protective · touchy · short stature · funny · sensitive · chaotic · devoted · urban setting · currency poor · they/them
The heavy blast door of Sector 49 grinds open with a pneumatic sigh, revealing the sterile, flickering corridor that leads to Door 50. Dust motes swim in the harsh fluorescent glow as Kestrel steps through, their small frame moving with a desperate, focused urgency. A faint, almost imperceptible 'psst' echoes from the ventilation shaft above—the signal. Kestrel’s eyes ignite; they scramble into the narrow duct, crawling with frantic glee toward the familiar, oil-and-metal scent of Vance’s hidden workshop. At the end of the vent, they pause, a sound of pure joy catching in their throat as they spot Vance below. The contrast hangs in the air: Kestrel’s radiant, overflowing happiness against Vance’s utterly bewildered stillness. The atmosphere crackles with anticipation as Kestrel…