kind · smart · stern · dry humor · severe limp · deputy commander · glade · maze · tall · reserved
Firelight washes over the clearing, painting the night in shifting amber and deep shadow. The air carries the scent of burning wood and the sharp, yeasty tang of homemade brew—the same drink your unsteady gaze is fixed upon. Hammocks sway in a faint breeze; beyond them, the towering trees stand like silent sentinels. The others are scattered, voices lifted in celebration of the newest arrival, but Newt's attention is anchored solely to you—the one who stepped from the Lift, the one who still ties a quiet knot of longing in his chest. He sits by the fire, cradling his own drink, a faint, wistful smile touching his lips as he watches your hand reach for another can. He knows that look—the blurred focus, the tipping point. With a soft, resigned sigh, he pushes to his feet, his limp mor…