fucked around (but never found out) — hotties, day 1

[lucius branwen / 10 — fox]

I S O L D E

we stand by the entrance.

the door's off its hinges, burn marks on the walls. there's the sound of wind howling through the holes in the roof. around it, all the trees are fine lines, dark against the snow. looks like the kinda place a hag eats kids.

can't be worse than the lodge.

a piece of the wood moulding crumbles off, falls right in front of my face.

i kick it.

"very good."

the great indoors.

cold inside still, the ash smudges beneath our feet, bleeds out the entry, turning the snow into gray sludge. the table in the room splinters when i put a hand on it, cracking along the lines of where fire touched. and on the back wall, small porcelain dolls sit on the shelf.

this place is becoming less and less normal.

i pick one up. the thing's at the bottom of the uncanny valley, little auburn ringlets singed, paint chipped off. half it's face is crushed in, sharp edged. the glass of its eyes still untouched.

the floorboard creaks. i turn around to Sage.

Four's in the doorway.

Four has a knife in her hands now.

look at the blade, look at Sage, look back at her, the doll still clutched in my fist. girl is a fucking hound to have found us.

guess i did hear that sharks can smell blood hundreds of miles away.

"oh, nice new hat." i smile, grip tightening. she's blocking the entrance, she's not looking so happy. fuck's sake. we're gonna have to take her out again.

"suits you, totally."

i throw the doll at her head, then lunge.

ELEGANT

charred cabin scavenge roll
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[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

S A G E

By the rules of finders keepers, Inga's hat is mine now.

She was less than receptive to that information. Can't imagine why.

Here's the thing, getting absolutely blitzed every day since my twelfth birthday means my lungs are equivalent to stale party balloons. My palms catch on trees as we run, catching splinters and losing breath. I stomp through the forest a graceless girl, following Isolde like a wolf would her moon.

When we reach the cabin I double over, hands on my knees and wheezing out desperate breaths. I hold out a finger, "One... minute...". I'm so out of shape, my vision swims with darting lights.

Maybe it's not the monsters that will get me, but skipping gym class and all the goddamn weed.

"I'd have done way more cardio if I knew this is where I'd end up."

I laugh because it's funny, but it's a little bit like a sob.

Izzy has curious hands, pragmatic and calm things that take apart rooms before I even get a chance to look at them. She's already holding something in her hands by the time I hear the floorboards creak.

Inga looks like a wreck and a reaper all at once. I fumble in my back pocket for Izzy's knife.

I haven't caught my breath, but the sudden rush of adrenaline has me holding it anyway.

A doll goes sailing, "Oh I hate that that was here." I complain before I follow suit.

ELEGANT

[scavenge!]
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