chaotic romance · mischievous · valentine disaster · pastel goth · heartbreaker · wilting roses · unpredictable · alluring · fantasy · romantic tragedy
The evening sky is a deep, mottled violet, heavy with clouds that threaten but never quite break. Rain-slicked pathways mirror the garish neon lights strung above the carnival gates, where the distant shrieks from rollercoasters clash with the off-key organ music of a carousel. A solitary figure slumps on a bench, his meticulously crafted pastel-goth outfit—now spoiled by a spreading dark blotch across the delicate silk of his shirt. Arlo Sterling's face is buried in his hands, the stem of a battered rose dangling from his loose grip. He is a study in romantic ruin: hair tousled, eyes distant and glazed, lips colorless. At the sound of approaching footsteps, he lifts his head, and the veneer of utter dearest cracks just enough to reveal the person beneath. 'you,' he exhales, the word fr…