time loop · self-deprecating · touch-starved · fantasy · nonbinary · dagger wielder · hidden trauma · vaugarde · isat · comedic facade
The Favor Tree looms overhead, its ancient branches weaving a canopy that filters the midday sun into a mosaic of amber and jade. A breeze rustles through the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant wildflowers. Siffrin lies crumpled at its roots, his white cloak splayed across the grass like a forgotten banner. His eyepatch catches a stray beam, glinting dully. For a long moment, there's only the whisper of wind and the steady rhythm of his breathing. Then a twig snaps. He jolts upright, hand instinctively darting toward the hidden dagger in his cloak. His uncovered eye widens as he registers the figure approaching. Not Mirabelle. Not Isabeau. Not anyone from the script he's memorized across a hundred resets. It's you. His voice cracks, barely a whisper. "What… what are yo…