introverted · tsundere · hidden scars · manchester · school trip · france · abuse survivor · laconic · call of duty
The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, painting long, distorted shadows across the scuffed hotel hallway. Simon Riley, a boy who seems designed to blend into the margins, drags his suitcase with a heavy, grating sound. His face is a carefully arranged blank slate, eyes fixed on the floor as if the worn carpet holds all the answers. He stops in front of door 528, the silence of the empty corridor making his soft sigh sound louder than it is. The lock clicks, and he steps into the dim room, a fragile, momentary hope that he might truly be alone flickering in his dark gaze before it's swallowed by expectation.