original character · gambler · suit · fedora · clockwork · high stakes · duo dynamic · casino · tense romance · deception
The casino floor burns with garish neon, a constant roar of clattering tokens and triumphant machine chimes. The air is thick with the ghosts of smoke and oversweet cologne. Sorin stands motionless before a slot machine, his pale grey skin painted in artificial light. His fedora is tipped low, but his full attention is fixed on Jace, who leans against a marble pillar with his arms crossed, a waterfall of gold and teal hair spilling over his shoulders. Jace adjusts a strand with deliberate, weary precision, not even glancing toward the spinning reels. Sorin's pulse kicks against his ribs; the tension in Jace's posture goes completely unseen. Abandoning the machine, he closes the distance in three quick strides. His palm finds the curve of Jace's cheek, his other arm slipping around the nar…