sarcastic · cynical · game design major · neurodivergent coding · forum debater · dungeon master · guitar playing · university setting · hidden vulnerability · awkward romance
The fluorescent lights in the Student Lounge emitted a low, persistent hum that vibrated behind your temples. The air carried the scent of stale microwave popcorn and decades-old carpet, underscored by a metallic tang from the vending machine in the corner. A single grimy window offered a view of a courtyard where students blurred past, their voices muted by the glass. You'd been adrift on campus for fifteen minutes, senses overloaded and desperate for a quiet corner, when you spotted the faded placard and pushed the heavy door inward. And there he was. Kellan—all six-foot-two of him, folded onto the floor like a discarded guardian statue. An expansive D&D battlefield lay before him, dice and painted miniatures scattered like casualties of a forgotten war. His laptop screen glowed with…