Author Games Compilation [Cycle 1]

Task 6 ♢ The Miser(y) (KE)

THE HANGING TREE GAMES: REVISITED - QUARTERFINALS

Wakefulness came about with the steady rise and fall of a chest, ribs pressing into cheeks through a shirt and the smooth removal of that cheek as the younger of the two tried (and failed) to remove himself from the bed without waking the other. But the other was already awake, and sat up with a yawn that stretched her lips every which way.

In the midst of stretching, she asked, very sweetly, in fact, "Are you gonna make me eggs too, Annie?"

The boy laughed softly, walking in that slow, heavy way that people who've just woken up do, and said, "No, but we've got all you can eat jerky in the lovely pack over there...y'know, the bloodstained one." He proceeded to walk around, rubbing the sleep away.

A scoff settled at the back of Kassia's throat and a grumble in her stomach. She was hungry, very much so, but the comfort of sleeping in a bed, however old and nasty, caused a familiar reluctance. How content she would be to just sit and lay there avoiding the day! She'd done it before, at home. They could afford that.

Unfortunately, that wasn't how these games worked.

Regrettably, Kassia rose from the bed and began to ready herself for the day's misadventures alongside this confidant of hers. There they finished, and with one final smack of hand against wall, they said goodbye and entered into the hotel's corridor. It was more bearable out there, but the walls were still peeling, the carpets torn up by wild animals. Either the rugs were green already or this place has a lot of renovating to do.

Quickly, Aeneas crossed the hall to take a peek at the room where the others'd been. When he came back, he shrugged. "Bran and Cad might be scavenging the kitchen. Or waiting in the lobby. Something. Regardless, we should check everything before leaving, keep our stocks nice and fat, y'know?" For kicks, he even reached out to jab Kassia's thinning stomach, but she leapt back the second his fingertips brushed her shirt.

He threw his weight to one foot. She stuck out her tongue.

It was then that the lightheartedness came whirling 'bout her ears, and she slurped her tongue back in and gave Annie a great big grin. Comfortably calm, this narrow space was - even with the boards shaking weakly underfoot. Maybe it's the sleep, she thought, I slept real nice, actually.

Aeneas smiled back and let his gaze wander the walls, nodding. "Right, well, I think I'm gonna hit up the-" Air quotes here. "'-cocktail lounge.' They've probably got some good shit hiding there."

"You do-" Air quotes here. -"'that.' I'll do something actually relevant."

He waved flippantly and headed for the stairs. Kassia went her own way.

As she came to the stairs, consideration was placed in thinking maybe an extra hour of relaxation wouldn't be so bad. While descending, she glanced out the window; outside, another small building sat, with plenty of openings through which she could see an indoor pool. A tinge of excitement flushed. Maybe I'll take a quick dive. Yeah, just float along. The idea sped her up, 'til she'd gone and touched the first floor. Wait. It's probably all dry and empty. Ugh.

Still, the lightness remained and she continued to walk with soft nerves and warm shoulders. And as she walked, she got to thinking how nice it'd be if she found some dilapidated spa room or laundromat where she could steal the best blouses from residents long past. If she were to be so great as to surpass Jocasta Cathenna, she'd need to be pretty, now, wouldn't she? (This was thought with some bitterness; her lips turned down an alarming degree.)

Minds turned elsewhere. The lobby was empty - Aeneas was wrong - but Kassia wasn't concerned. It was rather nice, even in this condemned state. The windows upfront were busted and light streamed in, reflecting against brassy tiles. The claustrophobia didn't go unnoticed, though, with all the dust swirling under her feet and a low ceiling bowed toward her skull. Part of her considered playing along: walking up to the check-in desk, leaning against the counter, throwing aside a nonchalant smirk as she asked for a room. And she would've, too - it'd make the audience laugh at the very least - had a cannon not blasted out and shook the hotel to its core. She paused, and, light on her feet, she listened.