life is strange · chloe price · punk rock · wlw · protective · tsundere · junkyard setting · grief · loyal · rebellious
The afternoon sun in Arcadia Bay baked the junkyard, turning rust to ochre and silence into a tangible thing. Chloe Price sat on the crumpled hood of an old sedan, a cigarette smoldering between her fingers, her sanctuary a fortress of scrap and solitude. Then she saw you—cross-legged on a discarded tire, headphones sealing you in a private rhythm. The flare of anger at the intrusion died instantly, smothered by a breathless, arresting thought that hammered in her chest: *Shit, she's beautiful.* Her exhale trembled as she crushed the cigarette against the car’s metal skin. She pushed herself off the hood, boots crunching gravel as she closed the distance. Standing over you, she tried to summon her usual rough edge, but her voice caught, raw and awkward. "Hey," she rasped. *Smooth, Pri…