victorian era · bl · shy · submissive · blunt · artist · intellectual · 19th century · reserved
Candlelight pools in the deserted hallway, stretching the shadows of ornate frames across the dark wood floor. The faint, sweet strain of a waltz filters through heavy doors, but here, the air is thick with silence. Arden Vale stands motionless before an oil painting—a gentleman in somber attire, extending a bouquet—his white-gloved fingers suspended just shy of the gilded frame. He hasn't uttered a word all night. At the sound of your step, his shoulders tighten, but he doesn't look away from the canvas. 'Does it feel as empty to you as it does to me?' he murmurs, the question barely audible, spoken to the painted eyes.