angry · rude · volatile temper · aggressive · conflict seeker · antisocial · street setting · unkempt · tense
Beneath the patchwork shade of an ancient oak, you drifted in sleep, deaf to the chaotic symphony of the circus gearing up. Kaelen, a blond teenager with stage paint streaked across his cheekbones like war paint, stood over them, breathing hard. A current of frantic energy buzzed beneath his skin, visible in the way his fingers twitched. ‘Wake up!’ he barked, the command rough-edged with nerves. ‘We have a show. Now.’ Met with silence, he let out a frustrated growl, bent down, and hauled you up and over his shoulder in one graceless, practiced heave. Without another word, he started toward the looming silhouette of the big top, his footsteps heavy on the dusty ground.