Fathoming the Darkest Hour [C]

[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] ”I’ve just been feeling really sick lately is all. Like I’ve got food poisoning or something…but it doesn’t go away.” Teal eyes flickered to Delilah’s concerned emerald green gaze, lips turned down in a soft frown. “Mama said to come see you since you’re a Medic…I…I just don’t know what it could be and it’s starting to interfere with my hunting duties...” Blinking through the darkness, she sought out the small fragments of light that peeked through the ratty curtains, shuddering away the chill that raked her body, leaving her feeling hollowed and desperately alone. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she risked a look at the man sleeping next to her – watching the subtle rise and fall of his bare chest as he slept soundly. They were fitted snugly on her battle-acquired full size mattress, squeezed into the back of the train-car in a makeshift room – the benches had been fitted with boards to form a sort of wall, a ratty blanket hanging from the crooked, makeshift doorframe to give her and her roommate Kenre some privacy. Adelina pulled the ragged blanket closer to her chin, her chest weighed down and constricted with an anxiety that was beginning to overwhelm her. God, what was she going to do? A soft sigh escaped her and she turned slowly so that she lay on her side, facing Adison’s sleeping body. A finger traced delicately along the contours of his face, admiring his handsome beauty, the feral quality that was evident even as he slept. She bit her lip and pulled back, pulling at the blanket till only her teal eyes peered from behind the shield. “Adi,” She whispered softly, almost inaudibly. Moments passed and he didn’t wake – God. Her stomach was a tumult of fear, guilt, shame, sorrow…worry. Terror. She felt her chest tighten and she barely managed to breathe, a wave of nausea creeping over her till she had to cover her mouth to keep from vomiting. Damn…not again. She stumbled from her bed and flung herself outside just in time to be sick at the foot of the steps constructed from boxes, wiping the bile from her cheek. She shuddered at the dawn chill, the desert still frigid from nightfall and let the cool air wash over her, observing the rising sun and admiring for perhaps the first time in years the majesty of it – whether it was real, or fake, as those who hadn’t been born within the glass dome seemed inclined to debate – everything seemed different now, somehow…brighter. Somehow, there was warmth nestled in the pit of her stomach, a warmth that yearned to spread through her body and comfort her. Adelina grunted, refusing to allow the churning of her mind, her stomach and her heart to destroy all that she had worked for. She would figure something out – but she needed to tell him. Snuggling back into bed with Adison after washing her mouth out and cleaning up a bit with some stale drinking water, Adelina pressed her lips gently to her lovers lips, a surprisingly tender notion from the tough girl, murmuring his name again softly. “Adison, wake up…” Her voice was hoarse and ragged, as if with exhaustion. Her eyes hung heavy with black rings of sleepless nights and work-stocked days filled with the mysterious sickness that had plagued her that was no longer a mystery. Delilah had figured out the problem days ago… “We need to talk.” She finished as she saw his pale brown eyes flicker open in a haze of sleepy confusion. She smiled weakly, pathetically, and hoped for the best. ______________________________________ ooc; short and sucky, but lets get this beast of a plot on a roll! XD

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[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=width,525,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=12111a] A cool, salty breeze caressed his skin as Adison sat on the Carna docks. The seagulls cried overhead, and his pale brown eyes rose to meet them, a familiar sight, yet calming all the same. It was home. The waves lapped at his boots, legs dangling over the edge of the wooden structure, which was lower to the water than most. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, setting the sky aflame with pinks and golds. This was Adison’s paradise. He turned to see a group of sleepy-faces scouts marching his way, and he energetically jumped up to greet them. The dawn patrol! Oh, he missed it so. Adison took off running, his group following after, the wind whipping at their faces. “Adison, wake up… We need to talk.” The Carna grunted and grudgingly opened his eyes, the world of his dreams fading away to reality. His gaze flickered up to Adelina, who was just beginning to come into focus, though Adison could recognize even her blurry figure a mile away. “Mmm, G’ morning,” He smiled lopsidedly, laughing softly as he reached over and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. Adison’s smile only faded slightly as he recalled his dream… He’d been home again, and he was reminded that he couldn’t stay with Adelina forever. He wished so badly that she would just come with him, so they could both be in the Carna together, but he doubted that she’d agree… Most Fallen weren’t even tolerant of the Carna, and even fewer would ever go and live in a sewer. Well, she wanted to talk, so perhaps that would be the perfect time to break the news to her. He slowly sat up, letting out a deep sigh. Adison tried to play it off as mere tiredness, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his creamy-tan hand for effect. “Sooo, what do you wanna talk about?” He questioned, deciding to let her go first. It meant a few more happy moments with Adelina, and he was ready to give anything to be with her just a little longer. The past few weeks had been heaven, but Adison knew that the CarnaRing was just who he was, and that he just wasn’t himself without his father and friends and scouts… He was growing to like the Fallen, but it could never truly be his home. Ooc:// xDD Sorry it’s so shorrrtt. <3 LETS DO THIS THING! HUAH! XD

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[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] Adelina waited for Adison to awake, fiddling with the sparse covers, eyes hazy and unfocused. Even as he roused from his sleep, which was surprisingly easy. Usually she had to bludgeon him over the head with her boot - but she was in no mood for violence, not today - not when her head throbbed and her stomach felt cramped, her hands cold and clammy. She felt too ill to bother with her ritual of basically mauling his face off with an early morning make-out session, which much to the relief of the rest of the Fallen, usually occurred indoors these days after a warning of PDA from Skye. She sighed again, watching him with cautious teal eyes, warmth flushing to her cold cheek at the soft touch of his hand. “Mmm, G’ morning,” Adelina nodded softly, a slow smile working its way to her mouth as she thought over their relationship - it seemed to have developed so quickly. So . . . passionately. She couldn’t lie to herself - she’d never told him but she couldn’t deny the warmth that flooded through her body as he walked into a room, the joy she felt when his arms wrapped around her body in an embrace - when their playfully violent tussles turned into something wonderfully more. At that thought, she gulped. Perhaps not so wonderful, after all. Anxiety tied knots in her throat and just did wonders for her fluttering heart and the vice grip that squeezed her chest. “Sooo, what do you wanna talk about?” “Well,” She began, her voice a thin wisp - but even so it came out rough and hoarse. She cleared her throat and slowly dragged her eyes to Adi’s pale brown eyes, trying a pathetic smile. “You know that game we like to play?” She saw his eyes light up and she grinned rakishly. “The bouncy bed game, yeah.” A slight pause as she weighed her words, wondering if he’d get her drift. “Well, we won.” Her fake smile faltered, eyes tearing slightly - her face was a vacillation between embarrassment and horror - as Adison’s face contorted in confusion, a hesitant, unsure smile flitting on his handsome face. “Adi...” She said softly, eyes darting to her hands which were folded in her lap, fiddling with the tattered hem of her dress. “I...I’m pregnant.” She had expected the weight to be lifted from her chest, but as she struggled to meet the Carna's gaze, she felt only a rising sense of dread, unsure of of what he would say or do. ______________________________________ ooc; dun dun DUNNNN!

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[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=width,525,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=12111a] Adison sat and listened to Adelina begin, watching her lazily, eyes still half-hooded from sleep. He really didn’t expect anything serious to come from Adelina of all people, and at the mention of the bouncy bed game, Adison’s eyes sparked with excitement, and he leaned in closer to her, suddenly wide-awake. Perhaps she wanted to play again? He lifted a hand to reach for her, but there was still something off about her. Adison’s thick brows furrowed in confusion, and his hand fell to the bed again. “What do you mean we won?” He questioned quietly, unaware that there was any winner or loser when it came to the bouncy bed game. Adelina paused and Adison frowned, feeling slightly childish, knowing that the Fallen would have to explain something else to him. She seemed to know about so much about everything, while Adison only knew of the life he’d experienced in his Ring. One thing Adison did understand though, was the word ‘pregnant’. Almost instantly, every trace of an expression was wiped from his face. He stared blankly at her for a moment, the silence of the box car almost unbearable. Pregnant? How was that possible?! Adison supposed that was the game, then. He scowled for a moment, now feeling foolish that he didn’t know. Crash, even Manic… Shouldn’t they have told him something about this? Everyone else seemed to know that the bouncy bed game could end like this, and now Adison was finding out the hard way. “Lina…” He began quietly, reaching out a comforting hand and placing it on her shoulder. For a brief second, it seemed Adison was sympathetic, but the consequences of their situation were beginning to unroll in his head, and he could only think of one thing: run. Run. Get out now, before it’s too late! “Lina, you just… you can’t be!” He gasped, pulling himself to his feet. This ruined everything! Sure, he wanted to stay with Adelina, but deep down he knew that he couldn’t, not when the Carna still needed him. All of his friends and family were there…and now this baby was going to make it impossible for him to leave. No, he couldn’t become attached to that idea; the thought that he could stay in the Fallen forever, with Adelina and their child. He’d finally gotten the notion of staying out of his head, and now this. Why hadn’t he just spoken first? “You can’t be pregnant, cause… I have to go back to the Carna, Adelina,” He whispered, strained voice cracking with emotion, unable to hide the traces of sadness that lined his finely-featured face. “They need me there, my father and the Ring. I can’t stay here.” Now Adison was the one averting his gaze, unwilling to let her see the anguish and turmoil in his eyes, afraid that at her coaxing, he might stay for good. Ooc: DDD8 ADIIIII. </3

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[Adelina Russovo]

[atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] It all happened so quickly. His words were a rush, his face a blur. She felt her eyes pricking with tears - no. No. This wasn’t happening. He wasn’t leaving. He wasn’t abandoning her. Even though she knew deep down she wouldn’t be alone - she after all had her adoptive Mother, Isamu...Auntie Delilah...but she didn’t want her child to grow up without a father always there, like she had. Her head felt like it was resting somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She kept her eyes on her hands wringing the shorn fabric of the blanket desperately. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she wouldn’t show him this weakness. She wouldn’t let him see that she needed him, even though she needed him like she’d never needed a man before. She needed him there, standing tall and proud beside her. Not ashamed of her and the...the mistake! Adelina felt his hand rest briefly on her shoulder - she continued to stare, numb. His voice, etched with confusion and sadness and...excuses. When she finally met his eyes and found him looking away, anywhere but her eyes...she felt something snap. The sadness was gone. The desperation vanished as a cold wind seemed to sweep through the room. She took a long swipe of her sleeve across her face, smearing it with dirt but wiping away the tears. She stood, hands balled into fists. Eyes held no weakness, expression void of anything except hatred. How quickly she had turned - from loving the boy standing in front of her to hating the very fiber of his being. How loyal he could be, hah! To his bloody Ring! Just like him - just like her father. Absent for most of her life, showing up for weekly visits to teach and lecture her on the ways of life. And always going back to his damned, stupid Ring. She stared at him in silence that seethed and writhed, daring him to meet her gaze. When he did not, she strode forward and grabbed his face, forcing him to look. What she saw there made her falter for a moment, her anger dissipating for a brief, fleeting glance. She let go of him and opened the door, turning round to face him again. She stepped aside and simply looked at him, though she seemed to be staring through him. There was fire in her eyes, bitterness on her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to slam a fist in his face, a knee to his gut. But she wouldn’t. She...couldn’t. Her arms felt weak and lifeless, her world spinning, her mind drifting in a numb state of shock. “...go.” Her voice came out a ghost of a whisper, void of the usual strength. Even the fiery rage one would expect had sputtered out. He reached out a hand, but she shook it away. “...just go.” She didn’t wait for him to leave - just drifted slowly, almost ghostlike, a shell back to her makeshift room. ______________________________________ ooc; ;_; sadd.

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[Adison Sotero]

[atrb=width,525,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=12111a] Hands suddenly grabbed at his face and Adison was forced to look at Lina, noting the pain and anger in her gaze. His brow furrowed as he tried to think of something to say, but no words came to his lips ’I should be staying! I changed my mind… I want to be with you and our baby.’ The words roared in his head, but Adison kept his mouth shut. Adelina drifted slowly away from him and watched on, as if he was merely an onlooker and this wasn’t his life, but some other poor sap’s. By the time he’d come back to himself, she was in her room again, and Adison knew that she was done with him. “Adolf, let’s go,” He mumbled, nudging the tan, clothes-less man with his boot. “We’re leaving,” Adison added, before hopping out of the train car. The wind whipped around relentlessly outside, and for once Adison was glad for it. No one would question his tears in weather like this, and even by the time they got back to the Carna, no one would ask about his reddened eyes. Just one look at the sand-covered head of border patrol would be enough explanation. At last, he was going home, though he wondered if it would be the same. Would he grow older and one day have to fight his own child in a battle? Would it even survive without him? …would he even know the child if he met it? Adison snarled suddenly, enraged that his thoughts would linger on the subject. After a quick glance behind him to see Adolf following him, Adison shifted into his golden tiger form and bounded off across the sand, thinking only of the cool bay breeze that would soon whisk through his fur again. Ooc: short and fail, but this thread be FINISHED. xP

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