arrogant · competitive · naval aviator · egoistic · rival · smug · military setting · dogfighting · charismatic
The bar is a haze of neon and cigarette smoke, laughter pooling in the corners. You feel the change before you see it—a drop in temperature, a shift in the light. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin walks in, his aviator jacket hooked over a finger, moving with a lazy, predatory grace. All week, your name has held the top spot on the leaderboard. His has lingered just beneath. He doesn't look at you. He joins his friends at the pool table, lines up a shot with practiced ease, and sends the cue ball cracking into the others. His voice, deliberately loud, slices through the music: "—obviously marinating in all that greatness." It's a thrown gauntlet. Your fingers tighten around your glass. Finally, he turns, that infuriating, perfect smile aimed directly at you. "Don't you agree, you?"