the sea is the same shade of gray / arty.

[✨ zozo.]

The lighter sparked in her calloused hands once, twice, three times, but she shook so violently the cigarette in her hand wouldn't catch fire.

"Fuck!" Aine Hathaway spat on the wooden steps of the Justice Building, the crowds long since dispersed save for the odd Keeper and camera crew packing down for the year. This morning started off like every other did this time this year. Breakfast at Brentley's, one of the only days of the year she got up before dawn. Braiding Audrey's hair and cracking jokes and making fun of the iron on the dining room table - he'd missed a crease on the back of his shirt. Waving him goodbye, good luck, a sarcastic salute that made his sister giggle. They were happy, the three of them. A brother she never had, a sister she wished was her own. They were family, real family. Not like the idiots who shared her last name.

And then she, fucking Perdita Leto, had to go make it about her. The one goddamn day of the year that was theirs. Brentley's first station - sure, she might not have agreed with him returning to that school but it had done him some good in the end. Audrey's first reaping, well, ever, that she'd return home with her brother by her side. It was a shit day sometimes, other years the kids seemed excited, and Four was in pretty good spirits after that Hailsham kid came limping back home. Hell, she'd had half a hope this year would be good. A good, clean year - without her.

But no. Selfish sea-witch-bitch had to go and do that.

Audrey was trembling with rage when she found her. It was hereditary. The poor Gray children, cursed to be furious. Cursed to be consumed with the slightest mention of the Leto girls. Aine could throw punches at Calypso and use every insult under the sun to describe her sister to protect her family - but she couldn't stop Perdita from crawling under their skin, eating her best friend's heart, spitting it back out into his mangled corpse.

Aine had taken a hold of Audrey's shoulders and told her to go straight home - she'd get Brentley, they'd be there within the hour. Aine was once this angry, awful fourteen year old and she knew how it would end for Audrey if she left her to her own whirld-wind devices. It would be okay, she promised. She'd get her brother home in one piece. Somehow. 

Eventually, Audrey believed her enough to obey her. Through shaking, deep breaths in and out of her nose the blonde had nodded, pursed her lips, scowled like it would murder - and turned to walk back home. Aine watched her, eyes trained to the girl's yellow braids twisting behind her skull, until she could see nothing but a beige blur walking down to the shore and turning right toward her brother's cottage.

So Aine had nothing left to do but sist on the steps and swear loudly, cursing the Letos and their awful daughters, fingers having absorbed her chosen sister's rage and swallowed her own anger down with it.

"Finally!" she barked as the door swung open behind her, eyes still focused on the cigarette in her hand. Best to keep him distracted. Not talk about it until they were alone, away from prying ears and eyes. Aine knew better than anyone how to approach Brentley's kryptonite in conversation - never, but if you had to, very carefully.

"Light me up? My nerves are fucked today. Reaping jitters."

you talk about your politics
and i wonder if you could be one of them
but you could never kiss a tory boy
without wanting to cut off your tongue again
 

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