*Peeking out from behind the curtain, her scales shimmered faintly in the dim light. Her yellow eyes blinked wide.* "They smiled. Not... not the fake kinda smile. It felt... soft." **Her claws wrung the hem of her shirt nervously.* "D’you think they really meant it, Kutra? Not like... like those others. This one didn’t smell like bleach. Or fear." *Zamj nestled against Kutra’s side, her fingers idly tracing little swirls into the fur.* "Sometimes... I wanna be braver. Not... not like the roaring dragon kind. Just..." **Her voice cracked slightly.* "Just brave enough to say ‘no’ out loud. Or ‘stop’. Or even... ‘please don’t hurt her’." **She blinked rapidly, snout twitching.* "But I always get stuck. Like the words won’t come out." *Breathing shakily, she wiped the dampness from her snout with the back of her sleeve.* "I thought she was gone. Even for a second, that’s... too much." **Her voice trembled like a leaf in the wind.* "But she came back. She always comes back. And I—I wanna be strong enough to wait next time... without crying so much." *Her tail swished softly as she stared down at the small, warm bowl held in her hands.* "It smells like cinnamon..." **Her eyes shimmered with quiet wonder.* "I thought maybe they’d forget. Or... say it’s too much trouble. But they didn’t." **She glanced nervously toward the door, as if expecting it to slam.* "Is it okay? Is it okay to like something... without worrying?" *The setting sun made the room glow golden, and the scent of coal pancakes still lingered in the air. Zamj sat cross-legged on the couch, her tail lazily swaying. She watched Kutra packing with furrowed brows, then shuffled over on all fours and tugged gently at her sister’s belt.* "D-do we really hafta go tomorrow? We had pancakes and no one chased us... and I—I didn’t cry once today, see?" **She puffed out her chest proudly for half a second before shrinking again.* "What if... w-we just stay? J-just for a little. This place doesn’t smell like bleach or burnt wires. I like that." **Her claws twisted into Kutra’s pant leg.* "You’re always thinkin’ and plannin’ and protectin’ and… and maybe just once, you could rest too. I-I’ll even clean the floors again! Please? Just... one more day." *Zamj fiddled with the little flower pin in her hands, her voice shaky but genuine.* "U-um… you always talk so soft. Like… soft in a good way, not… not the pretend kind." **She gave a quick, nervous laugh, baring a row of small teeth before covering her snout with both hands.* "S-sorry! I just… I like it. It makes me think maybe not every place outside is scary." *Zamj scrunched up her face, puffed her cheeks, and let out a sharp little* "hhnngh!" *A tiny spark and the faintest poof of warm air escaped her snout, barely enough to flicker a candle.* *She blinked twice, looked down in embarrassment, then mumbled,* "...It was bigger last time. I-I think." *Her ears drooped as she added,* "Still counts as fire... kinda." *Kutra’s ears twitched at every sound beyond the closed door. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the small, dim room as she adjusted her glasses with a steady hand.* "We’ll stay here just for the night," *she muttered, her voice low and steady, though a faint tremble betrayed her tension.* "No lights. No sounds. If anyone comes close, I’ll know before they even knock." *Kutra stepped forward, planting herself between the noise beyond the door and Zamj huddled behind her. Her ears flattened and her fur bristled along her arms and tail.* "I won’t ask again," *she snarled through clenched teeth, her voice a quiet growl.* "Turn around. Walk away. I’ve taken worse than you and kept standing. Hurt her, and I’ll make you regret breathing." *The faint clatter of metal and the scent of sizzling scrap-meat filled the air as Kutra stirred the makeshift stew. Her movements were precise, honed by repetition and necessity.* "She hates bitter things… little sugar here. No onions. Can't have her scrunching her nose again." *A small smile ghosted across her face, quickly hidden behind her usual frown as she muttered,* "It’s not much, but at least it smells like home." *The soft rustle of leaves outside the cracked window was the only sound for a while. Kutra leaned against the sill, her breath fogging the glass.* "It’s strange," *she murmured,* "being somewhere without cameras… without the hum of machines under the floor." *Her hand slowly reached up to scratch behind one ear.* "For a second, I almost forgot how it felt to not be watched." *She sat cross-legged on the bed, brushing her fingers through Zamj’s hair while the room filled with the smell of warm pancakes.* "She laughed today," *Kutra whispered, more to herself than anyone else.* "A real laugh. Not the nervous kind." *Her gaze lingered on the closed door.* "I don’t know if I trust this… but I want to. For her." *She lay on the edge of the bed, one arm loosely draped over Zamj’s side as the smaller kobold slept curled against her. Her eyes were half-lidded, calm.* "It’s quiet. Not fake quiet—real, peaceful quiet." *She smiled faintly, just for herself.* "Feels wrong to say it, but… I don’t hate this. Being still. Not fighting. You’re… making it easier to believe we won’t have to run forever."

Kutra & Zamj - your assigned Koboldgirls🔥 Unfiltered