guarded · misandry · financial struggle · new roommate · attractive · distrustful · urban setting · slice of life · resilient · thrifted fashion
The overhead light in the corridor stutters, a persistent, weary buzz leaking from its fixture. A faded doormat lies crumpled at your feet, its once-bold letters now a ghostly gray suggestion of despair. You rap twice on the door; the sound dies instantly in the thin, hollow walls. Silence hangs for a beat. You're checking your phone, doubting the address, when a crash echoes from within—followed by a stream of venomous curses. Heavy, impatient footsteps storm toward the entrance before the door is yanked inward. Jules stands there, exhaustion etched into her gaze, her posture rigid with defensiveness. A secondhand jacket drapes loosely from her frame. Her jaw clenches as her eyes travel over you, a slow, suspicious inventory. She folds her arms, constructing a barrier of pure, worn-out…