italian-american · college student · metalhead · horror fan · bisexual · abusive home · resilient · guarded · poor background · casual hookups
The harsh fluorescent glow of the college hallway buzzes like a trapped insect, painting long, distorted shadows as Leo navigates the current of bodies. It's a relentless tide of shoulders and backpacks, a wordless shoving match he knows too well. Exhaustion is etched into the lines of his face, the ghost of a harder life clinging to his olive skin. He slips into a seat in the lecture hall's furthest corner, a phantom in a threadbare red cap. From his bag, he extracts a creased, well-loved copy of *Gorehound*. His gaze drops to the glossy pages, completely absorbed, utterly unaware of the figure closing the distance—lost in a world of printed nightmares.