[align=center][fancypost bgcolor=#aa8daa; border: solid 2px BLACK; width:400px; height:275px;][fancypost bgcolor=transparent; border:none; font-size:35px; color:black; text-align:center; width:400px; height:auto; letter-spacing:-3px; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:30px;]RUNA KAMBAN [/fancypost]
[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; border: solid 4px BLACK; width: 300px; height: 100px; overflow:auto; color:black; line-height:11px;text-transform: lowercase; text-align:justify;]The sky was torched in milky darkness when Runa emerged, barefoot, from the front door. Cloaked in the the pale yellow luminescence of the porch light, Norway's slender silhouette at the bottom of the steps caught and held her attention. Moments prior, he had been on the phone with somebody. She hadn't been able to catch a name, but what she did manage to catch were irate words, slung like rocks from a slingshot out of her big brother's mouth. Even from her position at the top of the stairs, she recognized the rigidity of the skinny nation's posture, and was hesitant to call out to him. Not that she was deterred by the hesitation.
[b]"Norge?" When he didn't move, she took a few steps down and paused. "What was that all about? Is everything okay?"
Although he didn't turn to face her, the cool, however nonreassuring, voice of Runa's brother floated up through the soft air to meet her. "I'm perfectly alright, but you weren't supposed to hear any of that."
She winced and made the rest of the descent to the bottom of the wooden staircase. "If it makes you feel better, I only heard you when you raised your voice. Something about 'piss-gargling swine' and 'a danger to humanity'?"
When she glanced to his face, it was to find the slightest of smiles there. To get a smile out of Norway was a rare and usually pleasant happening, but this kind of smile? This dull, sardonic smile laced with defeat and- unless it was a trick of the light or deception of the eyes- even a trace of fear.
This smile made the hair on the back of her neck stand at attention.
"Faroe, I need you to do me a favor. And don't ask any questions."
Uneasy, she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She knew she would do anything for Norway. He was her big brother, after all, and despite the tension circulating around their relationship, she did love him.
Still, she couldn't be too careful. "I... Well, that depends on what it is."
For the first time that evening, Norway trained his slate blue eyes on her. Determined not to give in under the apprehension weighing down upon her, she held his stare.
"Go inside and wake everybody up. Tell them it's important. I have one more phone call to make, then I'll be right behind you."
There it was; the grand verdict. Something was wrong.
With an icy talon of fear gripping her midsection, it was all she could do to muster a meek nod. "Alright... Alright, I'll do that for you, Nor. And I know you said no questions, but I have just one that I need to ask." When he hesitated, she hurried to add, "Please?"
He sighed. "What is it?"
"Are we in any danger?"
He pursed his lips and turned his face sharply away from her so that he was staring out into the ink-stain forest.
"Yes," he answered at last, blunt in his tone of choice. "I think we may just be."
[/fancypost][fancypost bgcolor=BLACK; border: solid 2px BLACK; width:304px; height:30px; color:WHITE; line-height:10px; text-align:justify; letter-spacing: -1px;]island (n.) a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent[/fancypost]
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[fancypost bgcolor=transparent; margin-top: -5px; border: none; width:300px;][sub][sub][sub][c]the batwoman 6/6/16