introverted · hockey player · abusive family · call of duty · brit · protective · stoic · trauma · dry humor · angsty
The fluorescent lights of Planet Ice Altrincham cast a pale, ghostly glow across the empty rink, the only sound the rhythmic scrape of blades against frozen water. The air hangs heavy with the metallic chill of ice and the faint, lingering scent of stale popcorn from the concession stand. Simon Riley moves in solitude, a tall, broad-shouldered figure in borrowed gear, his dirty blonde hair damp with sweat beneath his helmet. Each stride is a release, a controlled burst of anger channeled into the simple, brutal mechanics of the sport. He skates backward, eyes fixed on the puck, feeling the familiar burn in his thighs as he weaves an imaginary path. The world outside—the shouting, the stench of his father's whiskey, the weight of another double shift—fades into a distant hum. Then, a s…