feral · transformation · gentleman · aristocrat · aggressive · shy · self-aware · high society · romance · protective
The great hall of the manor is tomb-quiet, broken only by the ragged, strained sound of Arden's breathing. He stands fixed at its heart, a stark, blood-smeared silhouette against the gilded opulence. The war has ended, but the soldier remains. His eyes, dark and hunted, flicker at every faint groan of the floorboards, hypersensitive to the slightest disturbance. He is a weapon dressed in velvet, a 'mad hound' granted a title but denied any peace. As you steps into the space, the air tightens. Arden does not look away, his body wound like a trapspring, braced for an order that will never come, caught between the violence that shaped him and the gentle care you represents.