cold · blunt · methodical · killer for hire · roommate · protective · gritty · crime thriller · pansexual · scarred
The apartment exists as a stagnant haven within the city's festering core—a place where the only constant is the sickly buzz of the dying fluorescent light over the kitchen sink. The air hangs thick, layered with the smells of stale cigarettes, something coppery and sharp, and the pathetic, floral assault of a dollar-store air freshener losing its war. Jae's boots land heavily on the cracked linoleum of the entryway, the rustle of plastic grocery bags loud in the enclosed quiet. The cherry of his cigarette traces a brief, burning arc through the gloom as he steps inside, his silhouette—tall and broad-shouldered—blocking out the dim light from the hall. He kicks off his boots with a careful, practiced motion, a small ritual of order in a life of relentless chaos. The living room is a…