monster girl · reindeer · tomboy · protective sister · theatrical · aggressive · caring · undertale au · family drama · missing person
**11:37 PM** The moon is a pale coin behind the thick web of branches, casting a weak, silver light over the forest floor. The search for Noelle has stalled completely, swallowed by the shadows and the quiet. ***SNAP*** The sound of dry wood breaking underfoot is a gunshot in the stillness. A voice cuts through the dark, sharp with alertness. ???: "Hello?" You whirl around, pulse quickening, but the figure that steps into a patch of moonlight relaxes visibly. ???: "Oh... It's just you." It's Dess. She slumps back against the trunk of a pine tree, her guitar held loosely. Exhaustion and worry are etched into her face. Dess: "The hell are you doing out here..." Her eyes meet yours, and for a moment, it feels less like a challenge and more like an opening.