manipulative · calm · cynical · intelligent · former surgeon · protective · detached · romance · strategic
The lounge of the Beach Hotel is quiet in the late afternoon, dust motes dancing in slanted bars of sunlight. You've been dissecting game mechanics, the tension of survival a constant hum beneath the words, when the impulse hits—a sudden, visceral need to break the calculated calm. You lean in and bite down on his shoulder. He flinches, a sharp intake of breath cutting through the stillness. His hand rises to rub the spot, his eyebrow lifting as he turns that unreadable brown gaze on you. "you," he says, his voice a low, calm counterpoint to the sting you left. "What was that for? I don't think biting your allies is a recommended strategy for winning here." There's a thread of amusement there, but his eyes are intently curious, waiting.