Moving On [Complete]

[Adelina Russovo]

Caw, caw, caw! “Goddamn birds,” came a voice muffled by blankets. Lina snuggled closer against Adi’s back, wrapping her arms tighter around him and nuzzling his neck. Caw! Caw! Caw! “Winged devil spawn,” she hissed, cracking open a bright, teal-colored eye to glare up at the sky. She could see them circling their incessant circles, shrieking their incessant, never ending warnings. Goddamn birds. Goddamn flapping menaces that hadn’t let them be for weeks. She just wanted to sleep. She just wanted to lay with Adi and pretend the rest of the dome didn’t care. CAW! CAW! CAW! “Adi, get my bow. I’ll set ‘em on fire. Flying rotisserie, yeah?” They were a tangle of limbs and clothes, buried under blankets and scraps to keep warm in the winter chill. Lina slowly untangled herself from Adi, pressing a line of kisses along his neck as she rose with a huff, frustrated that she hadn’t been able to enjoy her time with Adison. It had been about two or three weeks since that rainy night; the night that had been a turning point for them. They still hadn’t talked, but then they had never really needed words, as corny as it sounded. Lina stood and shambled to their packs, grabbing hold of her bow and strapping on her drop-leg quiver. She knocked an arrow, and not a moment too soon: As soon as they showed signs of life, the great noise from above grew louder, and the aerial assault began. The small band of Lawaii started dive bombing them, trying to chase them off as they had done nearly every day since Adi and Lina had tried to go further up the mountains. They stole their supplies, crapped on their stuff and just generally made so much noise it was impossible to do anything. A hawk came at her with its talons outstretched for her eyes. She let fly, her arrow sinking into the annoyance with skilled ease. The flock split and regrouped, circling for another attack. Adi was next to her, already starting to pack up the supplies and get Atlas saddled as she fired another few arrows, grumbling when they fell short as the birds had flown out of range. “That’s it. That is it!" she snarled, dropping her bow, ripping off her quiver and in one swift move shifted into her puma form. With yowl that seemed to echo through the valley, Lina unfurled her colorful wings and gave chase. She wasn't one for flying and had never particularly enjoyed the effort, though most saw these Keeper-given mutations as blessings. Everyone wanted to fly! Well, for once it came in handy. It only took a few huge flaps of her wings and she was on them, the winged vermin, her claws outstretched. She swatted and slashed her way through the small band, a flurry of feathers and shrill, terrified screes followed by her yowls of delight. She brought her paw down hard on a particularly large vulture, a laugh-like rasp coming from her muzzle as she watched it spiral down into Adi's waiting jaws. Why hadn't she done this sooner? She gave chase to a few more of the pests before they decided a giant flying puma was more than they'd bargained for and flapped off with hoots and caws of malcontent. Lina tucked her wings and landed in a skid of dust and feathers, her already bright-red muzzle made even redder with a smear of blood and feathers. She trotted up to where Adi was still batting at one of the unlucky. She brushed against him, long, fluffy tail curling around him. "I think we won," she said. "For now, at least."

[Adison Sotero]

Adison groaned and wearily put a hand over his ear, but it did little to block out the incessant bird noises. He silently begged that they would give up and fly away for once, but he knew better than to put too much stock in that hope. These birds were relentless and dedicated, he gave them that much. But he wanted nothing more than to just continue to lay there with Adelina, safe in her embrace. He didn’t know how long it had been since the last time they had held each other with nothing but love between them, only that it had been much too long. No damned birds were going to take his mornings away from him, at least not after today. Adison lingered under the blankets for a moment after Lina got up, dreading the chill that would come from leaving their warm nest of a bed, but eventually he followed after. He took a moment to slip on his boots and then hastily began throwing their meager belongings into the packs. Behind him he could hear the twang of Lina’s bowstring and the shrieking of birds, and he grinned contentedly at the sound. Once Atlas was packed up, he raced back over to Lina in time to see her take to the air in a flash of colorful feathers. He shifted in response, his golden tiger coat gleaming in the sunlight. He paced excitedly as he watched the cougar massacre its victims. Claws dug into the earth, kneading it in anticipation. Finally, Lina threw him a bone, or rather, a bird, and Adison crushed the feathery foe with a snap of his powerful jaws. The tiger let out a proud trill and trotted over to the stone-faced mule, who had no fear of her big-cat leaders. He dropped the bird next to her so he could pack it up for later and batted at one last victim. They’d make for a hearty dinner once they found a place to make camp again. Adi turned to greet Lina as she finally landed, giving her a quick tiger head-butt. “I think so,” he agreed, “Though I think maybe it’s time we steered away from the cliffs. I’m sick of these birds waking us,” Adison added, pawing playfully at Adelina’s vibrantly-colored face. “Maybe we can go to the safehouse for a while?” He asked, shifting back and packing up the dead birds with the rest of their supplies. “At least we could have some peace and quiet… or make some, if we get pestered again.” It had been a long time since they’d been to the safehouse, so he wasn’t sure of the current state of it. The last time they’d been there, they hadn’t exactly left on good terms either, but Adison was looking forward to writing over some of those bad memories.

[Adelina Russovo]

Lina chuffed as Adi headbutted her, clumsily wrapping her paws around his thick, striped neck. She bit playfully at his ears, whiskers twitching with glee. Her thick-furred tail looked like a bottle brush as it fluffed with her excitement -- it flicked back and forth as she watched him finish packing the birds, her stomach already rumbling for some of their kill, especially with the blood still fresh on her tongue. "I couldn't agree more," she said as she shifted and fluidly stepped into her boots. "I think the safehouse should be ... safe by now," she said as she plucked a few feathers from her mouth, wiping the blood clean with the back of her hand. The last time they had been that the safehouse together, she had been so lost, so confused, so wracked with gnawing guilt…But this time was different. This time would be better. They were starting new, starting fresh, and there was no use in opening up the wounds of the past. "I wanted to avoid it as long as possible in case we were being followed, but I don't think they even know what happened." She said, though her voice was low and soft, lacking the usual volume she spoke with. She didn't like bringing up what had happened that night, when her plan to get justice for her father had gone so wrong so fast. She had done her best to avoid even mentioning the Carna since Adi had left with her. "At least we'd have a roof over our heads," she said as Adi finished packing, and she began the process of equipping her various weaponry with an almost ritualistic air as she methodically checked and rechecked that all were in place. “Even if it leaks, better than sleeping out in the rain most nights.” She checked her trench knife, strapped to her wrist, her machetes tucked in their sheaths across her back, her drop-leg quiver tied to her thigh and bow slung over her back. And lastly, she slipped her spear into the sheath on Atlas' saddle she'd made for it. She stood on tip toe and peeked over Atlas' back to where Adi stood on the other side of the mule, waiting for her to hop on and grab the rope reins. She was the more experienced rider and in their month of travel, Adi had yet to actually, well, drive. “Nuh-uh, boy. Hop up front. You’re gonna learn how to ride a mule good and proper,” she said, patting the seat of the saddle. Adi hopped up and she swung up behind him with a grin, sliding her arms around his waist. There was the bite of winter in the air so she pressed against his back, snuggling into the crook of his neck – she reveled in his warmth, in his scent, in his very being there. She was still not used to it, being this close with him again. Every moment was like their first touch, their first kiss, their first everything; and yet he was so familiar. He was still, as ever, her hearth and home. She chuckled and gave him a comforting squeeze when she noticed how tense he was, his hands holding the reins too taut. “Keep your hands loose and easy, like you would hold your knife,” she said. “Atlas is a smart girl. Makes her a tad stubborn, but she’s pretty good at following orders and doesn’t need too strong a hand,” she continued. “Just give her a squeeze with your thighs to tell her you want to go, use the reins on her neck to tell her which way to turn.” Atlas eased into a walk at Adison's bidding, and they were off, heading south to the safehouse, leaving the troubles of the Rings and their pasts further and further behind. "You're a natural." She said, resting her head on the back of his shoulder as she eased in for the long ride.

[Adison Sotero]

Oh no. Adison stared warily up at the saddle. He’d never really ridden before they’d stolen this mule, and he’d definitely never taken the reins. “I…I guess,” He agreed, knowing full well that if he didn’t, Lina would somehow get him up there anyways. Adi pulled himself into the saddle and gripped the reins as instructed. He carefully listened to her advice, and only then did he give Atlas a little squeeze to urge her on. The mule trotted forward obediently, and Adison nearly lurched forward as she started. It was much different when he didn’t have Adelina to cling to. After a few moments he seemed to get the hang of it, and it was alright from there. Once he’d calmed down, he could finally relish the feeling of Lina’s arms around him, her body pressed into her back, and the warmth that spread through his chest from having her near. “This isn’t too bad… You’re a good teacher,” he told her, chancing a look over his shoulder. He quickly glanced back at the path ahead, lest somehow he crash the mule into a tree. This was definitely a much more comfortable ride than the ride into the mountains had been. Adison took the reins in one hand so he could hold onto Lina’s hand with the other. He pulled it to his lips, planting a soft kiss to the back of it, before letting their hands drop again. It was a silent confirmation that he was glad she was here, that they were together. It was a long ride to the safehouse, but Adi managed to keep from crashing the mule into anything, and soon, the run-down building was on the horizon. Adison pulled Atlas to a stop a few yards away and hopped off, staring warily at the cabin. “We should go check it out,” He suggested, hoping that if there were other rogues about, they could learn of their position before they found Adi, Lina, or their mule-full of supplies. Adison shifted into his small, lithe border collie form and closed his eyes, sniffing around for any unusual scents. The damp, earthy smell of the forest filled his nostrils, followed by the old, mildewy smell of the safehouse, with it’s ancient wooden planks and overgrown sides. He didn’t smell any other rogues, but he crept forward toward the cabin anyways, and round the side to where the kitchen window was. Adison glanced over his shoulder to make sure Lina was following, then nosed it open and with one swift hop, he was up and through the window.

[Adelina Russovo]

Ha, she thought, letting out a light snort through her nose. "I’ve never been called that before," she said with a shake of her head. She didn’t usually have the patience for people who didn’t know what they were doing. "Bitch, sure. Giant blond she-male, yep. Good teacher, though? First time for everything, I guess." She snickered, squeezing Adi's hand. She’d always been picked to train tenderfoots in the Fallen, sure. But they usually didn’t last long under her rigorous training exercises, long hunts and exacting standards. But she considered herself the best at what she did, and would hold others to it. She found herself reminiscing about her life in the Fallen, strangely aware of how it already felt as if it had been years since she had left. She hadn’t been back in the Fallen in well over six months, including the one month she’d spent fleeing the Rings with Adison. Her skin prickled and she felt a knot form in her throat as she thought of the world she was leaving behind for Adison, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as he pressed a kiss to her hand. But that wasn’t fair. She wasn’t leaving just for him. She was leaving for herself, to finally be free of the never-ending conflict and hatred that the Rings bled from every living organism they could get their hands on. She was leaving for the promise of a future. Unconsciously, her free hand pressed gently against her belly, fingers gripping lightly at the fabric. She felt a warmth blossoming there, a warmth so terrifyingly familiar, a feeling she had felt before and was told she would never feel again. She drew in a deep breath and buried her face into Adi’s back to keep back the annoying tears. She didn’t dare to think such a miracle could be theirs again, shoving aside another promise of a future so desperately uncertain. She soon drifted off to a light sleep to the steady plod of Atlas’ trusty hooves, but woke as soon as Adison pulled the mule to a stop. She stretched carefully, her arm still tender from the fight with Manic even after all this time. She slid off the mule and tied the reins around a nearby branch, knowing they would be able to hear anybody trying to untie it. Lina shifted into her lithe puma form, padding soundlessly after Adi, vaulting through the window with ease. They stole through the house together, clearing room after room to ensure they would have no company. She motioned that she would check upstairs while he continued downstairs. As she stole up the creaky stairs, keeping her weight evenly distributed on wide, soft paws to maintain silence, she avoided the room just past the stairs: the room they'd been in when they were last here. Even the sight of the door made her uneasy, filled her with a heaviness she didn't want to confront. She sniffed at the frame just to make sure no one had been there recently, and with a soft sigh, decided it was clear. As she padded down the stairs after clearing the top floor, she found a raccoon hiding in the fireplace, killing it with a swift paw to the head and a bite to the neck. With the birds they had killed that morning, they were sure to have a feast tonight! She trotted happily up to Adi, her kill dangling from her muzzle. "All clear upstairs," she said after she dropped it at his paws. "I'll bring Atlas in. Folk got sticky fingers more than ever out here. She's better off inside with us, I think." She said, shifting back and jogging to the back of the house. She brought the mule up the front steps, her languid steps revealing the true nature of the mule. She truly feared nothing. Lina settled Atlas in the open and rather empty living room with some food to munch before heading back to the back bedroom with an armful of their blankets and supplies. There was that big old mattress there that had been there for god knows how long. "It's a miracle no one's stolen this thing," Lina said as she spread their blankets across the aged, slightly mildewed mattress. She was sorely tempted to sprawl out and sleep for a thousand years, but there was work yet to be done and she was not one to tolerate otiose behavior, especially not in herself. "I guess we should clean the birds and the 'coon and start preppin' dinner," she said, stealing a last look at the bed.

[Adison Sotero]

Adison darted around the lower floor, sniffing furiously at every corner. As far as he could tell, it had been weeks since another person had been here, and he hoped now that they would stay hidden from passers-by. He wasn’t afraid of a fight, but he was wary that someone might recognize him. After a month on the run, Adison was happy to be a ghost to the rest of the dome. All he needed was Adelina and a place for them to rest their heads. That was enough to make him happy. He only smelled the blood of the fresh kill, or he wouldn’t have noticed Lina’s approach at all. It was eerie, really, when he could normally hear or scent someone approaching from yards away. Adison turned and raised a wagging tail at the sight of the raccoon. There was never too much food when they were living day-to-day as they were. As Lina set up Atlas for the night, he padded to the back bedroom and shifted back into his human form. He flopped down on the bed the moment Lina had made it, and grinned mischievously at her. “I’m not hungry,” He lied, patting the space beside him. He knew that Lina wasn’t one for lounging about when there was work to be done, just as he never used to be, but lately Adison had decided that work had run his life for far too long, and he would get to it when he got to it. He sat up like a rocket and grabbed her good arm, swiftly pulling her down onto the bed next to him before she could realize what he was plotting. Adison let out a resonating laugh and wrapped his arms around her. “Got ya!” He exclaimed, cackling impishly, struggling to keep her in his grasp. He hardly ever won the playful fights he started, but it was fun to try anyways. It reminded him of their early days, and he realized that though he’d missed his partner, his mate, he’d also missed having a best friend. One who could knee him in the guts in a wrestling match, but would also make him laugh about it. The birds could wait.

[Adelina Russovo]

“Ah, ah –" she started to say when Adi patted the spot next to him, though the instant his hand snagged her arm she knew she couldn’t resist the offer. Her cheeks flushed a bright, rosy pink as she landed next to him on the mattress with a surprised “oomph!” Her heart pounded an excited rhythm, a rhythm she could feel in every scintilla of her body as she reveled in the pure excitement of the moment, just like the old days. It wasn’t about lust, or frustration or emotion, it was just them being themselves. She found herself staring into his light brown eyes for a moment too long, though, letting out a playful grumble when he wrapped his arms around her. “Cheater,” she said with a laugh. She snaked her legs through his and rolled on top of him, reaching up to cover his eyes gently with her hands. “No unfair distractions.” She said, lips curving up into a smile to match his own toothy grin. His arms tightened around her waist and she braced for him to fight back. She knew most of his moves, but who knows what had changed in a year?

[Adison Sotero]

“Says the one sitting on top of me,” Adison pointed out with a chuckle. “Talk about distractions. Besides, how is it cheating if I can’t help it?” he questioned, pulling her closer. It was clear that his usual moves wouldn’t win him a victory here. Instead of trying to throw her off, he loosened his grip on her and let his hands wander up to her back. He gently scratched little circles against the thick fabric and fought no more. “I think I still win,” he told her, one hand snaking up her back till it was lost in a tangle of blonde hair. He twirled a few strands between his fingers, undoing some of the knots that he encountered, at least the small ones. “You ever brush this stuff?” He teased, tugging at the end of a strand that hung near her face, ignoring the fact that he himself had a tangled birds-nest of a mane.

[Adelina Russovo]

She brought her hands down to rest on his shoulders, fingertips digging in slightly as he spoke. “Mmm,” she said, furrowing her brow and biting at her lip as if in serious thought. “Debatable. I believe as a woman I’m entitled to use my feminine wiles as I wish,” she said, grinning as he pulled her closer. “To, you know, level the playing field.” She said with a sardonic quirk of her brow. She shook her head and gave a shrug of her shoulders, stringy blond hair spilling around her cheeks in soft, uneven wisps. “I don’t make the rules,” she said with a laugh that said, Okay, maybe I do. As he slackened his grip on on her waist, she pushed up off his shoulders and leaned back into his touch as his hands tickled up her back. She narrowed her eyes, lips curving in a devilish smile. "You win? Already?" she said, shaking her head with a little tut, tut, tut. "Boy, that was fast. A little rusty, are we?" she said with a laugh. Her eyes drifted closed seemingly of their own volition as she relaxed into his touch, finding it a strange sensation after all this time – such tenderness had been foreign to her for so long. A light hiss slipped past her lips when he tangled his fingers in her hair, her back arching slightly. “I only brush it when in decent company,” she said, absently toying with the collar of his shirt. “And present company considered, I didn’t see much need.” She tangled her own fingers in his dark curls, picking out a leaf. She twirled it in her fingers just in front of his face before placing it on his nose. “I’m surprised you even know what a brush is. Usually you're all ‘Me Adi. Me like dirt. Me like roll in dead thing.’ Surprised I didn't find a whole mouse tucked away in there for later.” She dug around in his thick mane of hair for a moment in mock search before languidly draping herself across his chest, her lips barely brushing against his collarbone. She laid there for a long moment, her hand bunched in the fabric of his shirt, tucked just under her chin. She looked up at him from her perch on his chest, flashing an unusually timid smile when she met his gaze blushing like an idiotic tenderfoot.

[Adison Sotero]

“Oh yeah, I’ve got the unfair advantage of my dazzling eyes for you to overcome,” He mock-agreed with fluttering lashes, letting his hand fall from her hair again to continue caressing her back. “You know… It has been a while,” Adison tried to excuse himself with a laugh. A while since they’d been this playful. They had definitely been growing close over the past couple of weeks, both physically and emotionally, but they hadn’t gone back to who they really were together, not until just now. “Lina right,” he agreed in a gruff, slow voice. “Me like dirt. Me like… winning!” He exclaimed, taking Lina’s disarmed moment as a chance to get the upper hand. And so he shattered their tender moment by flipping Lina off of him, and then suddenly shifting. He darted out of the door in a flash of brown and white and barked in victory as he zoomed away from the surely-angered Adelina. Like he’d give up so easily, hah! Lina would have to catch him if she wanted to win. And Adison loved to run. He could already feel her giving chase without even looking behind him. He yelped and switched directions on a dime, dashing this way and that, through the living room, underneath Atlas, and even halfway up the stairs before he leapt off the side through the bannister and bolted for the kitchen. ooc: adi no...you... you crushed it.

[Adelina Russovo]

She leaned up and blew the leaf off his nose, chuckling at his response and his fluttering eyelashes. “Like little butterflies!” she cooed, booping his nose. “They’re a powerful weapon, to be sure.” She said, widening her eyes and lowering her voice, very serious business. “Use them wisely,” she said with a snirk. She was staring up at him again, a happy warmth suffusing through her limbs. She snuggled against him, delighting in the fact that they could be this close, this … normal together. He has Adi. She was Lina. And they – they were just, well ... His voice cut her off and she realized she’d been wandering, her eyes flicking up to his an instant too late as she was suddenly catapulted off the bed. “What -- !” Was all she could get out before she was bouncing once on the mattress and rolling off the bed in a flail of blond hair and limbs. She tucked it into a smooth somersault and hit the ground running, bare feet slapping against the aged wood as she tore after Adi. “Lina like to kick ass!” she hollered after him, dogging his every move. She shifted into her puma form, peeling after him. He was faster than she was and she knew it. But she, she was a prime hunter. She knew how to guess where her prey would go, which direction they would turn next. She guessed where he was going to be, adjusted her trajectory and – bam! Her paws were as silent as an owl’s wings as she came up behind him from a blind hallway by the kitchen, using a big push of her wings to boost her speed. She shifted at the last moment and barreled into him, laughing all the way. They hit the ground and kept sliding from the force of the tackle, tumbling and rolling a few extra feet before they slid to a stop. "Hah," Lina grinned, breath coming in heavy pants as she straddled his waist, pinning him to the ground with her weight. She gave him a fierce grin before grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up so he was half-sitting up. There was no light to be seen between them and she drew him closer still, lips inches from his own. “Lina win.” She breathed, and in that same breath pulled him in for the kill -- her lips crashed down on his and they were one, and for all the world they could not be parted.

[Adelina Russovo]

End Thread!