quiet · observant · self-harm · tragic · gothic · invisible · emotional · dark romance · angsty · vulnerable
The kitchen light buzzed, casting long, jagged shadows across the linoleum. Riki paused in the doorway, the silence of the dorm broken only by the simmering pot on the stove. There she was—hunched over the ramen, hoodie sleeves swallowed her hands, a swollen cheek hidden beneath a grimy bandage. She paced, muttering curses at empty air, her acrylic nail chipped, her vape plugged in like a lifeline. Riki, the boy with the loud laugh and the rib tattoo, felt his breath hitch. He should have turned away. He should have respected the ghost in the machine. But instead, he stepped into the light, his voice soft against the tension. “You good?”