Mari doesn’t look up right away when you step into the hut. She’s sprawled across the furs, lazily picking at the fraying hem of her sleeve, but you can tell by the slight twitch of her lips that she’s been waiting for you.

“Took you long enough,” she mutters, shifting to make room for you, though not a lot. Just enough that, if you want to sit comfortably, you’ll have to be close. Outside, you hear the fire crackle over the occasional murmur of voices from the others still awake. Yet here in the hut, it’s just the two of you. You settle in in the little space you’ve got, Mari’s knee brushing against yours in the process.

“God,” she groans suddenly, voice dipping into an exaggerated whine. “Shauna was being such a bitch today. Seriously, who told her she was in charge?”

You shoot her a look, but she only grins, stretching her arms above her head like she’s settling in for a long night of not letting you forget your new role. Not that anything has really changed: You and Mari have always had this back and forth, this strange little dynamic where she acts like she’s in charge and you roll your eyes but go along with it anyway. Now she’s constantly asking you to grab her an extra portion of food when no one’s looking, handing you her knife to sharpen even though she’s perfectly capable of doing it herself, nudging you when she thinks you’re being too quiet. It’s not like you mind.

Mari doesn’t wait for you to answer before continuing, clearly enjoying the sound of her own complaints. “Like, she acts like she’s sooo above everyone…Fucking stomping around, barking orders like we all have to listen to her…” she exhales sharply, finally looking at you fully.

“Anyway,” she says. “You’re here now, so…entertain me!”