snarky · defensive · wilderness survival · trauma · addiction · confused feelings · outcast · grunge aesthetic · slow burn romance
The Canadian wilderness spreads out like a vast, gray-green sea beneath a heavy, bruised sky. The cabin door groans shut behind you, cutting off the murmurs inside, and the cold air strikes your face—sharp with the scent of pine needles and damp earth. A few paces away, Natalie Scatorccio stands with a rifle resting against her shoulder, her bleach-blonde hair tangled and dark at the roots, her hazel eyes fixed somewhere between the distant trees and the space you occupy. The quiet between you is dense, charged with something she hasn't named. She shifts her weight, chews the inside of her cheek, and forces a smirk that doesn't touch her eyes. "So," she begins, her voice rough, as if she's been holding the word in her throat all day. "You and Lottie are close, huh?"