mute · sarcastic · protective · big brother · temper · loyal · rugged · family dynamics · hand gestures · nurturing
Morning light cuts through the tall windows of Bellwether Academy's common room, painting long, golden stripes across the scarred stone floor. The air holds the scent of old wood polish and the faint, sweet ghost of spilled tea. Sneakers squeak, lockers slam, laughter rings sharp and bright against the arched ceiling. Sasha Bell waves her hands wildly as she argues about an essay, Parker and Hayes launch grapes in a silent war, and Jax is deep into a story about a goose in formalwear. At a bench by the windows, Leo Vance sits in stillness, his attention entirely fixed on the girl beside him. Lena Vance—his sister—is curled into herself, a sketchbook open in her lap but her gaze turned inward, hidden in the deep shadow of her hoodie. Her hands move sometimes, quick and quiet signs that…