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~ Interlude ~ Adrian's Hang-under
The rain slapped against Adrian's windshield hard enough to annoy him. He had been locked in thought the entire trip, Skim's angry words burning every crevice of his head. Acidic words, but the raccoon had every reason to have said them. He had tried everything to drown them out: turning the music up loud enough to ring his ears, speeding - which usually god him harder than cement - but of course, just nothing would fucking work.
He pulled up into the driveway of an old run-down barn beside a burnt down house - almost stalling as the wheels spun uselessly against the wet dirt - and killed the engine. Sure enough, the gutters were filled to the brim with twigs and other sludge that were stuffed in it like old vomit on the edge of a side-walk. A long time ago, in the land of a happy family, his parents would've gotten down on their knees with him and scrubbed those little fuckers until they were shining silver. But today was the day after yesterday, and Adrian was no longer a kid. He had to care for himself now that his dad was out of the picture and his mum refused to see him.
His father... he hadn't actually given a thought about Dad in a long time, (That's a good boy, Andy) and he wasn't about to start trying.
He shook the 'messy thoughts away' and stepped out of his car and into the pouring rain. The rain was good at that: washing away shitty emotions and memories that you'd kick under your subconscious like a dead spider under a rug. Despite his destination only being 10 feet away the rain was harsh enough to soak his black and white fur into a dull and messy sea of grey. Everything's messy, now isn't it? All messy when you're one ounce deep.
"Vicky!" He yelled as he slammed his paws against the big, stupidly large double-doors that were the only way to access the barn. "You awake?"
A minute past, and he grew suspicious that she was actually responding inside, but the weather's constant attack on his senses prevented him from hearing her, but when he tried to hold his ear against the pale wood the who door opened and slammed into his temple.
"Fuck." He muttered down at the ground as he nursed his now-throbbing head. It quickly became one of those dull pains that rings your head like a phone suffering from motion sickness.
Suddenly clumsy paws were rubbing his shoulders. "Oh my god I'm so sorry Ad's!" Vicky said, although she was laughing more than she was concerned. "Let's get you to the kitchen, huh? Let Ren get you an aspirin or somethin'."
"Nah... I'm fine, I just needed to catch up on some sleep. Rough dreams lately. Regular shit."
Vicky, the run-down leopard who kicked homeless furs for enjoyment and would scull her own piss for the right amount of money, led her boyfriend's brother inside whilst whispering soothing noises into his ears to calm him down. "Stuff about your dad again?"
The sheepdog hesitated. "I don't want to talk about it."
"That's okay." She brushed his fur softly.
Adrian removed his paw from his temple and looked around, struggling to adjust his eyes to the barn's dim-lit interior. Long ago the bundles of hay had been layered with blankets and other essentials, and instead of cattle the barn sheltered crack-heads who had fallen too deep into their habits. Any time Adrian would come here - which was often since him and his brother, Rowan, had recently been disowned by their parents - he would see 8 out of 14 of the barn's occupants slumped in the attic part of the barn, lying down after being given 'support'. Which was Vicky's term for 'enough LSD to melt the brain of an adult horse'. So they just sat up there, crawling around and giggling to themselves, staring at things that weren't there and pronouncing words that hadn't been invented yet. Adrian would've laughed at the noises if he didn't have somewhat of a craving for the same stuff.
Considering the main house had been entirely burnt down for a reason Adrian didn't dare to remember, the barn had to be transformed into a full-time home. Obnoxious blue tarps were hung up to slice a corner of the barn's interior away to form a kitchen; beds were pressed against the walls so that furs who were tripping on acid didn't trip on the sober as well. Vicky, Adrian and Ren pretty much ran this place; taking care of teenagers their own age simply because others refused to do so. They grew them fresh produce from the farm and soothed them when memories of their past lives began to eat away at their heads.
Adrian didn't mind the job. He didn't find it hard at all, not even when he was forced to drag the bodies of drugged-up furs outside so they could shit themselves without taking it out on their sheets. Or when he needed to paw-scoop vomit out their muzzles when an overdose tried to drown them in puke. No, that wasn't the worst part at all. What scared him through the spine was seeing the slow descent of the teenager's he once knew as friends. Seeing a boy who he had laughed with in Math's class a few years back, transition into drooling animals who could no longer form full sentences. Or seeing his high school claw and bite his leg like a rabid dog as she cried for more. More drugs. More painkillers to make her forget. But make her forget what?
Had she seen something awful? Adrian thought. Did she have an awful dad too? A dad who would kiss your head and tuck you into bed before reaching over and-
"Andy!"
Adrian retreated from his thoughts as the voice registered in his head. The light tang to it. The familiar buzz of family. The sound of his own blood calling back at him. The sheepdog grinned so wide it hurt his mouth.
Ren bit the urge to burst out laughing at the sight of his brother after all this time. The pink apron he was wearing hugged his skinny border-collie body. Skinny is no exaggeration too, he may have been Adrian's twin but he was skinny as a rake but as smart as a whip. "What are you doing here you piece of shit?" He said with a contagious smile.
Adrian walked up slowly and hugged his brother tight, while Ren patted him on the back with one arm because his either was occupied with a fry-pan.
"Aw Jeez." Ren chuckled as he rolled his eyes, which were pale and blood-shot like a snowy-murder. "Look, you're really cute and everything but I'm holding a pan, so like, unless you wanna get burnt..."
"Alright, alright." Adrian chuckled as he pulled away and looked the sheep-dog in the eyes. He considered saying something about the obvious blood-shot but he thought against it.
"So, what the hell man. Where've you been all this time?"
Oh, you know, swinging swords and fucking girls. Robbing women and raping men... "Nah, not too much." Adrian said, half mumbling. Ooh, and then the acid began to burn him again. Skim's acid, all pointy and red at the edges and fucking excrutiating and (reaching over and touching you in soft places-) burning at the fur but he didn't want to get rid of it. No, it's a good reminder (-until they grab you where the SUN JUST DON'T SHINE) of the shit he's done. Like a battle-brand burned straight on his ass, and every movement he makes hurts just enough to keep the ever-growing list of sins he had committed at the very edge of his mind.
He reached over and held his brother's shoulder. It was as cold and stiff as his eyes, but the familiarity of them was what warmed the sheepdog's paw. "Is it okay if we talk about something?" He said quietly. "I need to get something off my plate, that's been chewing at my emotions... like gum, you know?"
Ren snickered a little bit, but his crooked smile had no intent of being hurtful. "Well shit, I didn't take you for much ov'a Poet but... sure, anything you need."
