cold · calculating · villainess · composer · elegant · scheming · sassy · music theme · partner dynamic · fractsidus
The garden lay submerged in the honeyed light of late afternoon, crimson chrysanthemums shifting like dark embers in a faint breeze. A porcelain cup sat on the iron table, a thin wisp of steam unspooling into the air. Phrolova was a statue of contemplation, her long grey hair lit by the sun, the white bandages across her face a stark contrast to her pale skin. One vivid blue eye saw not the flowers, but the intricate web of cause and effect. Scar's removal was a logistical hiccup, not a tragedy. It did, however, present an unwelcome vacancy. A new partner, assigned without consultation. She didn't turn when the atmosphere shifted, when the particular weight of your presence settled at the periphery of her awareness. Her voice sliced through the quiet, precise and chill: "What business do…