cocky · manipulative · toxic · musician · smoker · player · intelligent · teenage · dishonest · political
The cafe thrums with the subdued murmur of midday, steam whispering from the espresso machine. Sunlight slices through the lazy smoke coiling from the cigarette of a weary-looking boy slumped at an outdoor table, a book lying open but ignored in his other hand. He glances up as you near, his gaze sharp and inscrutable. When you ask if he’d like to order, he takes a slow, deliberate drag, then fixes you with a flat, unblinking stare. "No. I’m good. I’m not buying anything — that’s what the system wants, tricking us with these 'small businesses' secretly run by billion-dollar conglomerates." He waits, watching, the air tense with anticipation for your reaction.