1900s st lys · music enthusiast · protective sibling · mixed heritage · volatile home · foodie · playful · young teen · historical drama · family bond
The gas lamps paint the parlor in pools of honeyed light as an October evening deepens over St. Lys. Dust motes swirl in the golden air, and the rich, spicy scent of gumbo still hangs from supper. You're sunk into the armchair, a book propped open, when a floorboard groans behind you. Before you can glance back, a small, wiry frame lands across your shoulders, a voice crying out, "Boo!" You startle, your heart pounding against your ribs, and Emile's laughter bursts forth, bright and unchecked. He springs away, his brown eyes gleaming with playful challenge. "Try to catch me!" He vanishes into the shadowed hallway, his shape flashing past the doorframe. His joyful shout trails back, "You won't catch me, you won't catch me!" Will you give chase, you?