cascade | kotlc

27. Meanwhile, at Foxfire

that time of the month, elvin edition. also marellinh

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June returned to Foxfire, as she would. Her sister had been incredibly exhausted the past days, with Prentice's upcoming healing that June wouldn't even be able to attend. So at least she accompanied her during school.

"Hey," Marella whispered to Linh softly at lunch, her palm not so discreetly inching up hers. Linh allowed herself an also not so subtle smile, the tips of her lips curling up in obvious pleasure.

Sophie slumped into the seat opposite them, her hair tangled in frustration and knotted at several ends. June frowned as she sat next to her sister before she took to stroking her shoulder in an effort to relieve her stress.

Tam was about to sit next to Sophie when a dark-haired girl scrambled over, hastily knocking Tam away and snatching the seat he'd been about to occupy. Linh bit her lip and June whipped out her pistol, but Sophie interrupted first.

"Hey, Maruca," she mumbled halfheartedly, her attention directed at June.

"So," the girl, Biana's old friend Maruca, who'd also been the one to betray Biana, immediately began ranting as soon as she shoved some bites of green mushy food into her mouth. "Prentice's healing is coming up, right? And you're the probe or whatever, and Fitz is your guide, and-"

Tam's plate clattered to the table beside her and he took the other seat next to Linh, wiping sweat off his brows and panting heavily.

"Foxfire is a fucking nightmare," he told everyone. "I've officially broken a world record -- three hundred and forty-five sets of stairs in four hours."

"How do you know that?" Linh asked, stabbing her fork into the red licorice-like bands. June knew Linh and Tam weren't particularly used to the campus, and she'd done her best along with Biana to guide them through the labyrinth. But they didn't have photographic memories, and Foxfire was as confusing as ever. Linh was about to lift the fork to her mouth when Marella stopped her.

"Just saying," she whispered, "those things are hot. But not as much as you, so who knows?"

June giggled at the compliment, and Linh didn't even seem to notice.

"Oh." Linh contemplated her taste buds for a moment before she made up her mind and dumped all her bands onto Tam's plate. Her brother scowled, and she imitated a lost kitten. His features softened and he grumbled, offering her the soupy goo in his plate.

"They look better than they taste," Tam advised, poking something that seemed to slither through the viscous mess, almost like a worm and cramming his mouth with the purplish ooze. Linh gagged and Marella shoved her way between them, grinning at Tam, who rolled his eyes.

"Or you can have mine," she suggested, pushing her plate of delicious-looking pastries toward her. The fresh scent of newly baked custard bursts wafted around the air, butterscotch and lushberry flavors floating everywhere, and the crystals of sugar atop butterblasts looked particularly enticing as they glinted in the sun. Sophie stared hungrily at the delicacies and June laughed softly, picking up one of her own slices of mallowmelt and feeding her sister.

"You know me," Linh approved, filching a slice of mallowmelt and accidentally getting frosting all over her fingers.

When she went to wipe her fingers off, Marella stopped her, an incredulous expression adornig her beautiful face. Linh raised an eyebrow and proceeded to take her handkerchief, and Marella pouted and Linh reluctantly let go.

"Yes?" she prompted when Marella stared at her hands.

"You're not going to lick off the icing?" she demanded, crossing her arms. A small spark of fire lighted over her index finger and she quickly extinguished it before anyone noticed.