A Soviet's Struggle

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Mariya took a deep, sharp inhale. She stared at the ceiling, the fan above her making rounds as cool, crisp air hit her dry, leathery nose. She closed her eyes, yearning to get another few minutes of sleep. She felt like shit, all things considered, after all of the alcohol she drank last night with her new friends at the beach. She turned to her right, opening her eyes slowly in the process, facing a young Titus in the bed across from her, sleeping soundly in the foetal position, facing his back to her. To her left, she knew, was the spider monkey. She shuffled a bit, managing to pull herself up and out of the comforting grasp of the bed, sitting upright with her back against the headboard. Yawning, she turned to her left, noticing Antonio's absence. She didn't know the time, but she did see that, through the curtains, the sun was rising. Mariya cracked her knuckles, pulling herself out of her bed, wincing at her headache from her hangover. She stumbled across the room, and grasped the doorknob to the bathroom, opening the door with all of her weight and lazily fumbling her way into the bathroom, catching herself on the sink counter. The sink supporting her weight, Mariya got a good look at herself in the mirror. Not only did she feel like shit, but she looked like shit too.

How much did she have to drink last night?

She couldn't remember.

She winced again as a wave of nauseous pain hit the back of her head. Using her right paw, she clutched the back of her head, her eyes slammed shut; her teeth clenched together. Mariya stumbled to the toilet, falling to her knees as her head pounded. Her breathing became shaky, unsteady, breathing through her mouth as her cheeks began to numb. Saliva dripped from her mouth, splashing into the toilet bowl with a plop. She moaned, or rather squeaked, as the pain reached its climax.

Within an instant, Mariya hurled. Her throat and mouth stung with the feeling of stomach acid. She didn't realise how far she had come in the restoration process. Was she living again? Didn't matter right now. She hurled a second wave of vomit, light greenish tan in colour. Mariya clutched the side of the bowl, with her left paw, her right still holding her head. Her arms shaked, her body quaked. She squeaked again, following with two hearty coughs, phlegm flying into the bowl. The Hybrid took a few deep breaths, her head still pounding behind her eyes. She leaned back, her back against the wall. She looked to the concrete ceiling, her eyes seeing stars. Her mouth filled with Saliva, the faint taste of vomit lingering on her breath. Despite hurling an empty stomach, and possibly yesterday's dinner, she was hungry, she was thirsty. She needed food, and the hotel just so happened to have a buffet.

Her hangover still nagging at her, she made her way to the bathroom door. She had made sure to flush the toilet before leaving, as to not leave Titus to her mess. Before leaving for the breakfast buffet, Mariya pulled on a new pair of socks and her only pair of shoes, the ones she acquired from Nömberg, which were beginning to fall apart. She then took one good look back at the sleeping Rhinoceros, who didn't stir once with all of her commotion, leaving the room promptly after.

Mariya walked down the hallway towards the elevator, her feet shuffling across the floor; heavy with sleep and laziness. Whilst she walked, she licked her nose, wetting the leather-textured surface. Her father's canidae side gifted her a canine nose. Thus, wetting her nose helped enhance her sense of smell, made it easier to breathe, and helped regulate her body temperature better. When she arrived at the elevator, she pressed the button to call the elevator to her floor, floor 3. While she waited, she rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. She took another deep inhale, exhaling through her mouth; the elevator ringing a soft ding as it arrived at the floor, opening its hulking metal doors for Mariya to enter. She waddled into the small, cramped space, opening her eyes to press the floor "g" button, and watched the doors squeak shut.

The cranky elevator cried and squealed as it slowly descended to the ground floor. 'I wonder if this elevator will buckle, and plummet me.' Mariya thought, standing in one spot with her back pushed against the wall, paws in her pockets. The sounds were unpleasant, but ended abruptly as the machine made contact with the ground floor. The suspension holding the elevator up buckled slightly, bouncing Mariya inside the elevator unexpectedly. This sudden motion made Mariya lose her balance briefly, the Hybrid catching herself on the railing that lined the elevator at waist-level. The elevator dinged, opening its iron curtains once again, revealing the lobby area. Mariya left the elevator, her senses still firing in response to the sudden buckle from the elevator. She decided to make a note to herself to not take that elevator again, rather opting for the stairs.