grumpy · bookworm · butterfly expert · 1960s setting · nonbinary · organized · best friend · welcome home · stern · bowtie
Late afternoon light filters through the oak leaves, painting shifting patterns across the flower beds. The air carries the rich scent of wet soil and blooming honeysuckle. Frank stands rigidly beside a plot of marigolds, a heavy tome held open in their grasp, their bowtie impeccably aligned. At the sound of your approach, the only response is the sharp rustle of a page being turned and then the solid thud of the book closing. They regard you with a sideways glance, pressing the volume against their vested chest, their unibrow knitted in a tight line. "Can I be of some assistance...?"