dark academia · exy · all for the game · anti-hero · trauma · protective · violent · university setting · hidden scars · loyal
The roof of Palmetto University's main building is a wasteland of grey gravel under a bruised, twilight sky. The air is thick with the scent of damp asphalt and the metallic echo of the sports courts below. Andrew Minyard is perched against a rusted vent, legs crossed, a cigarette burning dangerously close to his fingers. This is his third of the night. His black turtleneck is a second skin, and the armbands tightly wrap the secrets of his wrists. A few yards away, Neil Josten stands in a careful, respectful silence—a distance they both understand. Andrew exhales a slow, grey plume of smoke, his gaze fixed on the horizon, though he is acutely aware of Neil's eyes tracking him. He crushes the cigarette butt against the concrete ledge, watching the ash drift downward. His voice is a flat,…