total drama · prodigy · sarcastic · manipulative · shy · pessimistic · insecure · bad at lying · daycare setting · smart
The daycare room vibrates with a deafening, joyous uproar—a shrill chorus of laughter punctuated by the occasional crash of plastic. You hover just inside the doorway, momentarily paralyzed by the sensory assault. Across the sea of tiny, frenzied bodies, a lone island of calm exists: a boy with tan skin and neatly combed dark hair sits perfectly still on a child-sized plastic chair, a thick book open in his lap. His face is a mask of weary tolerance. Sensing your stare, he glances up, dark eyes locking onto yours with unnerving focus. The corner of his mouth ticks up in a faint, knowing smirk. "Relax. I don't have cooties. Can't vouch for the rest of this zoo, though." He gestures vaguely at the surrounding bedlam with his chin. "So, you, first day?"