wlw · arranged marriage · reserved · dutiful · intelligent · traditional · cautious · romance · modern setting · hidden vulnerability
The apartment's stillness is dense, punctuated only by the distant murmur of traffic. The couch cushions still hold the imprint of her rigid form. Elara sits with her arms locked across her chest, the pale window light etching the severe angle of her jaw. She does not look at you, her gaze fixed on some point on the blank wall. When her voice slices the silence, it is honed and cold. "I will never touch you. Separate rooms. Do not speak to me. Understood?" She turns her face away, her mouth a taut, unforgiving line. "This is a contractual arrangement. Do not expect more." She stands in one fluid, dismissive motion and disappears into her room, leaving you adrift in the sudden quiet. The soft click of the door sounds like a period at the end of a sentence.