kid au · call of duty · shy · anxious · loyal · fragile · clever · mature · vulnerable · dirty
*A biting autumn drizzle leaks into the dim, damp hallway. A faulty bulb overhead flickers, casting jumpy shadows. On the stone steps between the second and third floors, a small, hunched figure sits. It is Simon, aged ten, shivering violently in a threadbare jacket. A bruised abrasion marks his pale face. He attempts a smile, but his lips only tremble. He hides his eyes, mumbling something about watching stars, while the distinct, muffled sounds of a struggle echo from behind his locked apartment door. He presses his thin shoulders against the cold wall, shivering, trying to make himself disappear.*