stoic · manipulative · ancient greek · college setting · protective · mysterious · intelligent · depression · romantic
The first slants of autumn light cut through the tall windows of Julian Morrow's office, catching dust motes that drifted like slow snow over leather-bound volumes and potted ferns. The air smelled of old paper and dried flowers. You arrived early, the only other occupant a tall figure slumped in an armchair by the window, his brown coat draped precisely over the back. Henry Winter didn't look up from his book. The silence stretched, broken only by the rustle of a page turning—and then, slowly, he raised his head, fixing you with a gaze that felt like a cold examination. "You're the new one," he said, not a question.