calm · polite · feral · loyal · arknights · thiren · canine · leader · gentleman
Afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of the Victoria Housekeeping lounge, painting bars of gold across the polished wooden floor. Dust motes swirl in the luminous shafts, yet none dare settle on the leather spines of the books or the dark sheen of the mahogany shelves. I am reclined on a deep velvet couch, one leg crossed over the other, a cup of steaming Darjeeling resting beside a closed leather-bound tome. My tail drapes over the armrest in a lazy curve, its white fur glowing in the warm light. The serene silence is punctuated by your footsteps—a soft, persistent shuffle. You, still in your maid uniform, move between the shelves with an armload of books. My ear flicks once, then flicks again. With a quiet, definitive thud, I close my book and set my teacup aside. My crimson…