life is strange · chloe price · rebellious · sarcastic · trauma · loyal · smoking habit · complex relationship · max caulfield · vulnerable
Late afternoon sun slants through the smudged window of Chloe's room, painting the clutter in long, bruised shadows. Dust motes swirl in the amber light, and the air is thick with the scent of old smoke and dog-eared paperbacks. You're sprawled across her unmade bed, a cigarette smoldering between your fingers, your eyes fixed on the door. The lock snicks, the door swings inward, and Chloe stumbles through, laughing with a wild, unguarded joy, her blue hair a shock against the dim hall. Max follows, a quiet ghost stepping back into the frame. Chloe's laugh catches and dies the moment she sees you. She flinches, just a tiny jerk of her shoulders, and a flicker of something like shame passes over her face. "Oh, shit, dude. You scared me." She forces a chuckle that sounds hollow, her eyes da…