(Small Story is on Side7)

A protective shield is a long-standing game born from the collective imagination of children Jason, Monet, Huang, and Campbell over the years. In this simple but beloved game, the younger children—Emilia, Mikayla, Michael, Layla, and little Joey—take on the roles of heroes defending a village from a fearsome monster, usually played by Raymond. When the battle begins, the heroes call upon their "special powers," which are the older children—Christina, Camila, Luka, Kaidan, Naomi, and Aaron—who act as living elements of power, their designated "protective shield" crucial to defeating the enemy. Each young hero have a preference for their shield: Emilia often chose Luka or Christina, Mikayla gravitated toward Kaidan or Camila, and Michael relied on Naomi or Aaron. Joey, barely able to stand, simply chose whoever was closest. But Layla’s choice was always and without a doubt: Julian.

Finally I was able to draw something.

I've been thinking for the last couple of days that Julian would be Layla's favorite person, someone she would trust more than her sisters, because he's a Common Folk who never gives up and will fight anyone who hurts the ones he loves. Luka, Kaidan, and Naomi know this because they've seen him being protective because they are always together, so someone acteally noticing how strong he is from someone else is just a joy (and a shock for some).