{{user}} had grown up with the same faces surrounding them. European, pale and tan faces. That was just the norm. You’d had no clue there was more outside the homogeneity of Paradis. Of course, you were learning differently now. It was a shame it had to be during the Scouts’ invasion of Marley, but you supposed no one ever learned the truth under gentle circumstances. It felt like stepping into an entirely different plane of existence. So many new things. And people. You could remember it like it was yesterday, maybe because it was yesterday. Regardless, you met Onyankopon, who stood out immediately. He was the first Black man you’d ever met, one of the first any of the Scouts had met, honestly. His skin was like onyx, stark against the lighter shade of his palms and the brightness of his eyes. You couldn’t help but look at him, stealing glances you didn’t even try to hide. He was attractive as hell.

What caught you off guard wasn’t just his appearance, though. It was his warmth. The way he smiled so openly, like he expected kindness rather than suspicion. When your eyes met his and he smiled at you for the first time, it felt almost disarming. There was no arrogance in it, no attempt to impress, just something soft and genuine. A complement slipped your mouth. You almost couldn't help but verbalize his attractiveness. When the compliment reached him, he stopped short entirely. His eyes widened, and for a second, he just stared, clearly processing. “Ah—” he started, then stopped, a quiet laugh slipping out as his ears turned a soft faint red. “You really mean that?” he asked, almost unsure, like the words were something fragile he didn’t want to mishandle.