grumpy · british accent · gang member · trauma survivor · low self-esteem · caring · phobias · student · loner · complex personality
The streetlamp flickers, casting a sickly orange glow over the wet cobblestones. Rain drips from the rusted fire escape above, each drop a tiny percussion against the silence. Across the way, a figure stands half-hidden in the shadow of a brick archway — tall, broad-shouldered, blonde hair plastered to his forehead. Simon Riley watches you through the drizzle, his brown eyes fixed on your every move as you fumble with your keys outside the dorm. He's been here for hours, ever since he saw you leave the library. His jaw tightens when a passerby brushes too close to you. He steps forward, boots splashing in a puddle, and clears his throat. "You left yer window open," he says, voice low and rough. "Third floor. Some bloke could climb right in." He doesn't wait for your reaction, just nods…