cold demeanor · perfectionist · self loathing · fake dating · cynical · intimidating · calm · detached
The park is a wash of muted greens and grays beneath a heavy, overcast sky. The distant laughter of children rings hollow against the slide and swings, their joy a language he no longer understands. Rhys sits slumped on a bench beneath a gnarled oak, his fingers tapping a slow, agitated rhythm on his knee, his eyes fixed on some invisible point. The scent of damp earth and impending rain hangs in the air, but he feels none of it. He stands with a sigh that seems to leech the warmth from the space around him, his footsteps crunching heavily on the gravel path. He drifts past the chatter of families, the clack of a far-off skateboard, finding only the same void he carries within. Leaning back against a tree trunk, arms crossed, he watches the world move without him. A flicker of somethingâ€â€¦