Hope Against Hope. [Damian]

[Redd Russo]

Redd’s stomach turned as they approached the Inn. The smoke in the air burned his throat and made him cough. From what he could see, some sections were only a burnt out husk. It was a miracle the place was still standing. Redd glanced over his shoulder at his younger brother, trying to read his face. He knew this had to be difficult for him. As far as they’d heard, only two of the Fulsi scouts had made it out of the Carna’s sudden attack, and there was no word of Casey. “You alright?” Redd asked, wondering if they should go any further. He didn’t know what they would find, and part of him was afraid to find out. He knew Damian had to be thinking similarly. He also knew they didn’t come all this way to turn back without finding some answers. “Let’s just get this over with,” he suggested, taking a deep breath to steel himself and entering the building. Some of the walls inside were charred and hollow, and yet other places were untouched. Redd poked his head into one of the rooms downstairs. The wooden planks were stained dark from what he assumed was blood, pooled in different areas of the room where a fight had gone down. Whatever had happened at the Inn hadn’t been expected, and the results hadn’t been pretty. He shuddered and had to look away. Redd, despite his years in The Menagerie, had never grown used to the violence here. It disturbed him just as much, or even moreso, than it did when he'd first arrived. To think of all the friends and acquaintances that he'd lost here, people who were only doing their jobs and keeping their posts, slaughtered only because of the group they belonged to... it made his legs weak and his chest tight with sorrow.

[Damian Russo]

It was the middle of the day and the sun was high in the sky with no clouds whatsoever. Despite that it felt as though it was storming and raining as Damian and his older brother approached the Inn where Casey, Sascha, and Fletcher previously made to be their home. Smoke still hung in the air which Damian felt would probably never leave. The sight in front of him raised the hair on his arms and left his face stone cold. For closure Damian decided to stroll to the Inn with Redd to hopefully get some answers on what had previously happen. With all the odd abilities the Menagerie possessed Damian wished he had precognition to be able to have the answers in an instant. You alright?" "Pretty sure you already know the answer, but thank you for asking," he responded sincerely. Seemed his mind was full of smoke as well due to his persistent desire to disassociate when his feelings were of sorrow. Standing in front of the Inn was easier said than done. There was a strong part of him that wanted to run away and the other craved to know what had happened. Damian could feel his heart beating out of his chest and it echoed so loud in his head. In a nod of agreement to Redd's suggestion Damian stepped forward to enter the building. To get the investigation over as soon as possible was on top of his to do list for the day. A chill spilled down his back as he took his very first step into the Inn. The air had a mixture of smoke, the smell of blood, and even the feeling of someone screaming. While Redd checked in one room Damian checked in a room a bit farther down. Examining the room it appeared that it was untouched by the previous battle. A part of Damian hoped that when he entered the room that Casey would be there to greet him with quizzical look on why Damian decided to visit. Even though Sascha was on Damian's shit list he still hoped that he was okay, too. Whether or not Casey would ever admit it Damian knew he always needed someone by his side. They connected on the feeling of loneliness after all. All of a sudden a stench came across his nose. It was a familiar scent, a present scent, and not something left over from the tragedy before. There was a Carna in the building unaware of his own or Redd's presence. When the Carna was spotted he slowly snuck up behind the enemy and slipped on his brass knuckles out of his pockets. As he got in close range Damian grabbed the male Carna by the hair throwing him down by the back of his head onto the floor. The loud thud of the Carna's head cracking onto the ground vibrated through the entire house. Jumping on top of the stranger he grabbed the Carna by the throat tightly with one hand and the other in a fist hovering over his own head ready top beat the crap out of the Carna. The built up rage that he had buried under the feeling of sorrow rose to the surface and began to consume him. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?! TELL ME! TELL ME RIGHT F***ING NOW OR I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY GOD DAMN BARE HANDS!!!" ------------------------------ OOC: Angry Damian is scary. D:

[Redd Russo]

Redd was lost in his thoughts when the sounds of a struggle and yelling finally broke him out of his trance. He immediately turned to look at Damian, only to find that his brother was no longer behind him. Redd’s heart began to race and he felt a wave of panic wash over him. “Damian? Damian?!” He called, rushing down the hall. The scent of Carna reached him and sent a shiver down his spine. They were still here, he thought, waiting for some stupid Fulsi to walk in looking for their ringmates! It was an elaborate trap, and they’d walked right into it! Redd nearly had to stop running to keep himself from hyperventilating. He didn’t want to believe that he’d led himself and his brother to certain death. When he finally turned the corner, he found Damian on top of the lone Carna, who seemed to be sobbing and begging for his life. Redd felt an immense pang of guilt at how relieved he was to see Damian having the upper hand in the fight. The fight itself still made his stomach turn though, and he rushed to Damian’s side. He wrapped his arms around his brother and tried to pull him off the struggling boy. “Damian, stop! You’re gonna really hurt ‘im!” He begged. Redd looked at the Carna and didn’t see the enemy; he’d tried so hard to, every time there was an attack or a raid and his fellow Fulsi declared the Carna the scum of the earth. But Redd saw the Fulsi for what they were, raiding and attacking just as much in return, and he couldn’t see how they were any different from the other rings. There was no greater evil to fight; if the violence was going to end, someone would have to decide to stop it. He only wanted to be working in his workshop, making advancements towards a better life in the dome. Right now, his help was limited to the Fulsi, but in his wilder more far-off dreams, Redd wondered if he could help everyone in the dome, if only they could step back and stop fighting so much. He looked at this boy, cowering on the floor with a few supplies scattered around him and saw only a scared young man. “I don’t think he was part of what happened here,” Redd spoke, hoping he could try and reach his brother through the cloud of rage around him. “This isn’t what we came here for!” ooc: precious Reddie ;3;

[Damian Russo]

In the heat of the moment all Damian could see was red. The boy under him began to sob unconditionally in fear which drove a sense of pride, power, and dominance in Damian's chest. Time after time Damian kept losing a sense of control around him in every aspect of his life. This was a moment for him to rub his own ego as the top dog in the fight. Damian felt a tug on the arm that was hovering over the boy. Turning back he saw Redd standing there looking frantic and begging him to leave the boy alone. "Of course I'm going to hurt him! How else am I supposed to get information out of him," he exclaimed. Quickly, Damian brought back his attention to the Carna sobbing and begging for his life underneath him. "Answer my question, dammit! You say you value your life? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" Even with the yelling the Carna was too scared and in shock to even reply. 'I don't think he was part of what happened here. This isn't what we came here for!' Damian knew this is what him and his brother did not come for at all. It was just easier for Damian to take out his anger on an innocent Carna than to face the reality of Casey potentially being deceased. With a quick sigh he replied to Redd, "You're right. It's not." A spark of hope showed in the Carna's eyes as he knew his life was going to be spared. Without any moment of hesitation Damian smacked the Carna across the head into the floorboard knocking the boy out cold. "We don't need him getting in our way. Now, please help me get up." As Redd held out his hand to pick Damian off the boy he grabbed it firmly to be pulled back onto his feet. Damian felt his body still shaking from the overwhelming rage from before. To comfort his brother who still looked distraught over everything that just unfolded, Damian, put his hand on Redd's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. "I'm alright. Don't worry, bro. And thank you," he spoke with sincerity. "Let's just check upstairs to see if we find any clues." Moving toward the stairs a sense of nostalgia returned to him. Was not too long before that he was walking on crumby stairs that was tied into a story involving Casey's life. Before Damian managed to put his foot on the step he stopped in his tracks as he became engulfed by the fear of what may be found. Gazing at Redd he whimpered, "I'm scared... Will you please go first?" ----------------------------------- OOC: Big Baby Damian~! :D

[Redd Russo]

Redd let out a sigh of relief once the Carna was knocked out; he hadn’t wanted harm to come to him, but he knew that a punch in the face was the easiest the kid was gonna get off with Damian so worked up. It was just better that he was no longer a threat to them or their mission. “C’mon,” Redd urged, gladly helping his brother to his feet. “I saw the staircase back the way I came,” he added, glad that their little Carna ordeal was over. Redd made an effort to pay more attention to his surroundings now, having been shaken by how easily the Carna had slipped past his notice. He didn’t hear anything else going on in the building. All was eerily quiet. Part of him was relieved, but another part of him recognized that it meant that no living things in the building had been roused by the ruckus. Redd took a deep breath as they neared the steps. He turned to look at his brother and noted the fear and hesitation in his eyes; Damian was hardly ever scared or hesitant, so Redd took it as a sign that he needed to be the brave one and lead the way. “I got ya now,” He assured Damian, taking a few stairs up. “We’ll go together,” he added, beckoning for Damian to follow. The stairs creaked in protest, but were still remarkably sturdy for all that they had been through. One or two were cracked, and Redd easily skipped over them. It was a short while of trial-and-error later, but sure enough, the two Fulsi found the safest path up the stairs and were on the second floor landing. The air here was heavy with the stench of all the smoke that had risen. There were faint people scents here and there, and above all that, an overwhelming scent of fear that made Redd want to turn back. He paused about a yard away from a busted-open doorway. He stopped to look back at Damian, wondering if his brother was thinking the same thing. The scent of people was strongest here, with both Carna, Fulsi, and other scents Redd didn’t recognize. The frantic energy of events that had unfolded still hung heavy in the air, sending a chill down his spine. Redd didn’t know what they would find, whether it be bodies, pools of blood, or nothing at all. Part of him wondered which outcome Damian would take worse; to find the worst, or to find nothing at all. “I…I think we’re here. D’ya want me ta go first again?” He asked, hoping he would take the brunt of the shock, if there was something terrible awaiting them. At least then he would be able to prepare Damian for what was inside. He wanted answers, but most of all he wanted his little brother to be okay.

[Damian Russo]

Instantly a sense of comfort washed over Damian as his older brother said he would lead the way. Back in the orphanage all they had was each other. Where one went the other one followed. The pain of the memory still exists in the back of Damian's mind of when they had to be separated due to Redd maxing out the age limit and Redd was let go to live on his own to rot. Damian was just glad they were reunited again even if it meant living in the Menagerie.

Every step that creaked sent more shivers down his spine. Not so much fun to break a few of your ribs and Damian did not want to re-live that. Without even thinking about it Damian grabbed Redd's hand to somehow make him feel safer. After they got to the second story he still held Redd's hand. The warmth of his hand was somehow nostalgic and soothing.

An overwhelming smell hit Damian like a ton of bricks. The stench of smoke was stronger on the second story and the smell of various people made Damian instantly cringe. Meeting Redd's gaze when his brother looked back at him it seemed obvious they were both thinking the same thing. Images of gore, violent leftovers, and death raced through his mind rapidly. It became too much for him to think about all at once.

Damian's cold stone self returned to prepare himself for the worst and protect his heart. Letting go of Redd's hand Damian folded his arms against his chest. "I'll go first," he responded with a dull monotone sound. "Let's check Casey's and..... Sascha's room. We'll more than likely find all the clues we need in there." Once again taking the leadership role Damian strolled to Casey and Sascha's room with Redd following close behind to investigate.

As they entered the tattered room it looked like a tornado came through. "I'm going to check in the mattress. You check wherever you think is best." Separating from Redd's side Damian moved towards his ex-lover's bed. It was slightly painful to think they weren't sleeping in a bed together anymore yet Damian also felt completely accepting of the arrangement. Damian pondered whether he was moving on gradually or that it was easier to forget their past love life. Reaching towards his boot Damian pulled out his switch blade and slashed through the mattress. All he could do at this point was to pray to get his answer soon and be done with all of it

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OOC: Hope this moved the thread forward. ;~;




[/blockqupte]

[Redd Russo]

Redd was relieved to enter the room and find it empty. It was trashed, so he knew something had happened here, but there were no bodies to be seen. As far as Redd knew, the Carna didn’t take the time to bury their victims. If they took any time for them at all, it was to make sure they were displayed. Redd took his time and scoured around the room for any clues. He looked behind the overturned table and saw nothing but a few damaged supplies and a tattered old teddy bear. Redd frowned at picked up the toy, deciding to hold onto it for safekeeping. He didn’t know what to think. There wasn’t any sign that they had made it out of the inn, but they hadn’t found any evidence that they hadn’t. Redd wandered around the small space, dragging his hand along the wall. He was mainly waiting for Damian to be satisfied with his fruitless search, when suddenly his hand found some grooves in the wall next to the window. Curious, he turned to look at them. Redd squinted and was able to make out a few letters carved into the wall. “O…T…R? OTR? I thought this was that anthro’s room?” His brows furrowed in confusion. The carving didn’t look very old; the edges of the peeling wallpaper weren’t worn away. Had someone else moved into their room? “Maybe we’ve got the wrong place.”

[Damian Russo]

As he searched the mattress there appeared to be no clues within it. Damian continued to search the rest of the room and nothing seemed to appear. Damian gritted his teeth in frustration due his overwhelming desire for instant gratification. There was a tinge of gratitude that there was no blood splattered all over the wall. Not the most common thing people would thin about on a day to day basis, but the Menagerie pretty much changes everything. The tension between Damian and Casey was so strong until the incident on the outskirts of the Fulsi near the Carna border. It took until nearly dying for them to make some peace with each other. Being stuck in a room in a recovery process barely made it easier. Immature spats back and forth, insulting each other, and the intense sarcasm was not the best way of bonding. Took awhile to finally manage to express their feelings like adults to calm the storm between them. It warmed Damian a bit knowing they ended on good terms. Damian just hoped the ending process wasn't death itself. Behind him Damian heard his older brother say something about the letters OTR on the wall. Whipping his head back Damian yelled back, "What?" Damian stood up and nearly ran towards the wall to see if what Redd was saying was actually true. The wood on the wall clearly stated the letters OTR and he felt the grooves on the wall to make sure he wasn't seeing what he wanted to see. Tears filled his eyes with excitement. "Do you know what this means? He's alive!" His brother looked at him confused as if he had two heads. "Back when Casey and I were together we made a pact that on the door of our room we would write 'OTR' if we were in trouble and had to run away. It stands for 'On The Run.' If we had the chance to write it then it means we're safe enough to escape and let the other know what's going on." A sigh of relief exhaled from him knowing that Casey was probably okay. "Let's go home." ------------------------ OOC - THREAD DONE! :D