A flood crashed into the room fast. What was a calmer home a few minutes ago, turned just as sour as the scent of the floorboards. The smell was as revolting as fractus′s scent- one of rot covered in floral design.

  ¨You're staying here in my home. You can follow me now.¨ The girl urps. Her long black hair flowing in a trail behind her. Her steps were light, with little clinks with each step against the etheric wood.

  How annoying. She is completely ignoring me, his mind creeks. His anger tethering between masked calm and exploding, but he didn't know why. This girl just- annoyed him.

  Alexander's eyes trail her as they follow, focusing on the almost mythic-like drift behind her. Behind him, Porter's fingers are twitching, almost holding his hand. He is as nervous as a mouse, but his Quokka smile never falters.

  A little further behind, Zorche's breathing is as heavy as his footsteps. He seems on edge, but the vines of their rules are shorter than his temper. Tight and choking.

  The girl leads them to a back room. It was darker, but warm and moist in the air. Inside was decorated in lavender and Gr?aken vines. The vines wove between netting on the wall, around the hanging shelves and intertwined like fingers with the lavender.

  The room itself seemed normal, but the Gr?aken Leafs had always been unnerving. They were just like any other vine type, however instead being the deep green of forestral life, they are the bright golden color of sunflowers. There leaves the worst of it. They were lash-like, with 3 spikes, fading to a pointed tip. Like lashes to the eye they make. The center, a circle with multiple rings in them, are normally black. However they can come in all sorts of colours, like brown, or blue. And this place was full of these colourful eyeballs.

  There are 2 beds there. They are simpler, covered in medium-brown sheets and white pillows. They were slightly lifted, with little under-bed room and wooden frames. The frames are intriguing in designs of flowers and monsters. Birds, and butterflies. Nature and false.

  Alexander walks further into the sea of the room. His finger drifts over the wood, porter checking out the other bed. Porter made it clear he wanted that one, flopping upon its soft sheets. His being the one decorated in butterflies upon oak and work.

  Alexander looks at his bed. It's decorated in crows and monsters like the woodwender. It's fur in intricate designs of knots and strands. The rest of the bed was nice, however. Made of dark oak, and crow-figures at the head of the bed, crafted in wood of acacia.

  ¨It's pretty… humid in here,¨ Porter sniffs. The split-second curl of lips making it clear he hates the smell. He didn't need to say it. He hadn't needed to. The rot is stronger here.

  ¨That would be the flowers.¨ The girl coo's, eyes soft, ¨We need to grow many types here, medicinals need to be able to do their work. ¨

  ¨There are also two beds.¨ Alexander cuts in, his finger pricking the tip of the crows beak. ¨There are three of us.¨

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  ¨ Four people will be living here. And the boys shall not share a room. I would think your home had similar rules, yes?¨

  ¨So you girl will share a room?¨ Alexander asks, not bothering to answer her question.

  ¨Yes.¨ The black haired girl grabs baileys wrist, a smile forming on her lips, ¨and we need to go check it out.¨

  Alexander's gaze follows them, their forms spinning in the moonlight as Isolde spins themselves away. Her eyes glinted in excitement. Bailey is the opposite, trying to look to her dear brother and the crow for help. Neither of them followed.

  ¨You′ll learn fast.¨ Zorche grumbles in his corner of the hallway, half hidden by the door frame. ¨ Rules cling like the vines on your walls. And we have no choice but to climb in a rot.¨

  The blond sighs and then steps out of the dark corner into the moonlit room, a small smile forming. ¨Have fun in our dainty village.¨ He then closes their door as he backs out, the door just barely squeaky.

  They sit quietly for the first few minutes. The room is as quiet as the moon. Alexander remains in deeper thought, figuring everything out. Catalogising it. Boxing them in as neatly as his files, and storing them for later.

  Alexander doesn't even notice Porter getting up, or walking across the room. The blue-tipped boy sits beside him, hand drifting over alexanders, pulling him back.

  Alexander jumps, turning to face the boy. His eyes widened to see the quokka smile gone- replaced with an anxious, true look. But the raven's eyes flutter down into calm again.

  ¨Yes?¨

  ¨Why haven't you gotten us out yet, Alexy?¨ he asks, fingers finally resting completely on alexanders. ¨We normally get out after a few mere hours. ¨

  ¨This village is full of gorillas.¨ Alexander says, his gaze breaking to his lap, before chuckling, ¨And I bet these damn curs they keep mentioning are hell good at tracking. Doubt we'd get away. We had a better wait for a good time. ¨

  ¨I see.¨

  It's a beautiful day today, bright and beautiful as always. The butterfly weeds are blooming in the light of the sun. It's disgusting. All of this is disgusting. Mother. Father. Little sister. They're all as nasty as this hellhole. Alex thinks of himself, hands glazing a black delilah as he crosses the court-yard. A large, open field lined with trimmed flowers of all assortments, perfect grass. All strings of it are cut to precisely 2.4 inches. A breeze passes, and Alexander catches a new smell. One note from here, and looks up. And there before him, is somebody. Long hair, fading from celeste blue, to an undying pale lavender purple, the silkiness of a puppy. . With skin as iridescent as a newborns.

  ¨Good morning, Alexander. ¨ the figure says. ¨These delilahs are beautiful, don't you agree?¨

  Alexander's eyes open. The room was still dark, but warm. He felt his hair in knots, messy and gross. Beside him, it seems porter had fallen asleep too. Whenever he was afraid he tended to sleep beside somebody- normally his sister so they could both be comforted. But occasionally, Porter slept beside him. Porter's cheek had dried saliva down the side, his long black-blue hair over his lashes.

  Porter's hand was wrapped around Alexander's chest, tight. However, Alexander doesn't seem to mind, if anything he just rolls his eyes and pushes Porter's hair back. He didn't like Porter's bangs, they covered his soft sheep face that always seemed to comfort.

  ¨Stop climbing into my bed, sheep face. I even let you choose first.Alexander whispers as he pats the boy's head.

  ¨Mmm.¨ is the only response he gets in return. Porter, although cheerful, hated mornings. His eyes open softly, and half-liddedly he rolls his eyes and grabs Alexander's arm, flipping over onto his other side.

  Suddenly, a familiar voice sounds from across the room. ¨Are you cheating on me!~¨

  Alexander jumps, turning with a small eye roll of his own, ¨we were never dating.¨