2019.03.01 - Running Visit

*Wolf and Cheetah Sparring*

Early January 2019

Running Horse Ranch

The Running Horse Ranch is, as of the early afternoon, snowy and oddly enough quietly busy. A quarter horse is being led to the stable block, and there's a figure shovelling snow. The snow itself is here, though the shovel is working overtime....as Marius is leaning on the shovel, using the exhaust from his rat rod bike to melt the snow, and banging the shovel on the hard packed snow. The clop of hooves fades as the neweste equine arrival is led to a stall. The stalls are warm. outside...is cold.

Kiara had taken the roadtrip down to Marius, her Car parked just on the curb of the road as they entered after the battle. "Goddam, you have ice up here. It was warmer in the Vale..." she comments as she slams the door of her Ford Mustang VI shut, rubbing her fingers in the cold. "So this is your home? In the middle of almost nowhere...

"Middle of nowhere?" Marius asks leaning on the shovel. "Over there?" he says pointing off in the general direction of the southwestern corner of Forks. "Is Forks. Over there's the 101. Admittedly...this place is tucked between both" Marius adds and looks to Kiara. "Yeah it's my home and where I work. Breed horses. Train 'em. Take a look around."

"You know, my parents farm is even more remote. Like even the next road is some 50 miles to, but yea, fo the west coast this is probably as remote as you can get. How long you need to get to this forks place?" Kiara asks, moving to the back of her car to pop the trunk and take a look inside, pulling out some gloves after a couple moments. Fingerless ones. "Horses, eh? I thought you're a wolf, how they handle your smell?"
Marius Riesse pages: The Running Horse Ranch is, as of the early afternoon, snowy and oddly enough quietly busy. A quarter horse is being led to the stable block, and there's a figure shovelling snow. The snow itself is here, though the shovel is working overtime....as Marius is leaning on the shovel, using the exhaust from his rat rod bike to melt the snow, and banging the shovel on the hard packed snow. The clop of hooves fades as the neweste equine arrival is led to a stall. The stalls are warm. outside...is cold.

Kiara had taken the roadtrip down with Marius, her Car parked just on the curb of the road as they entered after the battle. "Goddam, you have ice up here. It was warmer in the Vale..." she comments as she slams the door of her Ford Mustang VI shut, rubbing her fingers in the cold. "So this is your home? In the middle of almost nowhere...

"Middle of nowhere?" Marius asks leaning on the shovel. "Over there?" he says pointing off in the general direction of the southwestern corner of Forks. "Is Forks. Over there's the 101. Admittedly...this place is tucked between both" Marius adds and looks to Kiara. "Yeah it's my home and where I work. Breed horses. Train 'em. Take a look around."

"You know, my parents farm is even more remote. Like even the next road is some 50 miles to, but yea, fo the west coast this is probably as remote as you can get. How long you need to get to this forks place?" Kiara asks, moving to the back of her car to pop the trunk and take a look inside, pulling out some gloves after a couple moments. Fingerless ones. "Horses, eh? I thought you're a wolf, how they handle your smell?"

Mar shakes his head with a laugh. "Ah trust me. If I wanted out in the middle of nowhere, I'd go open a ranch on the Hanford reservation. I did consider it. I also considered moving into the B reactor there if I really wanted to" he says with obvious sarcasm as he gestures around. "Not much to the ranch but stable building, tables, trails all over the place, . Yeah I got ice. I got snow. You know what?" Mar says with a laugh. "I could scoop this shit up. I could sell it, I could sell it to the gas stations and marts in Forks and that area, who needs those ice machines when you got" he asks tapping the snow shovel on the ground. "The real deal here" Mar nods. "How'd they handle me? I ride rodeo for a living. I only ride my ones, and they know me. I pretty much break them in and I get 'em used to me. This one time I was over in Gunbarrel, Colorado and they gave me a horse. Thing tried to buck me off within two seconds. I hung on, managed to get that horse to listen. But for the most part I deal with the horses that like mee. It's a long talent and takes patience...and rodeo riding" Mar shrugs, not willing to give away every secret

"Why'd you sell it? I mean, that's probably lots of land and stuff on it. But isn't Rodeo all Bulls and shit? I mean, it's called bull riding." Kiara notes as she stretches her legs, then slams the trunk closed again. "Got a favorite tour? Because I hell feel like running. The vale was kinda confining, and this here looks like a loong way one could take a run without seeing the same tree over and over again

Mar nods and gestures to the office...the small, cramped office. "Map's in there, though once you start running, stick to the trails much as you can" Mar nods. "Yeah?" he asks a stable hand. "Alright. You sure all the horses are catered for? Good. I'll take one out later once this snow clears up. Though if you go behind the stable building and past the arena, the trails start over there, tere's the meeting area, and then there's a map" Mar says digging a candy bar out of his pocket, and chewing on it. "You go running, at least keep your phone on you so you can call if anything bad happens" Mar nods, staying put as he's shovelling snow. "See" Mar shrugs, "This is relaxing, oddly relaxing. It's definitely therapeutic huh?"

"You mean shoveling? Sounds like you're a man for hard work." Kiara notes, stretching her legs a little, her hand reaching under the car to fetch a small box from under the side bumper. "Sure I could take my cell, but there's a good reason to leave it in one spot while I take a run. Got to get away from some stuff. Gotta unleash, you know?" She searches her pockets, fishing out the car key to put it into the magnetic box. "Or are you domesticated and don't feel the urge to run at times?

"Come on. I breed and train quarter horses" Mar says. "Not much money in it but...but...." Marius adds and glances around looking like he's checking to see if anyone's missing. " "I'm a wolf for a hard work, yes. So" Mar grins as he stretches, a wave of russet fur rolling up his body as he shifts to his wolf form.....after r about ten seconds, wagging his tail at Kiara as if saying in his own way he's not domesticated.

Kiara groans as she looks over the place, tucking the car key under the car again before she starts to march towards the wood he had indicated. "Got no shame, do you?" she teases him, nodding towards where the farmhand had vanished. "what if they'd seen you?" she teases waiting till she is behind the treeline and then some before looking for a tree stump to sit on.

Mar trots along happily and cants his head as if playing innocent, as if saying 'what? Nobody saw me', though wolves, or Marius, is pretty good at body language. Marius's russet fur hops up on a log and over it, resting his snout on it and watches Kiara for a moment, then darts off into the woods and comes back, chasing after a mouse for a moment, the little rodent running as fast as its paws can carry...though Mar's just watching it, earss perked up and listening.

Kiara eyes Marius as he starts to dash off after a rodent or something. She puts her boot on the treestump she found, tightening the boots before she bends forwards, hands almost to the ground, like a racer. Eying to where he darted off to, she catapults herself forward, shifting mid flight, the muscles stretching, the bones rearranging, her body elongating as it turns grom huuman proportions to those of a very slender feline. Not a cougar, a cheetah. The claws hit the ground, dashing up snow as her eyes fixate on Marius, her feet leading up to follow him. Chase him.

Mar senses the big cat and wags his tail, still chasing the rodent as the mouse dives into a log. Marius just leaps on and along he log before nudging it away with a back paw...if the cat wants to chase Marius....she'll have to contend with the tricks and the terrain. Though a russet wolf stands out in the snow and ice. Still....Mar lands with his front paws on the snow and scrabbles onto a tree stump, tugging with his jaws at a tree limb before leaping onto it and over, landing lightly on the snow again. The chase is definitely on now

Kiara accelerates as the log starts to roll, darting over it and after the red target in the white and grey forest, her own sand colored fur not much better at blending in, even standing out as not belonging even to the area. But she is fast. Terribly fast. One moment she is still behind Marius, the next she seems to be gone, only a sharp hissing sound from above as she crosses him without a touch. Then snow on the right front of him is thrown up like a bullet has hit it, the feline darting through it and leaving what in the desert would be a dust trail... just from snow.

Mar's on her trail at least....as he settles in and watches the trail carefully. Though his ears do flatten and he drops to the ground when she crosses over him, he's not that stupid to get collected by a flying cheetah. Instead.....Marius springs back up and takes off running again. Wolves. Love to run, and Mar is living up to that and then some more. Plus he's enjoying the chase and being honest with himself...it's not hard to spot a sandy color cat in the snow, that's sort of obvious. Though Mar is carefully following Kiara's trail and breaking more into a run now.

Kiara is like the wind for some moments before slowing down enough so that Marius has a chance to catch up to the sand-colored streak in the landscape, the muscles under her fur working like a well-oiled machine. The clawed feet dig through the snow, getting good traction in it mainly because she can't retract the claws like other cats. A couple of moments she keeps up the tun, then turns a hook to the side, throwing some snow pile up as she changes direction.

Marius looks over at Kiara and follows her, before sliding to a halt in the snow and digging away at said snow. There's a rodent scurrying along, as Marius lunges at it. Not that the wolf snags it, landing on a log and sliding along it....before planting his paws on the snow again and shaking his fur out.

Kiara looks back over the shoulder as Marius does not come up to try to chase her down like she did, making a sharp U-turn to dart back into the direction she had come from. Back towards Marius in a snow cloud.

Mar is...at least in theory trying to bait Kiara into curiosity. As she turns Marius runs toward her and wags his tail, ears perked up still. There's no hint of malice, he's still having a fantastic time as he runs past Kiara again, watching for rodents or....small, furry, fuzzy things that run off. Which is what a rodent does, running past Kiara. Though the mouse is taking a chance running past a big cat. And a wolf, too

It's somewhat good for the mouse that mice are not exactly in the prey scheme of cheetahs. But wolves are in the right general sizing. The gambit does play off through a tiny bit: Kiara does not snatch at the wolf. She does once more dart over Marius, the feet just inches over the back of him.

Mar arches his back and stands up more. His gambit is to knock the cat off balance. Because in his mind it'd be funny watching the big cat go acrobatic. Not that Mar isn't that far behind in athletic or acrobatic stuff himself, though. Still he settles back and goes sprinting after Kiara. In a straight up sprint.....he's not going to match a cheetah, though if it comes down to endurance, the wolf will win out. In theory.

...if the cheetah was of the normal type and tiring after maybe a minute or two of Sprinting. But Kiara was just dashing through the snow for maybe double that by now, showing no sign of tiring. Instead, she takes the new aproach of Marius to change pace, slowing down mid sprint as her body shifts, grows larger, legs still all on the floor but then one comes up from below Marius showing it ends in a clawed hand as her warform shows off the full potential in her trying to lift Marius by the neck.

Marius, for his part.....doesn't go limp. He stays wriggling and fighting and not giving up any. If he's gonna go down, he'll go down fighting. Though he is wriggling and not limp any....and he's tossing his head every which way hoping Kiara will drop him

Kiara growls as her slender but strong arms try to hook around the struggling wolf to pull him under and into the snow in a struggle. Tooth and nail she struggles with him, teeth more showing than being used, but they are there, flashing in his eyes as she struggles with the wolf.

Marius gives up struggling a tiny bit to let the cat win, though if it gets to a real fight.....Mar will fight tooth and claw to stay alive. Stil he's not that afraid of the cat yet as he quits struggling for a moment...giving the cat her opportunity.

Kiara growls as she pushes the wolf into the snow, pinning him. "You give up?" she growls, one hand on his lower neck, the other one on his side. Having opposable thumbs and a humanoid shape is a huge benefit in combat it seems.

Mar is considering giving up...though he's also digging at the snow and kicking it up. Growing up in Montana means Mar's used to snow. Still though he looks to Kiara with a glint in his eye and a wolfish grin, as if to say 'why give up now? This is too fun'. Though he's still struggling to a point. Not as much as before though, but he's not gone totally and utterly limp.

Kiara growls as she uses her knees to get a better pin on Marius, Waiting for him to admit defeat for at least a couple moments before she gets back a little, giving him the space to breath and move without the pin. "Another round?"

Mar slinks to his feet and runs behind a tree, shifting back to human after the wave of fur rolls down his body...and Mar dresses quickly with a stash of clothes he'd laid around for shifting on the ranch trails. "Depnds" Mar says with a tilt of his head to Kiara. "You're good, you know that. You know your shit with combat"

Kiara shudders as she throws the snow from her body with a vigerous shake. She shifts back to her human shape, her clothes reemerging together with her boots as the fur vanishes, and she doesn't seem to be shy on showing the fur rippling away. "I did my tours, I learned my way against bullies and fellow soldiers. So, yea, no illusions, I know my two bits on hand to hand. Or with my rifle."

Mar grins and looks over to Kiara with a nod. "Yeah. But" Mar says with a smirk. "You grew up in the middle of nowhere and learned martial arts?" he asks with a smirk, then lunges at Kiaraa in a martial arts pose. Sure, why not....Mar is good with hands and feet too. Fortunately, no guns, or bow. Still....Marius is more than able to hold his own in a fight really. Plus he's doing his best to keep Kiara off guard.

Kiara dodges backwards, lifting her arms up to block the possible strike, fists forming. "South Africa's a tough place," she replies between gritted teeth as she catches the strike, slamming her hand forward to try to connect to his shoulder while her footwork shifts to try to get her knee behind his to gain leverage. But she knows as much how to handle a fight as Marius.

Mar twists and plants a heel, pulling his strike back at the last second..the strike for his foot at least, not pulling his palm strike any though, and then,....at the last second he does, pulling it back again, taking a defensive stance.

Kiara isn't going for distance, instead tries to get into his combat radius, into his personal space even. Close enough to fight more with her elbows and pushes than with long strikes and pulling out. Short jabs and grabs. Techniques that are honed on the schoolyards and to some degree also the military, but then she'd need a knife. She doesn't use one though.

Mar switches it up and goes for short, deliberate strikes and not being 'pretty' at all. He just goes and lets himself loose and settles on a flowing, freestyle and free wheeling style really, short, fast strikes. No technique, just hammering away. Or at least no offensive style. Defensive though he's watching Kiara's hands, moving ever so slightly so he can easily throw a block for her strikes. The elbows and pushing though are throwing him off a little.

Kiara struggles against Marius defensive strikes, pulling back into a more normal distance again, returning to jabs and strikes for a couple moments. Then she is back again, trying to get an elbow-strike to his shoulder in while also trying to hook at his left knee with her foot to get him off the feet.

Mar jams his shoulder forward throwing it at her strike as he figures oh what the hell, let's try this....and he hooks his other foot around her ankle while falling sideways and still, impressively, managing to still pull off defensive strikes, in mid fall. Marius has been doing this for three decades, give or take....and he knows what he's doing. Marius though is enjoying this. His eyes glint as he's going solely on instict.

Kiara goes doewn with Marius as he hooks after her foot, struggling some moments as she has to reorient herself, possibly giving him chances to get into a more advantagous position while she is on the defensive.

Mar does indeed. The good thing....he's in a very advantageous position, and he's free to get in as many strikes as he wants. The downside....is Mar has to straddle Kiara to do this though, but given his martial arts training, he's not thinking much of it. Though he smiles down to Kiara. "You give up?" he asks and keeps a watch on her hands. "Ah if only I had something to tie your hands with and take you out of the fight" Mar murmurs and uses his feet....having rolled off of Kiara to a crouch.....to get to a half crouch and use his knee for a few expermintal strikes

Kiara growls as she struggles to try to keep her hands somewat free, but Marius finally manages to pin them, control them for some moments... but she bends herself, her feet coming sideways and then try to latch in front of his chest to pull him back as she shakes the head at Marius request, trying to throw him off in a wrestling move.

Mar watches with amusement and goes with what she's going for. He's not giving up at all. Instead he just lets her, though keeps a grip on her so if she wants to throw him off, she'll neeed to losen his grip. Marius though looks to Kiara. "You're good, you're good Kiara" Marius says softly with a grin. "Though I can do this all day"

Kiara shakes her head as she struggles to try to pull him off more, her hands fighting against his as she strains her muscles. "So can I..." she grolws at him as he strains herself in the bad position. The downside of being down is having to fight uphill, even if you get a solid leg grip that tries to pull the opponent backwards on the chest...

Marius watches Kiara and nods silently....and holds his hands to deflect her strikes. Though he does concede and rolls over...but.....not before leaning down and smiling, leaning in and for a kiss...on impulse. He's at least smart enough to keep one arm to get shreddded....better than having somebody claw his face off, at least in his mind.

Kiara strains against Marius leaning forward as he pulls at her feet attempting to pull him back, letting it go after some long moments, which in turn gives him the chance to lean in more and stel that kiss with her arms still pinned. A couple moments she is seeminlgy frozen as he holds her pinned, kissing her face, her lips pressed tight.

Mar pulls back with a wolfish grin and lets her hands go, though he keeps one hand free to get a good start for a wrist lock if she feels like shredding him. Though.....Marius does, finally, finally roll off of Kiara, though not before getting his feet hooked and rolling over and ending up by her shoulders and head, and looks over to her. "Hi" he says with a wicked smirk.

Kiara growls as she finally gives a short jab to the side where Marius lays in the snow, trying to pull herself off the ground. "It's getting cold and wet here." She inhales slowly, shaking off some snow as she fights herself to the feet. "What was that for?"

"What was what for?" Mar asks innocntly as he's on his feet already. Though he does reach out a hand to help her up. No tricks this time....as Mar genuinely is trying to pulay the innocent card. Whether its working....up for debate. "I enjoy sparring, and your company, and" mar nods with a tap of his nose, "Other things. You took me down and I kissed you to get you to either relax....or focus and go batshit crazy and pummel away at me" Mar nods with smile. "Though if you want to punch me for it, go ahead. I won't stop you" he says gently with a genuine look in his eyes. "You asked earlier before the run how long it'd take to get to Forks. About....20, maybe 30 minutes. Head north on the 101, or walk across the open fields north of the ranch. Go to the back fence. Vault it, and head across the field to the north east. It'll take you to Forks" Mar nods with a grin. "Fun place, if you like smal towns" Mar shrugs and keeps watching Kiara quietly, as he stays put. If Mar's opening himself to getting punched, the least he can do is not run away.