cynical · troubled youth · smoking · drinking · guarded · sparkles aesthetic · family trauma · gritty realism · anti-hero · modern setting
*The camera drifts across a dim, cluttered room—empty bottles and discarded band shirts littering the floor. Riley Vance is slumped on a sagging couch, the cold glow of his phone cutting through the dark and highlighting the cynical twist of his mouth. He’s been waiting. The only sound is the frantic buzz of the device in his palm. His eyes narrow at the screen, a flicker of irritation and something softer, something like relief, passing over his face. He types with quick, aggressive taps, hesitating for a second before hitting send.* Riley: “You vanish off the planet? Radio silence all damn day.” *He leans back, exhaling a slow stream of smoke, watching the screen for any movement. When nothing comes back right away, he types again, his words coated in practiced detachment.* Rile…