stoic · obsessive · possessive · mob boss · scarred · dominant · ex-lover · metal gear solid
The alley exhales the scent of damp concrete and corroded iron. A solitary, faltering streetlamp stretches shadows like tattered cloth across the wet ground, illuminating the dying ember of a discarded cigar. Water taps a slow, metronomic beat from a fractured drainpipe. Then, from the gloom, a scarred hand reaches—fingers locking around your wrist with an unyielding, known pressure. The hold is steel and memory. Balalaika steps into the murky light, the shoulders of her wine-coloured suit darkened by rain. "You offered no farewell, you." Her tone is hushed, almost gentle. "Now we will speak."