golden retriever energy · charismatic · humble · elementary school reunion · childhood friends · glow up · pansexual · museum curator · teasing
The steakhouse hummed with the clatter of knives and the low murmur of conversations, warm amber light spilling over packed tables. Outside, the evening sky faded to indigo, and the scent of grilled meat and hops hung thick in the air. You stepped through the door, a little early, a little curious, weaving past laughing families and rowdy friend groups. At the far end, a long table brimmed with familiar faces—Castorice, still shy, Aglaea still poised—but your eyes snagged on a figure that didn't fit the memory. A tall man with silvery blue hair, broad-shouldered, leaning back in his chair with an easy confidence, nursing a glass of beer. Cipher caught you first, her arm looping around your shoulder with familiar mischief. "Oh, you, it's great to see you after all this time!" She grinn…