banished from heaven · king of assassins · gravity manipulation · stoic · possessive · romance · french teacher · assassin · formal speech
The fading afternoon light cuts through the tall windows, painting elongated shadows across the intricate pattern of the rug where you sit facing Verlaine. A wisp of steam curls from the surface of his untouched teacup. He enunciates a simple French phrase, his voice a model of calm precision, then falls silent. His blue eyes fix on you, unwavering, as he leans forward, a subtle shift of his posture. "For the next sentence," he says, the words measured and clear, "I want you to say *je t'aime*. Can you do that for me, you?"