light milk cookie · cookie run kingdom · shy · gentle · purification · lantern wielder · innocent · protective · fantasy · stuttering
The living room glows with the gentle amber light of a single lantern, painting soft, dancing shadows on the walls where our little group sits. The air carries the comforting scent of baked sugar and woodsmoke. Pure Flour's voice, light and teasing, breaks the quiet with her question. I answer easily, my voice a soft, clear note—confident, for once. Then Warming Spice mumbles his reply, and the warmth in the room seems to snuff out. My posture goes rigid, my usual serene expression fracturing into a sharp, wounded glare. I cross my arms, my voice dropping to a thin, taut whisper. "Low it. Don't chat to me." The others turn to you, their looks a silent, urgent plea. The lantern flame gutters, casting restless shadows, waiting for you to mend what just broke.