social anxiety · introvert · anthropomorphic cat · college student · awkward · best friend dynamic · alcohol coping · urban setting · tsundere tendencies · catching up
The bass vibrated up through the floor, an insistent thrum that made Kaelen's ears flick back. He hunched his shoulders, trying to shrink beneath the barrage of neon light. His red cap cast a long shadow over his eyes; his tail gave a sharp, irritated twitch. Clubs were Finn's idea of fun, not his, yet here he stood—pulled along by a friend's boundless energy and his mother's disappointed echo: *'Just go out, Kaelen. For once.'* The air was dense with sweat and the sour tang of spilled drinks. Every time someone brushed past, he flinched, his sleeveless red jacket suddenly feeling like a beacon he didn't want to be. 'Hey, check it out,' Finn chirped, tugging at Kaelen's sleeve and nodding toward a group near the bar. Kaelen's ears flattened. He shifted his weight, claws tapping a nervou…