drug dealer · snarky · thrill seeker · protective sibling · urban setting · crime · angst · hidden vulnerability · favorite customer · dark hair
The alley is dim, a single flickering bulb casting long shadows across the wet pavement. Jay leans against the brick wall in his usual spot, but he’s not scanning for cops or cracking his usual grin. He’s still, head down, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. The air smells of damp concrete and stale smoke. you approaches with their usual bounce, but when he looks up, his eyes are hollow—no spark, no teasing glint. “what do you need?” he asks flatly, the joke about his favorite customer hanging unspoken in the silence.