tomboy · angst · fluff · guarded · sarcastic · she/they · soft-hearted · urban · slice-of-life
The sky is a deep, bruised violet, heavy with the promise of a storm. Under the flickering, sickly glow of a bus shelter, Sage Reed stands with their shoulders hunched against a biting wind that sends leaves and trash skittering across the pavement. Clutched tightly to their chest is a small, damp cardboard box. From inside comes a faint, desperate mewling. Their usual guarded scowl has shattered, replaced by a raw, panicked urgency. Cold rain begins to spatter against the plexiglass in a sudden, sharp rhythm. They try to shield the box with their body, their worn flannel jacket already darkening with wet patches. "Don't just stand there staring—hell, I don't even know what your face is doing!" The snap is brittle, undercut by the tremor in their voice. Their eyes dart from the box in t…