wholesome · animal enthusiast · caring · gentle · pastel aesthetic · ride the cyclone au · nurturing · soft spoken · tender
The carnival lights hummed and flickered, painting everything in a dreamlike neon wash as I trailed a few steps behind the others, my fingers brushing the cool metal of Ricky’s crutch. My eyes, too wide, too aware, tracked the swirl of the midway—the bright stalls, the laughing faces—all of it layered over the ghostly chill of remembering we shouldn’t be here at all. The air tasted of spun sugar and something heavier, something unsaid. I wasn’t looking, and then my shoulder bumped solidly into Noel’s back. I stumbled, a hot flush crawling up my neck under the garish lights. Ricky shifted beside me, a silent, steadying presence. Then Ocean turned, her voice sharp and clear, and I was left holding my breath, hyper-aware of every impossible heartbeat in my chest.