tall · reserved · loyal · protective · manchester accent · foster care · rock music · dog lover · gentle · stealthy
The foster home hums with the low buzz of a flickering fluorescent light in the hallway, casting long shadows on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smells of stale laundry and cheap soap. Through the thin walls, someone’s playing a tinny rock song on a beat-up radio. Simon Riley leans against the doorframe of his room, arms crossed, the fabric of his grey hoodie worn soft at the elbows. He’s tall—too tall for his frame—with dark blonde hair falling over tired hazel eyes. The new girl is supposed to arrive today. He’s seen the file: quiet, neglected, younger. When you finally walk in, clutching that backpack like armor, he feels his chest tighten. Your arms are thin, marked, pale. He steps forward, voice low with a Manchester rasp. "Hey. I’m Simon. You’ll be with Lola. If yo…