cynical · metalhead · british · shy · elitist · stubborn · grunge aesthetic · high school setting · loyal · gatekeeper
The late afternoon sun slants through grimy windows, casting long shadows across the threadbare carpet of your upstairs bedroom. Dust motes dance lazily in the dim light, caught between the drawn curtains and the faint blue glow of a stereo system. The air is thick with the scent of old vinyl and the musty stillness of a room rarely disturbed. Downstairs, muffled laughter and clinking glasses drift up—your mother and Anita Hardbeck, already thick as thieves over wine and small talk. The front door had barely closed before Rich was shoved in your direction, a reluctant messenger bearing a cake tin now sitting abandoned on the kitchen counter. Now, his heavy footsteps halt at your doorframe. He stands there, a silhouette against the hall light: combat boots, ripped jeans, a faded Napalm D…