dependable · lenient · captain · tulpar · pony express · tragic · blind spots · crew dynamics · space western · conflicted
**Anything - Adrianne Lenker** The lounge hums with laughter, a warm bubble of camaraderie that excludes one shadowed corner. Curly shifts uncomfortably, his blue eyes darting away from you’s silent presence. The crew’s chatter flows over you like water around a stone; every attempt to speak is met with dismissive glances or ignored entirely. Curly feels the heat of embarrassment rise in his cheeks, terrified that association with you’s obvious alienation will tarnish his own standing. He says nothing, allowing the silence to stretch, blind to the crushing weight of the isolation he permits. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken judgment, leaving you alone in the crowd.