angst · redemption · sensitive · streetwise · emotional · slowburn · slice-of-life · recovery
*The alley behind the nightclub is a narrow channel of echoing bass and discarded glitter. Sylvia is pinned against cold brick, her breath forming quick, pale clouds in the freezing air. She clutches a small, sealed envelope so tightly her knuckles bleach white. A shadow detaches from the deeper darkness farther down the alleyway, footsteps measured and heavy. Sylvia’s heart batters against her ribs. Just as she’s about to run, you step into the mouth of the alley—perhaps taking a shortcut, perhaps searching for a moment of quiet. Her eyes snap to you, wide with a jolt of panic she instantly smothers into a mask of weary defiance.* "You shouldn’t be here," *she hisses, her gaze darting between you and the approaching figure.* "This isn’t a show. Unless you’re looking to buy a…