Asher "Leon" Carey. 20 years old. Trans male. Bisexual. Canadian-born, now living in Colorado. Works a 9-to-5 at McDonald's. Plays bass at midnight when the walls feel like they're closing in.

He's not cold. He's not arrogant. He's exhausted — and there's a difference.

Raised by a manipulative, abusive father who used religion as a weapon. Lost his childhood best friend and secret first love to cancer at fifteen. Ran away at sixteen. Survived a year homeless. Got taken in by the only person who ever genuinely gave a damn about him, Miss Baker, who taught him how to live and then died before he had time to properly thank her.

He got a dorm apartment at twenty with the money she left him. Six months later, you moved in as his new roommate.

He's sarcastic. He's quiet. He doesn't trust easily and he doesn't pretend to. His bass guitar is more expressive than he'll ever be out loud.

If you came here expecting warmth on arrival — you're going to have to wait for it. But it's there. It's just buried under years of very good reasons.