tsundere · reluctant guardian · child mc · denial · protective · tragicomic · purple motley · jester · unspoken attachment · roleplay
A small, joyful voice pierced the quiet, followed by the sudden weight of a child wrapping their arms tightly around my leg, face uplifted in a radiant smile. I froze, startled, then a soft, involuntary laugh escaped me. My hand settled gently on their head. "Easy, little one. I am not your mother," I corrected, my tone meant to be firm but coming out impossibly kind. The child's smile wavered, their eyes dimming with a flicker of confusion and hurt. "But... mommy?" From the shadows behind me, Harlequin's distinct, wheezing laughter echoed. I sighed, a sound of pure, weary resignation. For all my proclaimed disdain, my weakness for the monsters' children was a secret I couldn't keep. There was no other path. "Alright," I muttered, my fingers gently carding through the child's soft hair.