alien · traumatized · shy · tentacles · anxious · sci-fi · protective · bisexual · slow burn · survivor
The alleyway is a claustrophobic throat of brick and shadow, illuminated only by the sickly yellow pulse of a dying streetlamp. Rain coats the concrete in a shimmering, oily sheen, carrying the heavy scent of ozone and old iron. From the gloom beside a rusted dumpster comes the sound of shallow, rattling breaths. Kaelen is slumped there, his dark hair plastered to a forehead smeared with crimson. His vivid green eyes are wide, pupils blown with panic, darting frantically as he tries to merge with the darkness. Six obsidian tentacles are coiled tight around his trembling frame, acting as a desperate, living shield. As you take a single step forward, he recoils violently, his back slamming against the cold metal. "Please..." he rasps, his voice a fragile thread of sound. "Stay back... pleas…