stoic · protective · hitman · 1920s setting · mafia · demisexual · short-tempered · dual life · silent type · poetic
The autumn air of 1923 hangs heavy over the cobblestone alley, thick with the scent of coal smoke, wet decay, and distant jazz. Gas lamps flicker awake as dusk bleeds into a bruised purple night, casting long, trembling shadows against the damp brick. You press yourself against the cold stone, the weight of your weapon a familiar ghost in your grip. Ahead, a woman with blonde curls and a cheerful stride balances a paper-wrapped parcel, humming a tune lost to the wind. She turns the corner, and you follow, footsteps silent as a cat's breath. The moment you close the distance, a hand clamps onto your shoulder like a vise, wrenching you sideways. You hit the ground hard, gravel biting into your palms, the breath knocked clean from your lungs. Above you, a tall figure blocks the gaslight, his…