that was fortunate, he was in the same wing, he would be a little lost himself if they had to go to Terra.

"I'm in Aria too, this way."

He directed, pointing to a different hallway and padding towards it, keeping a small distance away from the dog.
The last thing he needed was it catching the scent of wolf fur on him and deciding that he was another canine to play with.

"Many do not like him."

Alyosha shrugged. "His smell is something you get used to in time." It had taken weeks of dousing the dog in whatever air freshener he could get his hands on before he could get used to the smell that the dog gave off. And now he barely smelt it at all.

"Thank you," he said once again, striding forwards until he was walking side-by-side with the Lycan.

"I am Alyosha Belov." He smiled down at the boy as he hoisted his bags further up his shoulder.

"It's pretty bad."
He admitted, his nose wrinkling, Ostanki's smell was much worse for Noah than it would be for Alyosha, a Lycan's nose was much more sensitive and at the moment the smell of the dog was almost enough to make his eyes water.

"It's fine, really, better than letting you get lost in here."
The Mansion was large and if he barely knew the name of his wing there was no chance he would find it.

"I'm Noah Amsel."
He replied with a small smile of his own, brushing the snowy white locks of hair from his silver eyes.

"What species are you? I don't mean to be rude but I can't smell you over Ostanki's scent and curiosity is getting the better of me."

"I do not notice much."

He had so many 'zombies' following him around that he just didn't notice the smell of rotting flesh much any more. He had become desensitized towards it.

"I would find my way eventually." It would take a while but eventually he'd find a room he could crash in.

"Is pleasure, Noah."

His lips parted to answer before he paused, eyes lowering and an awkward little grin curving his lips upwards. "I do not know." He didn't know what species he was. He didn't know anything about what he was.

Dead things seemed to enjoy flocking around him but otherwise he had no idea about his new found powers.

"My sense of smell is like a dogs, everything is intensified."
He explained, Noah didn't want him to think that he was being rude about his choice in pet, it was just that being a Lycan made the smell even more unpleasant for him.

He didn't know, he had a decaying dog following him around, he was in a coven full of Vampires and Lycans and he really had no idea what he was.

"Is that why you are here, to find out?
Sorry to say that I don't know either, I may be older than you but by the standards set here I'm only a pup."

He replied, a small nervous smile gracing his lips.

Alyosha nodded.

He was here to find out anything he could about what he was. What powers he could have, his species. Anything.

"Is all right." He didn't mind that the boy couldn't help him out with that. He had already helped him out a lot with helping him find a room. That was more than he had asked for.

The Necromancer hoisted his bag further up his shoulder.

Noah led him down the hallway and towards the rooms.
He pursed his lips slightly, he didn't really know which rooms were vacant and which were taken so he simply opened the room next to his and Dusa's.

Peeking in he noticed only one of the beds had been claimed, the other three were still empty.

"This looks like your room, seems you already have a room mate.
You're allowed any bed you want."

He explained as he moved out of the way, letting the larger man into the room

Alyosha followed, blue eyes trailing over everything they could, soaking in anything and everything.

The mansion looked old, but there were definitely modern influences in the design. He didn't know whether he liked the modern twist or whether he would have preferred the original building.

The Necromancer leaned over Noah to take a look into the room. It was huge. Massive compared to what he had been living in since he left the gang.

Idly his fingers moved up to stroke over the tip of the green tail peeking out from under the collar of his shirt.

"Thank you for all your help, Noah." he would have definitely been walking around for hours before he found this room if it hadn't been for the Lycan's help.

"That's alright, if you ever need help my room is right next door."

He added with a little smile as he looked up at the man, the large wolf ears beneath his beanie perking up slightly, perhaps he had actually managed to make a good impression on someone, that would be a first.

"...Though, just try to ignore my roommate, she is a little overbearing, but she has good intentions."

He could only imagine the fit Dusa would have if this rather tall and imposing man came to their room looking for him, his sister would automatically suspect the worst.

Loy nodded, eyes flickering towards Noah's room.

It wasn't far away.

He would definitely take advantage of knowing where Noah's room was. He was the first person he had met and he had treated him well. He had helped him and had been very friendly.

It was the sort of hospitality that he hoped for a lot but never received back home in Russia.

His lips quirked upwards. "I will try hardest to ignore." Though he doubted even if she did cause trouble, that trouble would amount to anything.

"If you don't need anything else, I suppose I should let you get settled in."

He replied, Noah didn't want to over stay his welcome, especially not if Alyosha was tired from traveling.

Despite his nerves and shy personality Noah had tried to hardest to be social and not overly awkward.

Duse said they would be staying here for a while, if that was the case he wanted this chance to make new friends.

Alyosha gave a little nod.

He liked Noah but he didn't want things to be awkward and at the moment he had very little he could talk about with the boy.

Making things awkward would be, well, awkward.

Letting him go now and thinking over conversation starters for the next time they met would be the less awkward way forwards.

The Russian smiled softly and lifted a hand to tug affectionately on a lock of the boy's hair. "I shall see you later, d- yes?"

He didnt want to start using Russian words. It would remind him too much of home. He didn't want to be reminded of home.

A small dusting of pink spread across the Lycan's pale cheeks as Alyosha tugged on his hair.

He adjusted his beanie and nodded softly.
He didn't want the man noticing what he hid beneath that beanie, if the man didn't know what he was he mustn't know much about supernaturals in general.

Meeting someone who randomly grew a tail and ears would definitely be something rather odd for the man, after all even a Lycan as old as Alek had been surprised by it.

"Yeah, I'll see you later."

He gave a soft little wave before padding out the door and going back to his own room.

His lips curled into a little smirk when the boy blushed.

It was such an adorable sight. He loved watching people blush and he loved being the cause of the blush even more.

"Later, sweetie." Perhaps the little pet name would make him blush even harder. That would be fun. He'd have to set aside some time to see how much he could make the boy blush.

The Necromancer turned into his room and sighed.

"Ostanki, off bed," he ordered as he closed the door behind him and padded further into the room.

Home sweet home.