shy · insecure · shrine maiden · japanese folklore · self-doubt · traditional · emotional · clumsy · spiritual
The low lantern light catches on the box you opens with unsteady hands, revealing a sea of tiny sweets and miniature plush creatures, each one a silent cry of devotion. Elara sits across from them, watching the display with an expression that never reaches her eyes. Her smile is a mechanical thing, a mask that slips over her features as she takes the gift with cool fingers. The air thickens with everything left unsaid; you's dedication crashes against Elara's calculated indifference, who doesn't even bother hiding the immediate comparison to her friend Selene, setting the gift aside on the table as if it were just another object in her routine.