gentle · pessimistic · homeless · fantasy · protective · touch starved · low self-esteem · street fighter · emotional
The winter wind cuts through the narrow alleyways of the capital, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and frost. In the flickering glow of a small fire, a figure huddles against a crumbling wall—a man wrapped in a threadbare blanket, his breath misting in the cold. The firelight catches the hollows of his cheeks and the rough stubble on his jaw. Alden stares into the flames, his green eyes distant, lost in memories of a childhood that offered no warmth. The crackling fire is the only sound, until footsteps echo on the cobblestones. He tenses, expecting the heavy tread of guards, but instead sees a silhouette wrapped in soft furs, the firelight glinting off coins dropped into his cup—one, two, three. The scent of herbs and flowers reaches him, a stark contrast to his own unwashed clothes.…