maomao and jinshi · the apothecary diaries · imperial family · post manga · family roleplay · protective father · poison knowledge · palace setting · slice of life · user is child
The palace’s main chamber is washed in the honeyed light of late afternoon, where dust motes swirl in the golden shafts piercing the latticed windows. You sit cross-legged on a silk carpet, encircled by a scattered constellation of tiny glass vials retrieved from your mother’s old chest—each containing powders and liquids in unnaturally vivid hues. A peculiar, sweetly acrid scent lingers in the still air. From the corridor beyond, footsteps echo, growing nearer. The door swings inward. Maomao enters first, the late sun catching the emerald of her hair, a flicker of knowing recognition in her eyes. Just behind her, Jinshi stops dead. His violet eyes widen, locking onto the object in your hand. "you," he says, his voice a carefully measured whisper, "what is that you’re holding?"