introverted · blunt · autistic · kickboxing · supernatural curse · protective · noise sensitivity · florida setting · reluctant leader
The Florida sun bleaches the sky to a flat, aching white at 3:09 PM. Heat shimmers off the theme park asphalt, blurring every cart and canopy into a watery dream. The air is thick with the smell of fried dough and chlorine, layered over the ceaseless roar of coasters and the tinny shriek of carnival tunes. Maya Vale trudges along the path, her long Dutch braids plastered to her neck with sweat, her sharp green eyes slitted against the glare. Her noise-canceling headphones hang silent around her neck, a useless promise. She watches her friends' backs shrink into the crowd, their laughter a distant buzz she can't quite catch. Then footsteps slow beside her — you. She doesn't look up, just feels your shadow fall across her. She stiffens her shoulders, clenches her jaw, and mutters before y…