#dv chapter 0

Suki wandered around the outside of the hotel, kicking the ground with her leather shoes. Not much to do, not much to do, everyone was either at the beach or resting in their rooms. As much as she liked being alone too, she had made that promise...

Looking up in the paths of the sun, she squinted at the hotel building. Didn’t it look like there were more then the eight floors? She couldn’t quite tell, the windows were all positioned screwy. 

Hmmmmmm. Suki kicked at the tree again out of frustration. Her shoes were lost in some mud puddle and her skirt was ripped. She’d found her way back to the hotel, visable through foliage now but had no desire to return just yet. That thong wearing jerk might still be waiting for her at the front entrance and she wasn’t ready to try to talk to them again. 

“AH!” There was a ‘thwunk’ as something large hit the ground next to her; a big coconut. So that’s what type of tree she had been kicking all this time. Maybe not such a good idea, a fruit like that could kill someone falling from such a height. She slowly backed away while staring up at the tree leaves to make sure no others would drop on her. “AAAHHHH!” Another yelp when she felt her back smack into something that was distinctly not a tree. “N-no...” She turned around quickly and... oh, it was someone else.

This was a little suspicious. Weren't they supposed to have the whole island to themselves for the month? Everyone else was content with the beach but Suki had thought there would be other places to go. She reached out to touch the gate that prevented her from walking any further through the jungle. There was a shock that rippled though her nerves, a cold austerity that resonated from the taste of its polished metal surface. Teeth scraped against her tongue. She had a sense for these things, a sense that this had not been erected for the purpose of keeping them safe. 

Suki decided to explore the hotel for a change, maybe go back outside again after the mid day heat had passed and traded for cooler temperatures. She had already visited her room but quickly did so again. Next was the seventh floor. She was pressing the close door button on the elevator as soon as it opened to reveal the huge pool. Not a floor she would ever be visiting again then, alright. 

The top floor was a dining area with tables and chairs. Looked empty and Suki wondered when they were supposed to have communal meals in here. Good thing she had seen this now, those sorts of events weren't her cup of tea. She could make off with a plate and utensils beforehand so that she could eat alone in her room later. “It’s ok, they won’t notice if one is missing.” She murmured, pausing. “That’s not why... n-no I don’t want to...”  Suckers wrapped around one of the plates as she frowned. It tasted off like everything else in the island but her head was a mess right now anyway. 

Whoa, this girl looked really put together. They had just walked off a boat and Suki felt all sorts of disoriented. Anyone who could look so good in such a short amount of time like this was really impressive. And to be honest, a little intimidating. They probably had brought all sorts of beauty projects while Suki could only rely on her natural complexion. It sure would be amazing to have a friend with skills like that.

She had to try to make friends eventually. Probably best not to start with someone who might just be the most popular girl of the group. At least if they turned out to not be very nice, Suki would know right away instead of having to worry about it for the whole month. 

“I c-can do this...” A little personal pep talk as Suki pushed her arms up against her cheeks, holding them there and concentrating hard until she got the same color as her skin. She had been practicing this technique for ages, worthy of a SHSL camouflage artist perhaps. 

“H-hello. How are y-you doing?” Suki smiled wide, feeling like she could take on the world. In reality the effect was actually highly unnerving and highlighted the absence of bones in her arms.

This person looked easy to talk to. Right away, Suki noticed she was much taller then them, which was a nice little confidence boost. But they were also eating very aggressively in a way that was sort of scary to watch. Though that meant they might not talk with a mouth full and give her time to collect herself. Ultimately she had to talk to someone and this person looked like they were ready to take over the lounge of their floor already which meant they probably knew what was going on. “Hello.” She moved away from the corner she had been peeking at them behind. 

“D-do you know if there are any scheduled activities?” Suki wanted to make sure she didn’t miss any important announcements. It sure would be fun to take a hike in the jungle... kinda frighting to think about doing it alone though. As much as she preferred being by herself, some activities just had to be with others, one of life’s hard truths. 

“We s-should have a bulletin board.” Suki muttered.