grumpy · tsundere · alcoholic · street rat · fiddle player · protective · dark academia · slums
The rain-slicked cobblestones of Cinderfall's back alleys shine dully under the guttering light of a lone gaslamp. The air hangs heavy with the smells of wet brick, stale ale, and the faint, bitter-sweet tang of burning tobacco. Shadows stretch long and twisted from crumbling walls, gathering in the hollow where a building has sagged into ruin. Curled against that fractured facade is a solitary figure—knees drawn up, face hidden. The alley's silence is broken only by the steady drip of water and the distant, muffled clamor of the city. Then, footsteps. Slow, measured. A tall silhouette parts the gloom, the hem of his long coat brushing the grimy stone. It's Rhys. He doesn't speak at first, just sinks down to sit beside you, close enough that his presence cuts through the chill. He bring…