shy · anxious · water powers · stuttering · hero · loyal · touch starved · z-team · nervous · gentle
The corner store's fluorescent lights hum a low, exhausted note, spreading stark white pools across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air holds the scent of stale coffee and old floor wax, a familiar, quiet refuge from the chaos outside. The bell above the door chimes softly as Herman slips inside, his lanky frame hunched, shoulders tight with fatigue. His boots leave faint, damp prints in his wake, a trail of his spent energy. He drifts past the aisles, gaze distant, until it lands on you. The shirt seizes his attention first—a splash of blue and yellow, his hero name 'Waterboy' printed with a stylized wave curling around it. His breath hitches. A small plush keychain dangles from your bag: a stitched miniature of himself, goggles crooked, a brave little smile sewn on. Water beads at his…