c'est la vie, c'est la mort [Adi]

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i47.tinypic.com/nfc41.jpg)] The forest was surprisingly quiet at this hour, and it felt as if all the world had fallen silent. Her footsteps seemed to echo in the stifling air, which was actually crisp and cool but it felt as if she was suffocating in the silence. She felt a million miles away, isolated from everything she knew. But she felt safe, if only from the lonely thoughts that had driven her so far from home. Using the excuse of restocking the Fallen supplies after alliance with the Carna had left their stores of medicinal herbs low, she'd headed out into the forest. She'd taken her bow along as well, in case she spotted prey to hunt along the way. But she'd traveled relatively light for her own sake, because this trip was about more than just a few pounds of meat. Adelina thought about her, as she always did. Almost every waking moment was filled with thoughts of her child, buried in the ground. Her hand trailed along the rough bark of a tree as she peered up at the darkening sky, barely able to spy the twinkling of stars through the thick canopy. She wondered if Reagan was up there somewhere, in the arms of some God she didn't believe in. The feeling overcame her again, as if the sheer weight of the world was pressing down on her chest. Adelina fell against the tree gasping for air, tears pricking in her eyes. It was only moments before tears coursed down her cheeks in hot streams, biting the back of her hand to choke back sobs that threatened to spill out. But she wouldn't let them. She'd done her crying, done her grieving. God, she wanted so much to be the strong, resilient woman she showed the world. She wanted to prove to everyone that she was okay, that she was... Fine. She was just fine. With a shuddering breath, Adelina drew herself up and wiped away her tears and stooped to fetch the bundle of herbs she'd dropped. She took one more moment for herself, one last quiet moment when the world stood still for her, before everything came crashing back. She had no time to waste crying in the forest, in the midst of Retro territory in the steadily darkening night. With a resolute sniff she wiped away the last of her tears and resumed her sojourn to the Safe House. It wasn't necessarily the safest place despite it's namesake, but it would do for the night. It was about ten minutes of stealthy trekking but she made it at last, deciding to use the back door to the place in case there was someone waiting in ambush. She scouted the small house thoroughly, ensuring each room was empty and had not been recently visited. Confident that she was alone, she made her way back downstairs to the bed in the back room. Most Shifters didn't know about this place, but those that did had taken it upon themselves to leave the beds as they were for the weary traveler who might need it more than they. Besides, it wouldn't be easy to haul a mattress through the mountains. Adelina shoved her mundane thoughts aside as she shoved her bow and quiver underneath the bed, comforted at the knife sheathed to her wrist in case anyone decided to interrupt her much needed sleep. Thoughts of Reagan were still heavy in her mind, but she was too tired to think anymore. Adelina crawled onto the aged bed, drew the thin sheet over her body and for once in what had been months, drifted off into a dreamless sleep. OOC| WHAT IS THIS A LINA POST OMG alsonewtable

[Adison Sotero]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/aditablex2.png] He was going to talk to her and she was going to listen. Adison prowled the grounds outside the Safehouse, his lithe border collie form darting silently through the overgrown grass. He’d been following Adelina for some time now, desperate to talk to her again, to just make her listen to him and give him another chance, but she always slipped away from him when he tried to approach her. Every single time she rushed away in a flurry of feathers, flying high above where he could reach, leaving him standing there alone. The time for asking nicely had passed and now Adi would make her listen… it was the only other plan he had. Without Adelina, he had nothing. He loved his ring and his duties, but they left him feeling hollow inside without her, and every night he fell asleep with Adelina on his mind. He would win her back if it was the last thing he did. The way it was going, he wondered if it might be. Setting his focus again, Adi circled the safehouse until he reached the kitchen in the back, where he slipped through a broken window. The front door was a more obvious choice, but she would on-guard for anyone else who might be seeking shelter for the night. He shifted into his tiger form as he landed, the transition from natural shifting form to transplanted shift form a little uneasy. He usually shifted back into his human form in-between, but he needed the tiger’s silent pawsteps in the house, where every sound he made could be echoed off the walls. He followed her scent and padded into the back room, where the uneven moonlight that filtered through the ivy-covered window offered slight illumination. He spotted her and felt his fur stand on end. Any other time it might have been funny to see the tiger puffed up like a giant kitten, but the truth was that what he was doing was indeed dangerous. Sneaking up on Adelina was no easy task, and he knew that if he made a wrong move, she would be on him in a second. The past few months she’d been striking first and asking questions later, and he wasn’t here to get killed before they could talk. He padded to the side of the bed she slept on and held his breath, silently observing her for a few moments. She was so beautiful, so peaceful as she slept. Adison missed seeing her like this, and he almost lost himself in a flood of memories, but quickly reined himself back in. This was the critical moment. Adison shifted back into his human form and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her tight, using the bedsheet to help keep her arms at her sides and minimize the damage she would no doubt do to him. He threw her over his shoulder as best he could and dashed for the stairs. He was so close now, and it gave him the extra rush of adrenaline he needed to make it to the upper level despite her aggressive protests and into one of the smaller rooms, where he knew she couldn’t escape from him. Adi slammed the door behind him and dropped her unceremoniously onto the twin mattress in the middle of the room, breathing a sigh of relief that the hardest part of his task was done. “Neither of us is leaving here until you talk to me, Lina,” Adi growled, months of frustration boiling up again. But the sight of her there, still beautiful (and angry) as ever, softened his resentment and he ended up looking at her with an expression that was a mix of confusion, desperation, and hurt. “Please, just listen to me, okay?”

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i47.tinypic.com/nfc41.jpg)] The wind seemed to whisper through the field, tickling against her arm as she drifted through a dream world. The sun was warm against her skin and everything was bright, and Adelina felt as if nothing could go wrong. The air seemed to shimmer golden in the sun, flowers dancing in delicate waves for miles and miles, stretching on forever. She could smell his scent on the breeze, and it brought a smile to her face. Adison. How she had missed him, wanted only to see his face again, wanted to feel his arms around her just one more time. It had been so long since they'd talked face to face, so long since she'd sent him away... His scent was sharp and heavy, suddenly cloying her senses, then the world around her darkened as she snapped awake as arms snaked around her. It took but a few seconds for her to realize, through the haze of sleep, that she'd been ambushed and someone was carrying her off god knows where. They'd slung her over their shoulder and as she went into a series of savage attempts to free herself, she knew it was no use. Her hands were held fast at her sides by the sheet he'd wrapped her in. She was bewildered, confused because all she could smell was Adison. She continued to struggle as he carried her upstairs, spewing a slough of the foulest names she could think up, snarling when he dropped her unceremoniously on a mattress in the center of the room. She'd gotten tangled in the sheet and she sounded like a wild animal fighting to get free as she freed a hand to slip the blade from its sheath on her wrist and cut herself free, the fabric yielding easily to her blade. As it fell in tatters around her, she flicked her blade towards the shadowy figure at the door as he finally spoke. Her eyes narrowed, lips curled into a snarl at his demands. "What in the hell is the matter with you?" she spat, getting to her feet. "I told you I didn't want to see you again. So what do you do? Sneak up and kidnap me while I'm sleeping?!" she stared him down, trying to keep the look of disgust on her face. But all she wanted to do was be closer to him, to grab him and hug the daylights out of him; she couldn't believe he'd done this. Just seeing him again brought a flush to her cheeks, a warmth to her heart as the memories flooded over her. But when she saw him, she saw Reagan and those memories she couldn't handle. Not here, not now. So she kept her distance, kept her anger fueled with the shock at being man-handled like that, sequestered away in this room and expected to listen to his demands. She didn't take kindly to orders. "You Carna find all sorts of ways to keep your women when they don't want to be kept," she hissed, words laced with venom. He knew what she was referring to, how her Alpha had been kept captive by Adison's own father. She didn't blame Adison personally, but let him think that. Maybe then he would leave, and take the memories with him. OOC| oh Lina :c

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 473px; height: 483px; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/adiscrollgrunge3.png)] Adison knew he was in trouble the second Lina cut her way out of the sheet. He held his ground in front of the door, but kept his eyes flickering back to the knife in her hand. She was angry, as he expected, and he only hoped not angry enough to do too much damage. “There was no other way to talk to you, Lina!” He shouted. “Every time I try, you just run off! So yeah, this was the only way!”

[/b] He spat, still defending his actions.

When she subtly hinted at the situation with Skye and Manic, Adison could only roll his eyes. This was nothing like that! Though Adison had little knowledge of it himself… only the recent raid to retrieve Skye had enlightened him to the situation. He’d been too busy trying to track down Adelina to pay attention to what his father had been up to. “Lina, stop trying to change the subject,” He sighed, taking a step towards her and extending his hand.

“Lina, she was my daughter too! I love you… Why are you being this way? We should be trying to get through this together, not fighting.” Adison spoke, hoping that she would take some small bit of what he was saying to heart. “But like I said, I’m not going anywhere until we talk about this, so.. it’s up to you when we leave.”

He wanted more than anything for her to simply agree and run into his arms, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. She would be as stubborn as ever, and it would be up to him to try and knock some sense into her. Adi was determined, but still something told him he would still end up leaving here alone.




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[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/sketchedesigns/linaaaaa.png)] Adelina watched him carefully, slowly lowering her knife til her arm hung limply at her side as she listened. She was my daughter too. The blade clattered to the floor, and the room seemed to swim around her. "Adi..." she whispered. Nothing made sense any more. Everything she'd done to run from the truth, to run from the thing that scared her most, she couldn't escape it. She couldn't outrun him, not anymore. She couldn't run away from the man she loved, she couldn't hurt him anymore; it was too selfish, even for her. Too selfish of her to demand he suffer just so she could pretend not to. She tried to look at him, tried to meet the eyes she hadn't seen in too long...but she couldn't look into his face without seeing Reagan. The pain came over her in waves, wracking her body, hands trembling violently. Tears pricked in her eyes but she wouldn't let him see, wouldn't let him see how much she was hurting. He knew, she knew he did, but she still clung to the hope that she could look forever strong in his eyes, forever the woman he'd fallen in love with. Not some pathetic creature who'd let their daughter wither away in her arms. She wanted so badly to answer him, to tell him everything. To tell him the secret she'd suffered with for so long. But everything was numb, and the weight of the world seemed to descend again on her chest, suffocating her. She struggled to breathe, gasping for air as stumbled forward, blindly grasping for Adison. Adelina fell against him, legs collapsing underneath her as every ounce of strength she had deserted her. She clung to him, face buried in his chest crying out in desperation as her body was wracked with a cry that came from her very core. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, a guttural sound that scathed her lungs. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!" she cried out clutching at his shirt, clinging to him as if he was the only thing keeping her alive. She kept repeating over and over that she was sorry, begging his forgiveness. "It's...my...fault," she rasped, barely able to get the words out between choking sobs. "It's all my fault...I killed her."

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 473px; height: 483px; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/adiscrollgrunge3.png)] He watched as the blade fell to the ground, his face softening from the hard, cold look he’d previously been giving her, to something completely puzzled. That was it? He’d expected her to put up more of a fight, not none at all. But when he saw the look on her face and the way she fought valiantly but pointlessly to hide her agony, he knew that she’d truly been like this since the night that Reagan died. Like him, she’d been suffering for months, but she had bottled it up so well… And to think he’d been jealous of the way she had so easily moved on. No, she had been fighting to keep herself from breaking, the entire time. Adi frowned, now realizing how painfully tired she must be from all of it. He could hardly believe it when she ran to him, but he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, and for just a moment, he smiled, before he fell to his knees, still holding Lina close. “It’s okay, Lina, it’ll be alright,”

[/color]Adi tried to assure her, grimacing as she sobbed into his chest. It hurt even more to see her like this than it did when he was away from her. But she was worth it. “I’m here… don’t be sorry! You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Lina,“ He felt his throat straining to hold his voice steady, his eyes stinging. He too had been taught not to show any weakness, but Adison felt control quickly slipping away from him.

“It's all my fault...I killed her."
The words hit Adison like a blow to the chest. He felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, and he could only sit there, his mouth hanging open silently as he tried to take them in. It took him a moment to find words again, but he finally did, and pushed her just far enough away that he could look her in the eyes, his own eyes glistening with tears. “God, Lina, you’re so stupid!” He cried, pulling her into another crushing hug. “How could you think something like that? It’s no one’s fault! It’s this goddamned place! How is anything supposed to survive in here? Just look at us… we barely do.” Adison’s voice had fallen to a whisper as he looked at her again. They were a mess, the Rings were a mess, the whole place was always just hanging on, but they always pulled through. They would pull through this, too.

“Lina, I love you. You need to stop blaming yourself, or you’ll die like this. It’s too much to keep going on with it forever. Do you hear me?”






Ooc: ;3; not creying ok.





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[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/sketchedesigns/linaaaaa.png)] She wanted, more than anything, to believe him. She wanted to believe that she was innocent, that she was faultless in the death of their daughter. But his words of solace did little to comfort her; they left her hollow, knowing that he would never understand. He'd never know what she'd done, never realize the truth. That she'd killed Reagan the day she had walked into the line of fire, trying with everything she had to get rid of the thing growing inside her. That's what Reagan had been to her, in the beginning. A thing to be rid of. When Adison pulled her face up to meet his, she couldn't look him in the eyes. Her breath faltered as he pulled her into another hug, but she'd lost any strength to hold on. “God, Lina, you’re so stupid! How could you think something like that? It’s no one’s fault! It’s this goddamned place! How is anything supposed to survive in here? Just look at us… we barely do.” She was staring at the cracks in the floor, tracing the patterns, wondering when she would stop hurting him. Could she ever stop? Everything she did, every word she said, every time she ran. Had it cut him to the core like it did her? She felt his eyes, as if they were burning through her skin. She wanted to fight it, to fight the agony tearing her apart inside. She wanted to be with him, to hold him against her, to feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, see the sunlight flicker across his face when she woke up in the morning. But she knew, god she knew that it could never be like that again. It could never be the same. There would be no end to it, no end to the silent, unspoken truth looming over them, driving a wedge wider and wider between them until they stood on opposite ends of the earth, even when they stood side by side. "I love you." The words cut into her, sharp and relentless. They begged her to yield, to let it go and believe that it would be okay. But it wasn't true. The promise of happily ever after was a lie. She could feel the words forming on her lips, pouring out before she could stop them. "You weren't there." she slowly pulled away from him, untangling herself from his embrace. "You weren't there when I needed you the most. You put your Ring...your father over me," she said, her voice a soft whisper. She didn't have the strength to scream, or the heart. "I was alone, and I didn't want her," she said, her voice trembling. "I hated her. I hated you." Adelina wrenched herself away suddenly, grabbing her knife and lurching to her feet. "I couldn't stand the thought of bringing it into this world to suffer, to know death before it even knew the good the world can have." She leaned against the door frame for support, nails digging into the hard wood. "I tried to kill it, to get rid of it before it was too far along." She still couldn't meet his eyes. "...she was born weak because of me. She got sick because of me." Adelina turned to look at him, finally meeting his gaze. "And now she's gone, and there's no going back." She turned the door handle, staring at the dark hallway yawning before her. There's no going back. ooc-- ...;^;

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 473px; height: 483px; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/adiscrollgrunge3.png)] Lina’s sudden turn hit Adison like a pile of bricks, and he didn’t resist when she pulled away from him. It was true… He had run away at first, wanted nothing to do with the baby that would ruin his perfect Carna life. Adison winced as the truth stabbed at his chest. Why? Why was she telling him this now? Overwhelming guilt washed over him and he took a step away from the door to lean against the wall. He opened his mouth to speak, but found no words. He hadn’t meant to abandon her like that… “I..I came back,” was all he could muster, though he guessed it wasn’t enough, as she continued on. "I tried to kill it, to get rid of it before it was too far along." Suddenly Adison couldn’t stand to look at her. Had he really left her feeling that alone, that hopeless, that she felt their baby didn’t even stand a chance? It sickened him to think of it. He wondered if what she was claiming could even be possible. Was Reagan born weak because of Lina’s reckless choices? Adison didn’t want to believe that, and his memories of their daughter didn’t tell the same story. She had been a perfect baby until she had gotten sick. Smiling, laughing, and crying with lungs that were in no way weak. Her face glowed when Adison had held her in his arms and planted kisses all over her little face. No, she had been born as strong as her parents’ could have made her, he was sure of it. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he stood there, still wordless. He would have given his life to make sure that Reagan would live, but it had been a million to one chance that she would have lived to see her first birthday. Adison saw the Menagerie bring strong men to their knees every single day. What chance had an infant, born in the dead of the winter? He looked back at Lina just in time for her to meet his gaze, and then she was gone, leaving him with words that burned like fire. There’s no going back. Adison sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling as he heard her footsteps start down the hallway. She was right. There was no going back. Nothing would bring Reagan back to them, and nothing would erase the memory of losing her. So then why were they still going on about this? Adison slowly moved away from the wall, his brows furrowing in thought. No matter what Lina had done, or thought she did, there was no way to change what had happened. So why did everything keep going back to that moment, the one they could do nothing about? When would they ever talk about what was left ahead of them? Never, if she kept running from him. She always ran, and it infuriated him. Suddenly Adison was bolting out the door, racing down the steps after her. ”Adelina!” he called, “Stop running away from this, Lina!” Adison finally caught up to her and grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her to a stop. “You’re wrong, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Don’t you get it? She’s gone, but we’re still here. You’re not running from Reagan anymore, you’re running from me. “ ooc: ;3;

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/sketchedesigns/linaaaaa.png)] It had taken everything to tell him what she'd done, and she couldn't bear to face the judgment in his eyes, the inevitable resentment the truth would foster in him. But she was resolute. There was no future for them, not when they had this between them. Not when there was even the slightest risk of him holding her ultimate sin against her. she was to blame for everything, she had been the one to let their daughter down, to kill her. And he knew that, no matter how much he tried to deny it. The truth was there, a hideous truth she couldn't outrun no matter how fast she ran. She reached the bottom of the stairs and was ready to bolt to the back room to fetch her bow and arrows, but she felt his hand wrap around her wrist. He pulled her back, his grip like iron. His touch was firm and his voice demanding. But when she turned to face him, her features had changed--contorted and twisted into an expression of anger and despair. She was a cornered animal, terrified and furious at the same time, as if she were fighting for her life. She was conflicted, confused. Lost, terrified. Everything she had kept pent up inside, too afraid to face herself, had just spilled from her lips. She wanted to be left alone, left in peace to live the rest of her life in torment of guilt without him next to her, silently hating her for what she'd done. She knew, she knew it would grow and fester until he would break. She wouldn't have that on her conscious--no. The best thing was to cut him loose, to sever all ties. They would live their separate lives, and for him this life would fade into the past. Adelina wrenched her hand out of his grasp. "You don't know a goddamned thing," She hissed, and the sorrow that had been in her voice but moments earlier had vanished. She straightened herself, glaring at him from the shadow of her brow. "I'm not running from anything, Adison. I've faced the truth, and now I have to live with it's consequences," she snarled. "You can make your promises. But you'll hate me for it, one day. Maybe not today, but it'll come." she said, voice faltering. "And I can't live like that, just waiting for the day you realize it. I don't want to be with you, Adison. Don't you get it? There's no going back from this." With that, Adelina turned again to leave. But he grabbed her arm again, was pulling her back and trying to make her stay. His grip was stronger this time. She tried to wrench her arm free again but he was too strong, and she turned to face him with a sound akin to a snarl. "Adison, let me go." she warned with a hiss, though his grip only tightened. She wanted to be free of him, and she tried again to free herself. Failing to do so, she turned on him, landing a savage blow on the jaw, raking her nails across his face and bringing a knee up to slam it into his stomach. ooc-- Lina o.e

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 473px; height: 483px; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/adiscrollgrunge3.png)] Adison roared in surprise as Adelina turned on him, her nails leaving burning red claw marks across his cheek. Her knee smashed into his stomach and left him doubled over, just long enough for Lina to free herself from his grasp and try to run. “LINA!” He screamed hoarsely after her, stumbling to try and catch her. He had gone through too much trouble tracking her here today to lose her so quickly. Now that she knew he was after her, it was almost certain that she would be too hyper-aware for him to ever corner her against her will again. This was his only chance to make her listen, and he was doing a terrible job of it. Adi leapt desperately at her, his hand finding a hold in her tangle of hair, pulling her down to the ground by it as he fell. They slammed onto the old floorboards with a thud that seemed to resonate throughout his body, knocking the wind from him again. But he knew there was no time to lay there catching his breath. Adi scrambled to try and pin Lina down, wrestling her so that they were a ridiculous tangle of arms and legs rolling around on the floor. “Damn it, Adelina! You’re being so stupid!” he shouted, giving her a slap across the face, as if that would snap her out of the delusion she had herself under. “Stop being be so damn stubborn!” He didn’t know how else to try and make her understand. The words escaped him, and all he knew how to do was try and force her to see it his way. But she was just as determined as he was, and Adi didn’t know if they would ever get anywhere like this. He was sure as hell not going to be the first one to throw in the towel, that was for sure. “No matter what I say, you’re not going to believe me. Why cant you just trust me for once?”

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 497px; height: 647px; background-image:url(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/sketchedesigns/linaaaaa.png)] She felt his hands tangle in her hair the moment before she was yanked backwards, though she managed to twist so that she landed on her side and didn't slam the back of her head into the likely ancient wood. The landing left her winded, but she was already trying to get on her feet again when Adison tried to pin her down and make her listen. She fought him, swinging wild punches and aiming kicks that he twisted away from. If she were any other woman and he were any other man the situation would seem terrifying, abusive. But to Adelina it was second nature (almost first) to respond with a fist first and talk later, and the slap that left a bright red mark on her cheek managed to make her pause for only a moment. Her eyes narrowed and she allowed him to speak, stopping her struggling. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, letting the sting of the hit fade into the rhythmic pounding of her heart. She watched him carefully as he spoke, trying to think of something to say, searching for some words to throw at his face that would hurt him bad enough that he’d stop talking, stop coming after her, and just leave her to suffer in her own misery. But she kept coming up short, and for once in her life she couldn’t find something to say. She’d made up her mind about him, simple as that. They couldn’t be together, not with this ugly truth between them. But as she found herself looking into his pale eyes that glistened with desperation and hurt, Adelina felt her heart breaking all over again. She lost the will to run, to fight, the strength seeming to leave her body in a shuddering wave. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him, and she lifted a hand slowly up to his face. Her hands trembled as she traced her fingertips along his cheek, tracing the red claw-marks she’d carved out only moments before. “I’m sorry, Adi…” she whispered, barely able to form the words. “I’m so sorry. Maybe I am stupid,” she said, voice trembling. “But I don’t have the strength to face this anymore. Not this. I’m drowning, and I don’t want to take you down with me.” She paused, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. She was looking at him again, and all she saw was their daughter, their tiny baby, being lowered into the ground. She choked out a violent sob as she tried to get the memories out of her mind, knocking her fists against her temples. She felt like clawing at her eyes, tearing through them until she reached her brain, maybe then she could rip out whatever part of her was doing this. Why couldn’t she relive the happy memories? Instead this scene played over and over again in her mind, haunting her--dogging her every thought, every step. She pulled away from Adison, writhing out of his grasp and curled herself up into a ball on the floor next to him, hands clutching her head, nails digging into her scalp until she drew blood. “She was the only thing that made sense,” she rasped, her voice cracking. “And now everything is all wrong. All confused. I’m drowning without her, and I can’t see a way out.” ooc-- --

[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 473px; height: 483px; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/adiscrollgrunge3.png)] Adi’s face softened and his expression slipped into one of confusion as he stared at Lina, waiting for her to open her mouth and spit out some biting remark. She said nothing, and if anything, it made Adison worry about her more. She was never one to be left speechless, and suddenly Adison could see just how frail and broken she was, and that he wasn’t helping her by fighting her and trying to force her to listen to him. She lifted her hand to his face, and Adison leaned into her gentle touch. He sighed and closed his eyes, and for a moment he could imagine that they were together again, normal again. But when he opened his eyes, he saw her still frail and damaged by the pain that had torn them apart, and he knew he couldn’t fight with her anymore. He sat back and only listened to her, his face creased in a frown. When she pulled away from him, he let her up without a struggle, and watched as she curled up next to him. What was he supposed to do for her now? It was clear that nothing he could say would fix this. Time had not healed the wounds so far, but his only option was to hope that more time on her own, without him following her to remind her of Reagan, would be enough to bring Adelina through her grief. Adison sighed and gently reached over, pulling one of her hands away from her head so that she couldn’t hurt herself any more. He gave it a kiss and lowered it to her side again, while his other hand moved to her hair, gently sweeping the strands out of her face. “You’ll find the way out, Lina, because I won’t let you drown,”

[/color] he promised quietly. With that he helped her to sit up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight for a few moments. “I’ll always be within reach. You know where to find me if you need me,”[/b] he added, though he doubted that she would seek him out for a long while.

He stood then, carefully pulling Lina to her feet, supporting her when she needed it. “I won’t follow you any longer, even if it hurts to go without seeing you. I’ll leave it to you now to decide what’s next,” Adison told her, and he felt his heart sink with the possibility that she might never be well enough to want to see him again. But even that was better than what he was doing now, haunting her steps and only causing her more pain. “I love you,” he whispered, and pressed a fleeting kiss to her forehead.

He left it at that, and walked away with a heavy heart, barely afloat with the slightest hope that one day they could start again.



ooc: ;A; fin?

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