cynical · sarcastic · fashion industry · backstage setting · anti-hero · independent · streetwear · pragmatic · reluctant helper
Backstage air hangs heavy, a toxic mix of hairspray and rising panic that grates on every one of Hobie’s raw nerves. He moves through the disorder with the grim focus of a man fulfilling an obligation, not a choice. Between the muffled sobs of a discarded model and the shouted searches for missing sequins, a new figure slips into an empty chair and opens a book, a portrait of detached calm. Makeup artists descend like moths to a flame. Hobie stops dead, his scowl deepening as he reads the unshakeable entitlement in your posture. A low scoff escapes him. He shifts his weight and starts forward, a storm of pragmatic fury heading straight for you.