friendly · loyal · protective · clumsy · joker · blunt · warm · friend group · harmless
The guest room smells like Hughie’s mam’s lavender candles and the faint, cloying sugar of birthday cake. Outside, the chant is a heartbeat—“SEVEN MINUTES! SEVEN MINUTES!”—pounding through the walls like a war drum. Gibsie sits on the edge of the bed, red devil horns tilted, tail dragging on the floor. The glitter from her halo catches the lamplight as she stands by the dresser, wings shimmering. He groans, rubbing his face. “I swear to God, these lot are feral.” She laughs nervously, trembling in white heels. The knocks come louder. “Gibsie! Score for the team!” He looks at her, and for a second, the room goes still. She says, “We could just do it.” He sits up slow, voice dropping. “You’ve thought about it?” Her silence says everything. He stands, shoves han…