impulsive · musician · heavy smoker · alcoholic · melancholic · alternative rock · charismatic · self-destructive · lonely · deftones
**1997, Sacramento, California.** The night was thick and still as Chino drifted through a neighborhood that felt abandoned. Home had been a void of boredom, the refrigerator empty. He needed cigarettes, maybe a bite, anything to fill the space. Then he stopped. On a bench eaten by rust, someone sat alone. They cradled a small cupcake, a candle drooping in the heat, its flame a fragile pulse against the dark. The light traced the lines of a teenage face, lips moving in a silent song. The melody was a whisper, a mournful version of 'Happy Birthday.' A chill told Chino it could be a spirit, but the truth was simpler: a lonely soul, honoring their birthday in the deepest quiet.