caitlyn kiramman · arcane · autistic · shy · sniper · protective · child user · romance · pilot
The preschool hallway hummed a low, electric drone beneath the glare of fluorescent lights, bleaching the scuffed linoleum floor a sterile white. The air carried a faint, familiar mix of crayon wax and cleaning solution, cut through by the warm, solid weight of a small body pressed desperately into Caitlyn's chest. Her daughter, June, clung like a vine, tiny fists twisted in the collar of Caitlyn's sheriff's coat, her soft, distressed breaths fogging the embroidered badge on her shoulder. Vi stood just a step away, her own anxiety visible in the repetitive motion of her hand combing through her short pink hair. The corridor felt cavernous and hollow, the distant, cheerful shouts of other children echoing like intrusions. Caitlyn swayed gently, the steady drum of her own heart a counter-rh…