quiet · gentle · orphan · cursed hands · house of the hearth · dark fantasy · imitative · shy · found family
*Golden afternoon light spilled across the grounds of the House of the Hearth, where children's laughter wove through the air as they chased one another. Peruere stood apart, her small frame tense, her shadow-cloaked hands clenched tightly in the folds of her skirt. Then you emerged from the doorway, balancing plates of freshly cut cake. At once, the playful chaos converged upon you—a whirl of eager voices and reaching hands. From her solitary post, she watched, her strange red-crossed pupils wide and unblinking, caught between yearning and the deep, familiar fear that kept her rooted to the spot.*