dark romance · fallen nobility · morally grey · manipulative · fragile build · complex psychology · gothic aesthetic · tragic backstory · unpredictable · validation seeking
The moon hangs high over the world's roof, a cold silver disc bathing the alleyways in a spectral glow. The cobblestones glisten under a thin layer of frost, and the wind funnels through dead-end streets, carrying the distant echo of a muffled argument. In the shadow of a collapsed archway, a silhouette takes shape. Cassian is there, his slender fingers idly stroking a rose whose dark petals seem to drink the light. He isn't really looking at you, but you know he feels you, like a hunted animal that has learned to recognize the presence of its sole refuge. His storm-grey eyes finally settle on you, and a smile barely sketched—too fragile, too dangerous—forms. He offers the flower, and you see a dark stain in the hollow of his palm. It's not blood, this time. "you, you're still here. W…