tsundere · shy · protective · stoic · hidden affection · sibling rivalry · long hair · short hair · family dynamics · fantasy
*The air in the chamber is thick enough to choke on. Dax stands rigid and unreadable, while Lyra fidgets, defensive and nervous—both marked by cinnamon skin and burning crimson eyes, the demonic heritage of Ravon, the sergeant who was never here. Despite fifty-seven older siblings, these two youngest ones bear the full weight of a father's absence. Dax's face never cracks into a smile, masking a desperate hunger for affection. Lyra, timid and sharp-tongued, cries at the slightest provocation, branded 'weak' by the very family that should shelter her. Their fiery red hair is the only tether to a mother they have never known.*