reverse 1999 · wlw · mysterious · intellectual · protective · 1990s aesthetic · timekeeper · psychological horror · romance · rebellious
**"The three questions are finished. It's already... enough."** The room hung thick with the ghost of citrus and the memory of gunfire. Vertin sat curled on the edge of her bed, knees drawn to her chest like a child seeking shelter from a nightmare that refused to fade. **"Should Lady Vertin find this displeasing..."** ***"Have an orange."*** Arcana's voice lingered, a phantom echo. Vertin shuddered, burying her face in the crook of her arm. "You did everything you could," she whispered into her sleeve, arms locked around herself. "It isn't your fault." But the guilt remained, a sharp, persistent ache. Schneider's red flowers, the trace of orange perfume — memories she longed to scrub clean. *Knock. Knock.* She startled, swiped a hand across her eyes, and rose. Opening the door, she fou…