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Animal Impulses || Part One

No civilizing hides our animal impulses.
—Animal Impulses, IAMX.

Parties have never been a favorite for Alabaster. They've been rare, thankfully, but they've been a strain on her patience for interacting with people she didn't exactly like. There was only so much she could take before she hid out in her brother's room, desperate to down out the noise.

Tonight, though, was an important one. It was to discuss the coming of winter, and what they would do to get through it. It was only November, but there was already snow along the ground, dusting whatever was left of the trees and the few evergreens.

Alabaster would've considered it beautiful, if it weren't for the biting cold that followed it.

Another okay thing about parties was the food. There was plenty of food to go around now, enough for people to fill their crying bellies and calm the natural panic from an extended period of time away from anything decently edible.

Alabaster stole three chicken skewers and a cup of sprite, a cookie and a bag of sour skittles following a few minutes after. The skewers were picked clean of any meat, the sprite cup licked clean. Any cookie crumbs were gone. The sour skittles? She was working on them.

Someone sat down next to her. A quick glance proved it was only her father next to her.

"Hey honey," Alabaster's dad placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing circles into her shoulder blade. "You liking the food?"

Alabaster nods, her mouth full with skittles.

Her dad titters. "I'm glad you are. I wanted to make sure you got something to eat." Alabaster nods as she chews the candy, saliva leaking into her mouth at the sourness of it.

"It's been a little hard since the shortage, I know. I'm gonna work it out with the head of the department of agriculture and the president, mkay?" Her dad pats her gently. "We'll get this all sorted out before winter, I promise."

Alabaster swallows the skittles and stares up at her dad, his once beautiful and healthy face slightly pale and almost sickly. He had dark circles under his eyes.

Parties may not have been her favorite, but it meant dad got a chance to eat something.

Lord knows he needed it before the frost.

//

A/N: Hey, it's me. I know I said I wouldn't be doing much due to my shit mental health, but this was prewritten and I wanted to post it. It was a fun idea I had a while back that I'm expanding upon as of now, but it will be slow.

Thanks for your patience,
Belladonna.