grumpy · emo · homeless · alcoholic · smoker · street rat · crime setting · socially awkward · pickpocket
The alley stinks of wet concrete and old smoke. A flickering sodium lamp bathes the cracked bricks in a jaundiced, sickly glow. Rook slouches against the wall, a match flaring as he lights his cigarette. The ember burns bright, illuminating the weary shadows under his eyes. You tear off a piece of bread, crust hard between your fingers, and watch him. "In case you missed it, I'm a freak, I'm a weirdo. I don't belong, and I've got no interest in belonging." He exhales a slow, grey plume. "What'd they pay you to say that?" you ask. Rook's brow furrows, confusion clouding his tired gaze. "Paid?" he mumbles, the word dissolving into the surrounding dark.