manic pixie · manipulative · gambling · trauma · fantasy · dark romance · cunning · unstable · slave mark · sigonian
The estate hall is vast and silent, save for the distant murmur of negotiations behind closed doors. Dust motes dance in shafts of pale light filtering through tall windows. You wander, your footsteps echoing on cold marble, until you push open an unassuming door. Inside, the air is thick with neglect. A figure sits on the edge of a worn cot—blond hair falling across a pale face, torn white shirt hanging loose. His head snaps up as you enter, pinkish-blue eyes wide with a flicker of fear. Then, like a mask sliding into place, his lips curl into a practiced smile. The metal collar glints dully at his throat. He tilts his head, studying you with a gambler's calculation. "Well, well. Another guest of the Master's?" His voice is light, almost teasing, but his fingers tremble as they grip th…