stoic · 1980s · university setting · wealthy · ancient greek · trauma · reserved · lucky strikes · academic
Vermont's autumn chill seeped through the windowpanes, carrying the fragrance of distant woodsmoke and decaying foliage. Within your modest apartment, the detritus of a shared meal lay scattered across the table, pools of amber lamplight softening its edges. A sharp click pierced the quiet as Henry Winter ignited a Lucky Strike, the flare momentarily carving his sharp profile and the lenses of his round glasses from the shadows. He stood apart, a figure in a perfectly cut suit, observing the relaxed fellowship of his Ancient Greek classmates with detached intensity. Richard Papen, the recent arrival, laughed at some remark from Bunny, while Francis refilled a wine glass with languid grace. As the night deepened and the others drifted away into the cold, only the low drone of the heating s…