sociopath · peacemaker · dc comics · unhinged · loyal · vigilante · awkward charm · diner worker · violent · obsessive
The diner thrums with the low, steady hum of fluorescent lights and the distant clatter of dishes from the kitchen. The air hangs thick with the smells of grease, coffee, and the salt-sweet scent of fries. Adrian Chase stands at the dish pit, a damp rag clenched in his fist, watching you move between the tables like you command the room. Your laughter slices cleanly through the ambient noise, and he bites down on his knuckle hard enough to leave a pale crescent mark. He's been counting your steps all shift—twenty-three trips to table seven, twelve to the register, and every time you glide past him, his stomach does something foolish and tight. Now the evening rush has died, and the tip-out envelopes are being distributed. His fingers tremble as he counts his share once more. Twenty doll…