In This Moment (Open)

[Kadya]

The abandoned building, one free of most drug addicts and runaway homeless kids, came to life with the sounds of music as it began to echo through the decrepit and water logged hallways. There were holes in the roof, sporadically placed throughout the various rooms. She assumed, at least for the most part, that these rooms had been small, poverty stricken apartments. You know, the kind the government tried to shove down the throats of those who needed assisted living. Always too small and always infested with all manners of insects and rodents. The sounds of their small paws scratching at the inside of the walls while the people here tried to sleep.

She had been in a place like this back in Chicago, for the brief time that they had been there at least, and the place she was staying now was not much of a step up. Not that Kadya actually spent a lot of time there, not anymore. Her Mother had become cold, distant and withdrawn. All things that confused the teenager and made her want to distance herself rather than try and figure it out. Regardless how strong her desire for learning was, she had hit a roadblock when it came to her Mother and she just didn't have the energy to keep trying to burst through it.

So, rather than be at home, listening to the scurrying of her own mice, she was here, in this designated hell-hole, listening to the sounds of rain as it poured steadily through the hole in the ceiling overhead. It was enough to scare off whatever creepy crawly critters might be lurking about, at least for the time being, and as she closed her eyes, letting the fresh rainwater run down over her flesh, she could almost forget that she was in such a disgusting place. In fact, for a moment, she almost felt clean again.

Pure.

It was an absurd feeling, and one that was fleeting at best, abandoning her almost as quickly as it appeared, leaving Kadya with that cold sensation that seemed to be more and more present. Not from the rain, as the night air was still humid and somewhat muggy, but rather an internal sense of cold that she couldn't quite explain. It had started the night her Father was taken away, and now, it seemed to be there, always lurking like an unwanted guest in her mind. She didn't know what it meant, but something deep down inside told her that it wasn't going to be good if she ever found out.

Lashes fluttering rapidly, she shook her head of the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her, send her spiraling into a panic attack that she couldn't come out of. She was, after all, in the middle of a room that was covered in water, the one thing she feared the most in the world. Her only reason for being drawn to the rain, as far as she could tell, was the sense of cleansing it provided, a sense that nothing else seemed to be able to provide her.

No, if she allowed it, she would devolve into a quivering, sobbing mess right here among the tattered remains of furniture and the broken glass which littered the blackened and moldy floor. She had to focus, and with random strands of red hair falling loosely across her face, stuck there by the rain she had been bathing in, she moved toward the small closet where she had set up her phone and speakers. It was dry, meaning she could listen to what she wanted without concern of the rain damaging anything. God knew it would take a small miracle to get her Mother to replace her shit if she lost it or damaged it in some way, yet another battle that Kadya wanted to avoid if at all possible.

Attempting to dry her fingers on her jeans, which lay carefully beneath the miniature sound system she had set up, she scrolled down her list before picking out another song. The energy of the music filling her mind and pushing out all other thoughts, all over worries and concerns as she slowly began to nod her head in response to the beat.

At this point, she was clad in nothing more than her black yoga pants, which granted her slightly better movement for her workout, and a soaking wet muscle shirt which had some sort of inspirational quote scrawled across the front of it. Her tiny figure seeming more so with the clothing now clinging to her frame, but as a girl who had never bothered to care too much about appearance, she didn't even seem to notice. Besides, she was alone in this place, and if anyone did happen to show up, she could always just leave.

For now though, she simply stepped back into the center of the room, the glass crunching beneath her beaten up sneakers, as she attempted to call to mind the moves that her Father had once taught her, all those years ago. Her movements rather slow and methodical a she attempted to replicate them from those distant and hazy memories.

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

"Hot Pie ready to ship! WARREN Git' in here!" A voice would call out in the small hovel of space some would call a fine establishment. The dark haired fellow would turn with an eager grin towards the staunch older fellow who hoisted over a large rectangular box over a bar corner towards him with a nice greasy receipt on top. Warren would only glower as he pat it within his grip wishing to a degree that he'd had the common sense to grab some napkins to coat the box. "Get it there in twenty this time or your ass is grass buddy-boy." The older gentleman spouted returning to his busywork as Warren returned a little wave turning to the streets. Awww Crap. Stepping into the fold he was met with the torrential drip of rain coming down around him. The boy would flip up the lapels of his jean coat and reach for an umbrella; just like his luck the thing was half torn to hell giving him only a temporary levity to the downpour, enough to cover the pizza more than him. Running down the streets he'd find the address, a shithole as far as he was concerned, nothing that deserved attention probably even a prank call he hoped to hell not but he'd ring anyways. *riiing* "Porky's Hot Pies, we fill your holes.." God did he hate using that line he sounded like such a pervert. Kadya

[Kadya]

Kadya brought her right hand slowly across her chest, taking a deep breath as she did so, but within a split second of completing the move the breath was expelled in a frustrated and somewhat temper-tantrum type manner. It wasn't right. It was never right. She had been at this for months now, ever since she had decided to stop just running her problems away and actually get back to trying to learn the basic moves her Father had showed her. Still, no matter how many time she tried, she just couldn't make it work. The memories of those days were too far gone, to faded and spotty for her to recall accurately enough to do anything right. 

Then, just as she was about to slam her foot into the floor in more toddler-esque fashion, a loud and buzzer seemed to echo through the entire room. It sounded like a cat being slowly strangled to death and given her current state and location, it was enough to make the teen startle right back into and old, waterlogged dresser which almost gave way under her weight. 

Hand clutching at her chest, she drew in a few ragged, forced breaths as she attempted to settle her nerves which had her wanting to do nothing more than climb the goddamn walls. Only then, as the calm slowly started to creep back in and as her soul peeled itself off the broken down ceiling and returned to her dripping wet, pale body, did she realize that what the sound had actually been was a door buzzer and not some furball getting it's ticket punched. 

Not that, that made it any better, mind you. In fact, she wasn't sure what she would have liked more in that moment. A dying cat or a stranger randomly ringing the doorbell of this crappy ass building. Though if she was being totally honest with herself, the dead cat definitely did seem more appealing just then. At least that would go away, eventually. 

That sense of coldness slowly starting to creep up inside of her once more, and on that alone she found herself moving hesitantly toward the door. She didn't want to stay in one spot, focus on it for too long, and though dealing with people wasn't always her strong suit, she figured it was better than dealing with whatever that thing was growing inside of her, at least for the time being. 

Feet slowly carrying her through the hallway, she sidestepped the broken pieces of glass and splintered wood, careful not to make a sound so as not to give away that anyone was actually inside just yet. She had no idea who or what she was dealing with and her overactive imagination was not helping the situation at all. 

Finally, she reached her destination, hand trembling just slightly as she reached for the door handle, only to freeze as she heard the words of a male echoing from the other side of the door. 

Did he just...? What? 

Her fingers hovering just over the rusted door handle as she arched her brow and tilted her head in confusion, mind replaying the words as she tried to figure out why on earth anyone would blurt out such nonsense. But then, she could have stood there all night and never figured it out. Sometimes the ways of people just escaped her grasp, especially with the way humanity seemed to be slipping further and further down the rabbit hole. 

Clearing her throat, quietly, she eventually resigned herself to opening the door just enough that she could expose her still dripping wet frame as she blurted out softly, "That is mighty presumptuous of you, don't you think?"

Her eyes widening just a bit as it dawned on her a second too late what she had said. Of course, she had seen the box in his hand and on some level it had registered why he had said something so stupid, but in the moment it had been the first thing to come out of her mouth.

This time, when she cleared her throat, it was much more noticeable as her hand grasped and twisted the inside doorknob anxiously."Apologies. I mean..." She meant what she had said, she just really didn't want to mean it and now she found herself tripping over her own tongue trying to find the right words to get herself out of this mess. "What?"

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

Awww Man. Warren thought to himself a bit vexed as the rainfall seemed to harden smacking him with great globs of painful, freezing slaps. He'd shrug up his lapels to cover his shoulder a bit more but the unrelenting cold drip seemed to cascade down his back giving an uncomfortable sort of chill. When the woman cracked the door he was all too grateful in knowing that he didn't have to come up with an excuse to his boss about how he'd lost another order. The only downside to that was that his belly would go empty. "Sorry Ma'am I gotta say it." He'd dip his head apologetically not getting a good look at the lady from inside so he took to addressing her like he would his mother with the utmost respect. It wasn't until the door unhinged more so did he proceed to oggle a bit his eyes tracing up and down quickly before catching himself staring and feigning a look of disconcern. "D'ya mind if I can come in out of the rain Ma'am the pizza may get damp?" He'd make an edge forward a bit if only to duck his head into the door shirking off the droplets that patterned his head. Kadya

[Kadya]

It wasn't until he had mentioned the word pizza that her eyes again darted toward the box in his hand. Oh, right, he was a delivery boy. An assumption that was only further validated by his statement about having to speak those words. Still, that didn't explain why he was here, of all places. She sure as hell hadn't ordered any pizza and given that she wasn't exactly drowning in a bustling social life, she didn't think anyone ordered it for her. 

Eyes peeling themselves away from the box, she caught his own roaming for a moment before he sheepishly looked away again. 

Well that was uncomfortable. 

Her hand gently tugging at the black muscle shirt, trying to pry the wet cotton away from her chest. She wasn't sure what he found the need to ogle at, but she wasn't going to stand there and give him more of a view. Sadly, however, her shirt refused to cooperate and ended up stuck right back to her chest the second she let go. 

Oh well, surely he would be on his way soon enou --

Her eyes meeting his own questioningly as he asked to come inside. He was seeking to escape the rain, and for a moment she felt the overwhelming urge to laugh, her tongue clamped between her teeth to prevent such a thing from happening. "Um, sure? I guess?" She shrugged, pulling the door open a bit more to expose the entirety of her drenched self. 

"Though I don't think you are going to find it much drier in here. This place is pretty shot to hell." A little roll of her shoulders before stepping aside to let him in. Her eyes moving back to the pizza. 

"You sure you have the right address?" She probably should have asked that first, right? 

Shit.

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

Warren would step into the fray feeling a tad bit better, sure the room was as she said shot to hell but it beat taking the flow end of a faucet. He'd hold the pizza out at a fully extended arm before wiping his brow with a damp forearm feeling as though he hadn't done himself any further favors cleansing wet with even more wet. Warren would play dog and shake his head tussling his locks about the room before straightening up to offer her the pizza. "Yeah this is 1337 Gross Avenue right?" He'd look down at the sheet of paper which had somehow smeared in the rainfall. He supposed there was a solid chance that he'd gone and mucked up right about now. Kadya

[Kadya]

For every step that he took inward, she took a step back. She wasn't exactly the most trusting individual right off the bat, and a pizza guy showing up to an abandoned building was about as sketchy as most things came, at least in her mind. Still, when he offered the pizza out to her, she was quick to hold up her hands and shake her head in rejection. "Sorry, but I didn't order that."

No doubt, it smelled good, but she had her money back in her pants and if she could avoid leading him further into the bowels of this place, the less likely she was to die, or something. "I honestly have no idea what this address is. Its not exactly my home."

Wait. Did she look homeless? Oh right, she was covered in rain inside of a building that was literally falling apart as they spoke. 

Without really putting too much thought into it, she pushed back her hair, trying to straighten herself out a bit so as to dissuade him from believing that she was some sort of little street urchin or something. It didn't do much, as her wet hair was rather resistant to styling just then, but in her mind it did and sometimes, for Kadya, that was enough. 

"I think you got the wrong address." A slight nod, lips pursing softly for a moment. "Or somebody just wanted to fill your holes." A soft eruption of laughter escaping her as her mind backtracked to the little slogan he had recited at the door. Though, a few seconds later she was waving her hand dismissively and trying to get her shit together. 

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

Warren would look around curiously, the place was definitley a piece of work, nothing a pair of good hands couldn't do to spruce it all up. He didn't fare well much in the way of concern about her body language almost seeming to stride in carelessly. "No? Oh crap... really? I'm in so much trouble." Almost like clockwork there would be a buzzing in Warren's breast pocket, the boy absentmindedly retrieving the small flip phone answering it. Words could be expressly heard over the speaker as a great shout finished with a beep. 'YOU'RE FIRED!' Bum.... Warren's head would dip down as a look of disappointment crossed his features and his body crossed the hall for a moment forgetting his place. The tall lad would move to what could be described as a living room and plop into a mottled chair setting the pizza box up on a neighboring table set. Her laughter would snap him out of the momentary hallucination. "Sorry for the interruption... let me make it up to you... Pizza?" He'd pull free the cover retrieving himself his own slice dripping cheese mostly over the front of his face. Kadya

[Kadya]

Damn, he had missed her joke, and though she had found it to be rather amusing she wasn't about to repeat herself. Besides, from the look of him, he had something else going on that was far more pressing than the missed chance to enjoy her idiocy. Undoubtedly, the guy on the other end of the phone with the booming voice was the cause of this new, somewhat mopey, demeanor that he possessed. A demeanor that he swiftly tried to push aside as he flipped open the box of pizza and offered her some. 

Her stomach gnawed at her with desire, her brain screamed at her with common sense. Taking food from a complete and absolute stranger was kind of a stupid move, even if it was a sad looking delivery boy, or ex-delivery boy in this case it would seem. "Um..." 

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her chest as she chewed on the inside corner of her lip. The smart thing to do would be to tell him no and decline any chance of getting fucked over. However, she was new here and as far as she knew she hadn't made any enemies. The families of those her Father had murdered had only bothered her and her Mother for the first year after he was taken away. Beyond that, it was more media coverage or some weird series of circumstances that led to their ties to him being unearthed. 

Here, though? Well, as far as she could tell she was still in a pretty safe zone and as such, she eventually forced a smile and reached out to grab a slice from the box. "Thank you." She nodded, stepping back to fold the slice in half and take a tentative bite out of it. 

"So, bad news, huh?" She nodded toward the area he had placed his phone, taking another bite and chewing it slowly as she waited on a response, savoring the meal that was definitely much needed and appreciated. 

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

Warren would collect himself a little bit wrapping a free hand as best he could under his jaw to try and smuggle as much cheese as humanly possible into his mouth without a second thought before adressing her. "Mhmm" The smuggled cheese still staggering his speech as he coughed up a bit trying not to come off as rude and respond finally. "You could say that." Warren would offer her up a smile pulverizing the first pizza and reaching out to grab another from the box with eagerness. "Was never really good at that job anyhow, I'm Warren by the way." He'd reach out his free hand before looking at the greasy mess that it was and recoiling a bit to roil the fingers over on his shirt giving her a newly "cleaned" hand to shake. "Bit of a fixer upper ain't it?" His eyes would trace over the ceiling observing her little hovel. Kadya

[Kadya]

It didn't take her long to finish the slice of pizza in her hand before she was already looking toward the box for another. She stopped herself, however, instead focusing on his words as she nodded slightly and turned her eyes toward the rest of the room they were standing in. "Yeah, it could use some work, that is for sure." She smiled softly, bypassing the pizza box as she moved across the room to turn off her phone which was still replaying the song she had last switched it to. 

It was loud, at least with the speaker hooked into it, and though she could hear him just fine, she was worried that the music was making her come off as a bit, rude. Besides, it was getting late and any moment her Mother would be calling to scream at her about coming home and finishing her chores. There was an endless list of them that never seemed to cease, every day breathing new ones to life.

"So, my name is Kadya." She offered up over her shoulder, a few dripping strands of hair falling across her face as she did so. 

Unhooking her phone, she shoved it into her back pocket before turning back around to face him. She wasn't exactly sure what she should be talking about, as she had no idea who this guy was, but she was making an effort. Though, truth be told, she was having to fight the urge to grab her jacket and pants and just flee the place. 

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

He'd eat mindful of where he was and yet in the same instant a bit of naivity to his position, neigh the music nor the scenary seemed to distress him currently as his blue eyes currated about the room. Strange anyone could live here it really looked like an abandoned dump but who was he to judge. Warren had been raised in abandoned dumps like this, moving from place to place for most of his life without the prospect of even a steady bed. That was until he'd fallen in with the bunch he was beginning to call family. Perhaps he'd simply inquire... not so much as to upset her of course but he couldn't very well leave without trying. "Kadya, He grinned mimicking the name with his mouth to get it just right. "D'you get cable here?" He'd laugh a bit to himself in an awkward way not exactly busting up just trying to break any sort of tension that may be lingering. Warren would ruffle his hair with a hand finishing another slice before straightening up in his seat and looking over to her. "I don't know if you're in the market but I know of a place that hasn't got so many holes in the wall if you're in the market." He'd try to make the invitation sound nonchalant as he knew what it was like to be to proud to admit you needed a hand. Kadya

[Kadya]

Just as she had suspected, she looked homeless. 

Fuck.

A slight grimace coming to her face as she shook her head, averting her eyes a bit and once more taking a few steps back toward the closet where the remainder of her clothes lay. She really should have gotten out of here when she heard that buzzer sounding at the door. She should have grabbed her shit and made a break for the back door, or the nearest hole in the wall. Now, here she stood looking like a total idiot and a charity case. 

Just fucking great.

The thought drawing an awkward little groan that just barely broke the seal of her lips. Her brows scrunching softly, she shook her head once more. "That sounds great and all, but this isn't my home." No, her home was back in the place where she had grown up, back in the house where her Father had chased her up and down the stairs and read her bedtime stories each night before he went out and...and...

"I just have this really weird habit of working out in places like this. Its quiet, you know?" She shrugged sheepishly, pushing her hair back from her face and then clearing her throat as she grabbed up her jacket and jeans off the closet floor. 

She paused, drawing in a deep breath and trying to stop the flight reflex that threatened to make her take off like a skiddish kitten. "I mean, my home isn't all that great, but its not this bad. I just...," she paused, trying to find the right words, "My Mother and I don't get along that well."

And there it was. The awkward truth of the whole situation. 

Now she felt sick, and the pizza she had ingested was threatening to come back up her throat. 

[Violet Lockheart]

Warren ~~~~~ JUNIER OF GS + ADOX

Warren didn't make it a habit of rubbing people the wrong way lest not intentionally so he stood to try and get his point across further feeling a bit stupid for having opened his mouth without first vetting just what he'd said. He'd move forward to try and get a word in before she'd admit to him the vulnerable truth. "Heh. Well y'know we all got issues with family... trust me I know." Warren would teeter back on his heels sitting on the arm of the chair and offering up another slice as he went for his own. He wasn't so good at this subtle thing, and she was clearly more perceptive than he was casual. "Even so, the statement still stands.. Everyone needs a home away from home." Warren would pull out a pen and start doodling on the receipt writing down an address giving up halfway seeing as he was getting no traction instead turned to write on the box. Kadya

[Kadya]

Well now she felt all sorts of awkward. Her need to escape only growing the more he opened his mouth. Then, to top it all off, he started to write an address onto the box in of pizza. 

Great, I am still a charity case? Fuck!

The forced smile on her lips making her seem a little less tense than she really was, but her eyes did not hide much. She was nervous and out of place all of a sudden, something that made her feel very uneasy, especially given the fact that she had been the one to find this place first and he was the interloper here. 

What right did he have to think of her like that? She didn't need anyone's help. She was perfectly fine on her own! 

"I mean, I suppose I could check it out." 

What!? 

Once more, her mouth was outweighing her brain, her thoughts too scrambled to make much sense. 

"If I get time, that is." She quickly injected, trying to recover from having to actually stop by. Then, just as quickly she attempted to find something, anything to change the subject to. 

"You, uh, you live there?" It came out in a rush of air as she felt her heart pounding and her lungs slowly starting to seize up. Not at all what she had wanted to say, as it didn't do anything to draw attention away from the situation, only add to it.