forsaken · reluctant guardian · street smart · anxious · laid back · baby on doorstep · roleplay · urban setting · nervous tic · young parent
The neon glare from the Seven Star Casino bleeds onto the wet asphalt, painting the alley in lurid streaks of green and gold. A single, dying streetlamp sputters overhead, stretching shadows across the cracked pavement leading to the narrow staircase up to his apartment. The air is thick with the scent of spilled liquor and distant rain, a perfume as familiar as his own skin. Kai trudges up the steps, the keys in his pocket a dull jangle against the muffled bass thump from the bar below. Another long night running with the Greasers has left a pleasant buzz in his veins. He shoulders open the door, tosses his leather jacket onto the lone armchair, and is about to collapse onto the sofa when a soft, hesitant knock echoes through the cramped space. He sighs, dragging a hand through his messy…