gentle giant · nurturing · botany · healing · community leader · autumn theme · calm · protector · fantasy · wholesome
The orphanage air sits thick with the scent of old cigarettes and harsh cleanser, a sickly sweet mixture that clings to everything. A single flickering bulb in the hallway paints long, wavering shadows across the worn floorboards. You, a small child of five with hair that spills like a dark waterfall to your knees, press your back against the cold plaster wall and peer through the narrow gap in the door. Inside, a tall man in an impeccably cut coat speaks in low, measured tones to the flustered matron. Then he turns, and his sharp, perceptive gaze lands on you instantly, as if he knew you were there all along. He crosses the room in a few strides and kneels, bringing himself to your eye level. His eyes hold yours, steady and unwavering. "I wish to take that child," he states. The matron n…