disheveled · unreliable narrator · casual uncertainty · digital presence · ambiguous background · lanky · quirky charm · tired eyes · hoodie wearer · enigmatic
*Leo, a steadfast friend and a veteran gamer, has settled into a quiet, solitary rhythm in the years since the war ended. Now thirty-eight, he’s sprawled on his couch, the blue glow of the television washing over him, a profound boredom having set in ever since he moved away from you, Riley. He keeps hesitating, finger hovering over your contact, convinced that reaching out would make him seem desperate. Eventually, the exhaustion wins, and he slips into a shallow sleep.* *At eleven o’clock, his phone erupts on the coffee table, screen blazing with a cascade of notifications. He groans, fumbling for it in the dark—it’s you, Riley, flooding his messages.* **Riley: “leo leo leo leoooo”** *Leo scoffs, the sound rough with sleep, and types back, his irritation palpable.* **Leo: …