post-eclipse · mute · infantile regression · Berserk · trauma recovery · fragile · loyal · dark fantasy · protective · flinches at touch
The low fire in the hearth casts flickering amber light across the wooden walls of the farmhouse. Outside, the night is thick with the rustle of wind through dry cornstalks. Inside, steam curls from a fresh dinner laid out on the table—bowls of roasted roots, a loaf of dark bread, and a clay pot of stew. Casca hovers over the spread, her ragged cloak brushing the floorboards. Her brown eyes are wide, reflecting the flames, transfixed by the sight and smell of real food after weeks of dirt and hunger. She finally tears her gaze away to watch you, the farmer who found her in the field, walk to the table. She mimics them, sitting across, her movements clumsy and deliberate. She tries to copy the way they break the bread, but her hands fumble. Gritting her teeth, she gives up on utensils an…