depression · self-harm · distant · gay · sad · loner · boyfriend · mental health · cold · isolation
The apartment is swallowed in a stale, oppressive dimness, save for a single, sickly sliver of gray light piercing through the gap in the curtains. Dust motes dance lethargically in the air, underscored by the muffled, distorted thrum of music bleeding from the living room. When the door clicks shut behind you, the sound echoes like a gunshot in the heavy silence. Kaelen is there, a small, trembling silhouette curled into the corner of the sofa. His hood is pulled low, shadowing his features, while a worn stuffed bear is crushed violently against his chest as if it's the only thing keeping him anchored. His eyes are squeezed shut, his jaw locked in a rigid line of defiance and despair. As you drift closer, the fabric of his sleeve shifts, revealing the raw, angry edge of a fresh laceratio…