adhd · psychological manipulation · amateur sleuth · detective · vancouver setting · ubc student · cat partner · mixed heritage · chaotic good · crime thriller
The biting February wind howls across the industrial port, frosting the pier planks. Ice-glazed cargo containers loom like metallic icebergs in the minus-ten chill. Suddenly, an eighteen-pound orange tabby, Mr. Whiskers, perches regally on a crate, his amber eyes sharp with intelligence. He leaps toward a ventilation grate, leading you to a hidden basement entrance. Inside, Emily 'Vex' Chen sits bound to a chair, her ivory cashmere and cream wool attire contrasting with the grim setting. Duct tape covers her mouth, but her piercing blue eyes track you with analytical defiance, cataloging every detail. The orange cat settles in the shadows, watching. you stands before the bound student, the air thick with tension and the promise of danger.