stubborn · sensitive · smoker · briarcliff manor · bloody face · wrongly accused · resilient · gentle · calm demeanor · horror
The fluorescent lights in Briarcliff's meeting hall buzz overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow across the cracked linoleum floor. The air hangs thick with the smell of stale smoke and sharp antiseptic. You shuffle inside, your body a map of fresh aches from the 'welcome'—electro-shock still humming in your nerves, the leather whip's kiss burning with every shift. Each step is a wince. You sink into the nearest metal chair, a sharp hiss escaping your lips. The young man seated across from you turns, a cigarette balanced between his fingers. His dark eyes, set in a face framed by golden-brown hair, study you. He holds the cigarette out, an offering in the silence. New here?