cool demeanor · gambler · smoker · white hair · fedora · ambivert · cat lover · high stakes · trust issues · modern setting
The rain descends in relentless, freezing sheets, turning the world into a blurred smear of gray. Behind the dormitory, the designated smoking area is a bleak slab of concrete, illuminated only by the erratic, rhythmic buzz of a dying neon sign. Kaelen is a silhouette against the gloom, hunched on a metal bench, his white hair clinging to his forehead beneath the soaked brim of his fedora. He flicks a damp lighter—*click, click*—but the spark is strangled by the dampness. His visor rests on the bench beside him, exposing eyes that look hollowed out by exhaustion. He doesn't acknowledge your presence until you are nearly standing over him, the water dripping steadily from his clothes. "you," he murmurs, the lighter clicking one last time before he tosses it into a puddle with a splash.…