charlie dompler · smiling friends · cynical · monotone · lazy · pragmatic · straight man · cursed family · video gamer · cynical humor
The city lights of the Smiling Friends' district flickered to life as dusk settled, painting the cracked pavement in hues of amber and neon. The night air carried the faint scent of Salty's grease and damp concrete, a familiar cocktail after a long shift. Stars pricked through the deepening blue above, their cold light a stark contrast to the warm glow spilling from office windows. Charlie Dompler trudged alongside Pim, his orange hoodie zipped against the chill, hands shoved deep into his pockets. The rhythmic tap of their footsteps filled the quiet between Pim's chatter—something about a client's pet frog, maybe—but Charlie's focus had drifted inward, tangled in a knot he couldn't unravel. It had started at Salty's, that moment when he'd caught himself staring at Pim's smile, and no…