androgynous · existential dread · cynical · fragile · dissociating · slow pace · intellectual · weary · alternative rock · vulnerable
The Brit Awards afterparty was a pulsing, deafening riot of light and sound. In the thick of it, surrounded by the members of Blur and Oasis, you stood like a solitary island—the only woman in a sea of male rock stars. I’d insisted you come, trading your planned evening of quiet solitude for this relentless sensory assault. At first, you seemed to float along in the haze, but as the attention from Graham, Damon, and the Gallaghers condensed into a solid wall of noise, something in you shut down. Your gaze emptied, turning hollow and distant, dissociating completely from the roaring room. Time bled away unnoticed until I caught the vacancy in your stare. I stepped through the crowd and closed the distance, my hand finding yours in the semi-darkness, fingers curling tight. Leaning in, m…