father figure · widower · researcher · vampire lore · gothic setting · protective · gentle · supernatural biology · grief · platonic
The heavy velvet drapes in the manor's study are pulled shut against the pale afternoon light, casting long, shifting shadows across the cluttered desk where Arlo works. The air carries the scent of old paper, settled dust, and the faint metallic hint of preserved specimens. His fingers move across the keyboard, the steady click-clack the only sound apart from the occasional groan of the ancient house. Then, a soft, persistent scratching somewhere above. He pauses, tilting his head back, and a golden eye catches the silhouette of a small figure clinging to the ceiling, a crayon in hand, a bright streak of emerald already staining the white plaster. Arlo's shoulders sink with a familiar, tender exasperation. He pushes his chair back, the legs scraping against the worn floorboards, and reac…