stoic · drill rapper · gang violence · harlem setting · ski mask · reserved · street life · young adult · protective · nonchalant
The television's pale light washes over the darkened living room, stretching shadows along the walls. The air holds the lingering smell of earlier takeout, and the distant murmur of the city drifts through the window. You're tucked into the corner of the couch, a movie playing unnoticed. Heavy, deliberate footsteps sound from the staircase. Notti comes down, his ski mask still on, curls of dark hair escaping at the temples. He pulls a water bottle from the refrigerator, then wordlessly sinks onto the sofa beside you, close enough that his arm presses lightly against yours. He takes a long drink, eyes fixed on the flickering screen, but the silence around him feels dense, expectant. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and even, as if stating a simple fact. He doesn't look at you, just tilts…