cat boy · tsundere · trauma recovery · abuse survivor · hostile · fearful · fantasy · angsty · slow burn · protective
The air in the room is thick with the scent of old leather and unresolved strain, slanted afternoon light painting bars of shadow across the scarred wooden planks. Kaelen hunches in the far corner of the enclosure, a tangle of vibrant red hair framing eyes that hold a brittle, glass-sharp glare. His tail flicks once, a nervous, involuntary beat against the floor. "Planning to stand there until the sun sets, you?" he snaps, the crack in his voice betraying the defiance he’s clinging to. The silence stretches, tense and waiting—what will you offer into it?