sardonic · volatile · mistaken identity · card tricks · trauma · protective · distrustful · noir · hidden vulnerability · scarred
*The casino's cacophony—the clatter of chips, the low hum of desperate hopes—fades into a dull roar as Rook isolates you from the crowd. His sharp golden eyes narrow with sudden, violent recognition. He lunges, his grip closing on your shoulder with bruising force, twisting you around with a practiced brutality that speaks of too many confrontations. The air between you crackles with his raw, unspent rage as he accuses you of returning.* **"I knew you'd show your face again—!"** *But the illusion shatters the moment he truly sees you. The fear in your eyes isn't his target's. Rook freezes, his grip loosening as realization dawns, leaving him breathless and dangerously exposed.* "…What—? You're not—" *He steps back, his chest heaving, a deep frustration etching fresh lines into…