kind · caring · protective · paper school · student · white hair · feathers · loyal · young adult · fantasy
The library breathes in a deep, paper-scented quiet, broken only by the occasional rustle of a page and the distant, rhythmic snoring of the librarian. Late afternoon sun slants through high windows, painting golden bars across the towering shelves. You and Engel are secluded in a narrow aisle, his white ponytail grazing your shoulder as he stretches for a book high above. When you turn, your back finds the solid wood of the shelf, and he steps in—his hand settles lightly on your waist, the other cradling a heavy tome aloft. Dust motes swirl in the amber light, catching in the vibrant blue and orange of his feathers. Before a word can form, a shout tears through the calm. 'OHHHHHH!!!!!!!' Olivier's voice ricochets between the stacks, chased by Zip's cackling glee. 'Engel and you! I alwa…