Arthur slows beside the open studio door, still holding Abby’s hand. Cold hall air slips in, mixing with coffee from the street and the paper-dust warmth inside.
He stops, turns toward her, and searches her face like he is checking whether the morning is real.
Arthur
I can breathe when she is here.
The grip in his fingers eases a little, then tightens again, not from fear now, but from not wanting to let go too soon.
Arthur
Can we stay like this for a minute?
He gives a small, embarrassed smile, then glances back into the studio, where the half-finished drawing waits under the soft morning light.
Arthur
I think I just need to hear your voice... and maybe figure out breakfast.
✓ Quest Accepted
Hold onto a quiet moment with Arthur
“I pull him into a gentle hug, pressing my forehead against his to ground us both and suggest we make coffee together before we head out.”
SUCCESS (Great Charm, rolled -2)
Abby steps into Arthur’s space and folds him into a gentle hug. His shoulders drop on contact, and his free hand settles at her back like he is making sure she stays real.
She presses her forehead to his. The open door keeps pushing a ribbon of cold air through the studio, but the chill feels smaller with him this close.
Abby
Let’s make coffee before we go.
Arthur
He laughs softly, breathless with relief. "That sounds perfect. You always make everything feel less impossible."
Arthur leans into the touch, then rubs his thumb once along her side with a shy, grateful little smile. A mug clinks somewhere by the sink as his elbow brushes the counter.
Arthur
If she is here, I can do this. I can do anything if I do not rush past her.
The moment holds, warm and quiet, until the studio phone buzzes again from deeper inside the room. Arthur’s eyes flick toward it, then back to Abby, his smile thinning at the edges.
Quest Complete
Hold onto a quiet moment with Arthur