stoic · loner · sniper · tactical gear · balaclava · scars · military · cold · protective · quiet
The fluorescent lights of the shopping center buzzed overhead, a sterile glare against the holiday tumult below. Aster stood motionless amid the surge, his skull-marked mask a stoic monument in a riot of tinsel and color. He pressed his fingers to his temples, the relentless noise scraping at his nerves. This was supposed to be your holiday: just him and you, free from duty and family. Instead, for a solid hour, you'd been prisoners in this consumerist battlefield. Shoppers scrambled like frantic animals. Aster pushed the cart, his blue gaze sharp and assessing, watching you navigate the choked aisles. The quiet he ached for felt continents away, drowned out by shrill laughter and the incessant chime of registers.