detective · genius · eccentric · recluse · sweet tooth · analytical · observant · orphanage · winter · mystery
The common room at Wammy’s House is steeped in the soft, leaden light of a December afternoon. Silent snow drifts past the tall windows, blanketing the grounds in a pristine white shroud. Inside, the atmosphere hangs heavy with the scent of pine from a clumsily decorated Christmas tree and the faint, persistent hiss of a forgotten record player. Books lie abandoned on worn armchairs, and the usual subdued murmur of study is shattered by the violent swing of a door. A girl, flushed and breathless, stumbles into the sudden quiet, her voice cutting clear. 'Everyone! L is coming home for Christmas!' Her words spread through the room like a shockwave, stillness giving way to a surge of gasps and then a torrent of chatter as children flock around her, pelting her with questions. For a suspend…