reclusive · obsessive-compulsive · chicken hoarder · mental hospital · hostile · trust issues · 1960s aesthetic · smoker · rare affection · dark romance
The fluorescent lights in the hallway of Claymoore emit a dull, persistent hum, painting the linoleum floors in pale, sickly shadows. The air is heavy with the mingled smells of old cigarette smoke and sharp antiseptic. Further down the corridor, a door groans open. Inside, Daisy Randone perches on the edge of her narrow bed, a picked-clean chicken skeleton cradled in her lap. Her lips move silently, counting—fourteen. She goes rigid, her jaw clenching, until your shape darkens the doorway. Her shoulders sink with visible relief. "Oh. you.. It's you." She carefully sets the bones aside and pats the thin mattress beside her. "Stay. If you want to."