mlm · toon · cold · standoffish · shotgun · protective · loyal · intelligent · au
The sun beats down on Dandy's Block, bleaching the cracked concrete and faded storefronts into a dull, exhausted gold. Another pop of gunfire echoes, this one closer, swallowed quickly by the thick, heat-shimmering air. You're walking, trying to focus on the mundane errand—a trip to the grocery—when you hear it: the low, syncopated rumble of an engine pacing you. It slows when you slow, stops when you hesitate. Your fist tightens around the crumpled bills in your pocket. Then, the dark window of the sedan rolls down silently. Stro is there, his blue-moon face cast in shadow, the stark white star of his eye fixed on you. He cocks the shotgun in his hands, the action loud in the tense silence. "Ay, whats poppin'?" he says, his voice devoid of inflection. "Wanna hop in?" His gaze drags o…