<< Who will be the winner of this game? >>
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
"Alright, Yvette," [Name] said. "Without looking, which branches are the thickest on the next five trees?"
Yvette, a 5-year-old girl with scruffy black hair, closed her eyes. "The top left on the first, bottom right on the second, the diagonal left on the third, the bottom left on the fourth, and trunk on the fifth."
"Good," [Name] praised. "Alicia. Which branches would break the easiest?"
"The down diagonal right one on the fifth, and all of the branches on the third."
[Name] nodded. "That's right."
Don scratched his head. "Aren't you teaching us to play tag? Why do we have to memorize this stuff?"
[Name] wagged her finger. "I specialize in escape without touching the ground. When you're running through the trees, you have to make these calculations like that," she snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Now, which branches would make the most leaves fall?"
"The outer ones on all of the trees," he said immediately. "But we don't have as quick as a mind as you do."
"He didn't either," [Name] said calmly. "But he did it as good as I could."
"He?" Don tilted his head. [Name] waved her hand.
"You wouldn't remember him. Now, go and jump the safest route."
As she watched her small team go off and navigate through the trees, [Name] kept an eye on the ground to see what they were doing. Fewer leaves were falling and she couldn't see their shadows as easily as she could when they first started. She smiled. They were making progress. However...
"Alright," she said, landing delicately next to them. "So we've gotten better at concealing ourselves visually, but we need to work on our sound. Camouflage won't do you much good if Norman can hear you jumping around. Anna! Which branches would creak the most if you jumped on them?"
"Is this training or studying?" Emma teased, poking her head out from another tree. "[Name], go easy on them, would you?"
[Name] rolled her eyes. "They can jump through the trees all they want," she replied, "but it won't do them any good if Norman can find them and trap them."
"I think they're doing pretty good for their first day," Emma pouted.
[Name] sighed. "I suppose," she admitted, averting her eyes from the smug looks of her team. "But anyway, what're you doing here?"
"Oh! We're going to start playing now!" Emma grinned. "[Name], you'll be 'it' with Norman, I'll help the kids, and Ray will watch so that he can correct them later."
"Wait, [Name] too?!" Alicia protested. "We can't win against our teacher!"
"I never agreed to this," [Name] added. Emma clasped her hands in front of her, giving a puppy-eyed expression.
"Please? For me?" she pleaded.
Shit.
[Name] leaned back, a slight pink dusting her cheeks. "A-Alright, fine, just stop looking at me like that!" She pushed Emma away, averting her eyes.
"Yay!" Emma cheered. Don glared at [Name] half-heartedly.
"You give in too easily," he accused. [Name] rolled her eyes.
"Not my fault she's adorable," she muttered. "ANYWAYS," she coughed into her fist, "Let's meet up with Norman."
"Simp," Thoma and Lani snickered. [Name] bopped them on the head.
"Oh, shut up," she chided.
"They're not wrong," Anna chuckled, dodging an attempted bop on her head. [Name] pounced on her, pinching and tugging the blonde's cheeks. "Owa! Okay, 'm sowwy, sorry!"
"What did Thoma and Lani say?" Emma asked, tilting her head. [Name] whipped her head around.
"Nothi-"
"Short and simp-le facts, that's all." Don cut [Name] off with a smirk.
"Oh," Emma shrugged, scratching her head. "Well, I need to go now. See you on the playing ground!"
She jumped off. [Name] turned around, glaring at her team.
"I. Hate. All of you." The (h/c)-haired girl growled through her teeth, her face red. Don looped a hand around her neck, grinding his fist into her head as she yelped and struggled.
"Yeah, we hate you too," he teased.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
"[Name]? What happened?" Norman's brow creased in worry as he watched the girl pace back and forth with her arms crossed, grumbling to herself. He frowned. "Do you not want to play with us?"
[Name] looked up. "They called me a flippin' simp!" she burst out. "A simp! Where did they even learn that word?!"
"It was Ray," Norman answered, ignoring the ravenette's protests in the back. "I remember him using you and Emma as an example when he was explaining it."
"Excuse me?!" [Name] whipped her head around to see Ray bolting it from the clearing. "RAY! Get back here!"
"NORMAN, YOU FUCKING SNITCH," the ebony-haired boy shouted angrily, running into the forest. Norman gasped, mockingly offended.
"Ray! No swearing in front of the children!" he reprimanded.
"Yeah, Ray, no swearing in front of the children," [Name] mocked, yanking him back by the collar. "Add 'don't teach them weird words'."
Ray looked up at her with a slight smirk. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true."
[Name]'s mouth dropped open in shock. "Why, you- I'LL SHOVE YOUR BOOK UP YOU-"
"What did we say about swearing in front of children?" Norman walked up to the two of them, arms crossed like a disappointed mother. "You two need to sort this out in your own time. We have a game to play."
"Fine," [Name] and Ray gave in reluctantly. "But you were the one who started it," Ray added.
"I started it?!" Norman protested.
"Yeah, you snitch," Ray huffed.
"He was not a snitch, he was a good boy for telling me what happened," [Name] retorted, hugging Norman close and ruffling his hair. Ray rolled his eyes as the albino hummed in content, leaning into [Name]'s touch.
"Don't act like his mother when he's three months older than you," Ray puffed at his bangs, crossing his arms.
"You're just jealous," [Name] laughed, releasing Norman from her grasp. "Have Emma and the others gone into hiding yet?"
"Probably."
"Then why are you still here?" [Name] questioned. "Shouldn't you be watching the kids?"
"I would be if someone didn't snitch and if I wasn't chased down immediately after," Ray sassed. [Name] rolled her eyes.
"We all know you deserved it."
"Whatever."
"[Name]," Isabella walked up to them. "What's going on? I heard yelling."
Norman stiffened. [Name], not missing a beat, pointed at Ray. "Ray taught the kids what 'simp' meant and now they won't stop calling me that."
"Wha- Hey!" Ray protested. Isabella shook her head in disappointment.
"Ray, I thought you'd stop that behavior," she scolded. Ray averted his eyes.
"Why is everyone such a snitch?" he muttered.
"Ray..." Isabella gave him a stern look. "No name-calling. Anyway, [Name], could you come with me for a bit?"
"Why?" [Name] asked.
"I just need some help with some chores," Isabella smiled. [Name] narrowed her eyes.
"...Fine," she sighed, turning to her male friends. "Sorry, but I have to do this."
She walked off after Isabella like a dog to its owner. Norman's eyes followed her back, suspicion flaring in his eyes. Ray, observant as ever, noticed this.
"Do you think she's a traitor?" he asked. Norman looked away, ashamed.
"I didn't want to admit it," he confessed. "But I don't trust her. She didn't even think twice about ditching us to go help Mom."
"That's true," Ray admitted. "There's also that she wasn't that surprised to learn that we were born to be killed."
"Now that I think of it, you're right." Norman grit his teeth. "I hate this. I hate suspecting her, even if it's for our survival."
"I don't like it either," Ray said, putting his hands in his pockets. "But this is necessary."
"Yeah..." Norman plastered a smile on his face. "Well, we shouldn't keep the others waiting. Let's go."
Ray watched him run into the forest. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked to the sky.
"[Name], you aren't even trying to hide it, are you?"
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
"I believe I told you to keep an eye on Sister," Isabella hissed, walking in the halls to her office, casting shadows with every step. [Name] followed her, her (e/c) eyes blank and unfocused.
"I was informed that you allowed my participation in the game," she droned. "Was that incorrect?"
"Yes, it was," Isabella opened the door to her office. "You should have known to confirm with me first."
[Name] walked in, Isabella closing the door behind her. She took a seat, crossing one leg over the other.
"There's no need to worry yourself," she said. "I've already collected information on her."
"Did you now?" Isabella rose an eyebrow. "Relay it all to me. Now."
"Firstly, she plans to betray you and take your seat as a Mother," [Name] began. "The Sister wants to report your violation to the higher-ups to fire you, and she'll most likely be collecting evidence of that violation. She may try and join forces with the culprits to do that. And based on her horrid singing fest you forced me to listen to, she also wants to recruit me."
"I see... Well, then," Isabella said, holding her chin between her thumb and index finger. "I want you to pretend to be conspiring with her to take me down."
"You want me to help her take you down?" [Name] tilted her head at her foster mother. "Are you insane?"
"Perhaps I am," Isabella smiled. "But that's nothing you need to worry yourself with. Just do as you are told, and there will be no repercussions."
[Name] stared at her, seemingly surveying her options. "Understood."
As she left, Isabella's eyes lingered on one thing. Or, to be exact, the one thing that was missing.
"I wonder, when did she stop wearing that necklace?" Isabella hummed to herself.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
Emma stomped up to [Name] the second she stepped out of the house. "Where were you?!" she asked, tugging on [Name]'s cheek. "I didn't see you during the game at all!"
[Name] gave her a blank look. Emma froze at her eyes. They were cold and calculating, nothing like the soft gaze Emma had become accustomed to. They looked exactly like Isabella's.
"[Name]?"
The (h/c) blinked, shaking her head. "Sorry about that," she said softly. "Mother wanted to speak with me. Where's Sister?"
"She's speaking with Norman and Ray," said Emma. "But nevermind that. What's wrong?"
[Name] tilted her head. "Nothing's wrong, Emma."
"Don't lie to me." Emma bit her lip. "You're acting weird."
"I'm not acting weird, Emma," [Name] insisted. "I just need to talk to Sister."
"Why?" Emma looked to the ground, biting her lip. "Why are you so secretive? You're acting like Mom."
Something about being compared to Isabella snapped a thread within [Name].
"I'm just tired, okay?!" she snapped, eyes flashing. Emma flinched, hurt. [Name] stiffened after what she had just said had settled in. She looked to the ground, feeling guilty but unknowing of how to fix her situation. Her body sagged, defeated. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Just... just leave me alone."
She walked away, leaving Emma by herself. The ginger frowned, reaching out a hand to her, only to retract it. She looked at her palm, forming a fist.
"Just what is going on, [Name]?"
[Name] tugged on Krone's dress. "Mother wants you to move some boxes," she said, making a box shape with her hands and then jutting her thumb behind her. "She says it's fine if you do it after you play."
Krone's eyes widened, before she smirked. "Alright then. Do you want to play with us?"
[Name] shook her head. "I can't ensure that Mother won't call me back again."
"That's why you weren't chasing us earlier," Don realized. "Mom called you?"
She nodded. "I don't want to make empty promises."
"Don't worry about that!" Krone patted [Name]'s back roughly, nearly toppling the girl. "As long as you're with me, Isabella can't scold you!"
"I- ACK! -highly doubt that," [Name] coughed. Krone slapped her back again, this time more harshly.
"You'll be fine!" she assured in an obnoxiously cheery tone. "Don't worry!"
"This is child abuse," [Name] gritted, straightening her back. She winced at the pain that shot through her spine. "That's going to bruise."
"It wasn't that hard!" Krone teased. "Now, everyone -this includes you [Name]- go off and run from me!"
[Name] was tempted to just walk away and not play, but that option was erased when Ray grabbed her arm and dragged her off into the forest.
"Ray!" [Name] protested, stumbling to keep up with him. Ray glanced her way.
"What did Mom want?" he asked, already skipping to the interrogation. [Name]'s expression soured.
"She wants me to keep an eye on that Sister," she scoffed. "I hate that woman."
"Which one?" Ray asked, slipping into the thick undergrowth.
"Both," said [Name], propelling herself up next to a nearby tree with only her legs. "They can both die in a pit of flaming cockroaches."
"That we can agree on," Ray agreed, scanning the area. [Name] left him to maneuver silently around the trees, making quick calculations in her head and taking note of her shadows.
She nearly fell off as Krone destroyed part of the trunk of the tree she was on. [Name]'s jaw dropped, seeing her drag Lani out by the collar, screaming, from under the tree. She stiffened, disguising her shadow as a part of the branches.
Krone's eyes narrowed. [Name] retreated into the shadows just as she looked up, holding her breath until Krone left the area. And yes, she meant the area as in she kept an eye (ear?) on her footsteps until they receded.
She let out a sigh, only to slam a hand over her mouth as Emma bolted past her tree carrying two kids, pursued by a Krone.
[Name] buried her head into her hands, already feeling the temptation of following Emma. She wasn't going to make it out carrying two kids, and all of them knew it.
She reluctantly hopped off her perch and chased the two.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
"Emma~" Krone crooned, skipping around the rock formations. "Come out, come out, wherever you are~! You must be tired, poor thing, carrying two children while running from someone such as myself."
Emma kept an eye on the dark-skinned woman, keeping a hand clasped tightly over her mouth. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she tried to regain her breath. Phil and Nina mirrored her actions, staying close to Emma's side with their mouths shut.
"Say, Emma, did you know?" Krone hummed, looking around the rocks for the ginger. "I know each and every one of your friends' weaknesses."
Emma stiffened. Where did she get that information? No, wait. It was most likely Isabella.
"Norman's weakness is his immune system," said Krone. "If we used biological warfare on him, he'd crumble like a house of cards. Just one little fever, and poof! He'd drop like a fly.
Ray's determination is admirable, but he's also paranoid and gives up easily. He drops a plan the second he comes up with it. There's also the fact that he's going through his emotional phase at age eleven, but that's expected of someone like him.
[Name]'s weakness... Well, it's not a thing or a trait, but a person. Or rather, four certain Grace Field orphans. The moment they're threatened in any way, she loses her cool completely. She's very easy to manipulate, I'll have you know.
And you, dear Emma! You're oh-SO naive. Look at you, carrying two children while being chased! What an idiot!" The ginger grit her teeth. She hated that word, having heard it one too many times.
"Darling, just give up and turn yourself in!" Krone smirked. "I'll have you know, that if you saw the harvest that day...
...then I am on your side."
Emma hurriedly looked to the sides. She jolted, coming to a realization. Shakily looking up, she came face to face with Krone, smiling eerily.
"Found you~!" she sang.
Flick!
A pebble drove itself into Krone's temple, forcing the woman's head back. Another one attacked her hand, which outstretched towards the ginger. Krone, despite the pain, grinned maniacally.
"What a bold move," she crooned, straightening herself, "revealing yourself like that. All to save the people you hold dear. How predictable, [Name]."
The (h/c) stood tall on a tree, tossing a pebble in her hand. In her other was a pile of her ammo. Emma gawked at her.
"[Name]?!" she said in disbelief. "Why are you throwing rocks?!"
"They're pebbles," [Name] corrected. "Hurt a lot less than rocks."
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"
[Name] sighed. "Look," she said, catching the pebble she was tossing between her two fingers. "I am trying to create a diversion for you to escape. And besides, I have a bruise on my back thanks to her," she flung the pebble at Krone, who dodged easily, "so this is just payback."
"[Name]," Emma stood up, planting her hands on her hips as she scolded the (h/c). "We don't use rocks in tag."
"Tag?" [Name] looked at her, her eyes dark pits. "This isn't tag. This is war."
.
.
.
"That's it, you and Ray are grounded from talking to each other."
"What? Why?!" [Name] protested, snapping out of her serious expression.
Emma thrust a finger in her direction. "He's infecting you with his emo phase!" she accused.
"Whatever, just get out of here!" [Name] flicked another pebble at Krone. The woman lunged to the side, ignoring Emma and running towards [Name] at full speed. The (h/c) only stared at her, watching as she neared her.
Her eyes flicked to the side. Emma had successfully escaped with her baggage in tow. [Name] smiled. Her job was done. Or so she thought.
Because in a normal situation, [Name] would've let Krone tag her, and then she'd return to her chores.
But now, she had a different motive.
She had a vendetta against this woman.
And she wanted to win.
With a quick swipe, Krone broke the branch [Name] was standing on. [Name], quickly analyzing the situation as she fell, twisted her body mid-air so that she could plant her foot on the trunk, propelling herself towards the ground.
She leaned back just before she touched the dirt, sticking out her leg so that she could use the momentum to kick herself back up again, shooting just under Krone's arm and past her. She leaped onto a rock mound, jumping from one to another. She could hear the thundering footsteps of Krone behind her.
[Name] glanced back, only to immediately regret it. Krone had a crazed smile on her face, her eyes bulging and sprinting towards her like a deranged Olympics runner.
The minute she got out of the forest, she sprang on the trees, cringing as Krone destroyed the branches she was on mere seconds after she pushed off of them.
She flew past Norman and Ray, who gawked at her in confusion, only to curse (Ray) and get the hell out of there when they saw the raging Krone behind her.
"What happened?!" Norman yelled.
"Ask questions later!" [Name] shouted back. "JUST RUN!"
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Ray cursed, looking back at the maniacal woman. "She's batshit crazy!"
"You just noticed?!"
"Stop cursing!" Norman scolded. Ray gawked at him.
"Are we seriously worrying about my language when that," he jutted his thumb behind him, "is chasing us like it's going to kill us?!"
Did he just call me an 'it'?! Krone thought indignantly.
[Name] sped up. "Can we cut the chit chat and run?!"
She jumped off of the tree, landing on a jutting cliff that created a fork in the path. Norman took the right and Ray took the left. Krone skidded, making a sharp turn and chasing after Norman.
Ray and [Name] shared a look, nodding. [Name] followed Krone, watching from a distance. Phil and Nina made the mistake of walking into her path. Emma reached to pull them out, but was stopped by a pull at her collar.
She looked up to see [Name], putting a finger to her lips and shaking her head. Krone tapped the two younger children on their shoulders as she rushed past them chasing after Norman.
"We're following Norman," [Name] said. Emma furrowed her eyebrows.
"Shouldn't we be moving away from him?" she asked. [Name] shrugged.
"We should, but Ray wants us to do this to rub it in her face," she said. Emma bit her lip.
"Why am I not surprised?" she sighed.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
Norman looked down upon Krone from the rock mounds, a controlling and cold look in his eyes. Krone stared back at him, somehow intimidated by this stick of a human being.
I can't catch him at all, despite how physically inferior he is to me... Krone thought. It's almost as if he's controlling how I chase him. Just what are they trying to accomplish?
A hand placed itself on her shoulder. Ray smirked, holding up a pocket watch. "Time's up."
Krone glanced behind her. Emma waved cheerfully at her.
"Looks like we won, Sister."
"So these are the full scorers of this place," Krone realized, sweat dripping down her chin. "What kind of monsters are being kept in this house?"
[Name] appeared next to Krone. "So what do you think?" she taunted. Krone brushed her off, walking past her without a word. [Name] tilted her head, looking at the woman in curiosity.
Her gaze turned to her hand. In her palm was a small pebble. She gritted her teeth, whipping her head to the side and throwing the pebble with startling accurately, snapping off a branch on a tree.
"Why do I have to side with her?!" she fumed, burning holes into the ground. Her face twisted into a scowl. "Why can't I just kill the woman and be done with it?!"
She hid her head in her hands, buckling over. "What am I thinking?" she whispered. "This is all to protect them, right? I have to do this to make sure they escape alive!"
"That's right," [Name] realized, letting out a coarse laugh, dropping her arms. "I just have to get them out of here. Once they leave, it'll all be over. I can finally atone for what I've done. I can finally sleep."
[Name] unrolled herself, looking up at the sky with soft eyes.
"Just you wait, Marin," she whispered. "I'll be joining you soon."
She glanced to the side, beginning to follow Krone's retreating back. "I just have to get rid of some rats first."
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
https://www.quotev.com/quiz/13086143/Change-300-Hearts-Special-Poll
HELLO BEFORE YOU CLICK OFF PLEASE DO THIS POLL
thank you :)
i. love. writing krone
she's crazy and yeah she's scary but she is FUN to write
and [name]'s slowly losing it too but you didn't hear that from me :)