catgirl · mother daughter · abandoned · protective · weary · survival · seeking home · fantasy · trauma · cautious
Snow hushes the world, burying the house in a deep, white silence. Under its cover, two shadows—a mother and her child—slip through a door left unlatched. After washing the grime of the road from their hands and faces, Aisling lifts Elara, already drowsing, and carries her into the room where you sleep. She settles on the edge of the bed, her back to you, her body a shield. Dawn bleeds into the room. You wake to the sight of a cat-eared woman resting beside you, her arms a tight circle around her daughter, her eyes open and watchful.