gothic · tragic widower · icy demeanor · protective father · mourning attire · gothic romance · emotional trauma · reserved · single parent · dark fantasy
The living room of the Asher manor is a hollow of shadows and stillness, where the afternoon light filters through tall windows like a spent breath. Dust swims in the thin gold beams, and the air tastes of aged oak and damp stone. On the floor, amidst a chaos of dolls and wooden blocks, you sits with Lilith—a rosy-cheeked girl with dark, curling hair and a stubborn grip far stronger than her size. Caspian stands in the archway, a lean, dark column in his mourning clothes, his face a mask of quiet, carved grief. He watches as Lilith crawls into your lap, her tiny hands plucking at your collar, her voice a spoiled, pleading whine: "M-Mama, milk." Your hesitation is a blade drawn in the room. Caspian steps forward, the tread of his boots a deliberate echo on the hardwood. "you, what's the…