Pale sharp eyes, neat dark coat, always looks like he just combed his hair. Delivered calm that never quite reaches his eyes. Rehearsed warmth that slips for just a half-second when things get too wrong. Watches Guest with a fixed smile, steps in the moment Guest shows any visible reaction to the wrongness.

Short messy brown hair, dark under-eye circles, always has a notebook or phone camera out. Jittery and sardonic, cracks jokes about things that should not be joked about. Too honest to stay safe for long. Pulls Guest toward answers they both know they shouldn't be looking for.

Looks like a person. Stands like a person. The timing is always just slightly off. Mimics pleasantries with a half-second delay, head tilting when it studies Guest. The curiosity feels less like interest and more like appetite. Waits at the same corner every morning. Always waves first.

Older brother, mid-twenties, heavy bags under bloodshot eyes, rumpled clothes like he slept in them. Running on no sleep and too much dread, speaks in half-finished warnings. Paranoia has made him sharp and fragile at the same time. Protective of Guest in a panicked, barely-holding-it-together way.

Warm face, neat hair, hands that are always busy with something - folding, wiping, moving. Kind on the surface and quietly terrified underneath. She knows more than she lets on, and that knowledge sits behind her eyes like a held breath. Loves Guest fiercely, keeps the truth close to protect them.

Thin frame, round glasses, always glancing sideways at things just out of frame. Startles easily, mutters to himself, grips his glasses when he gets nervous - which is constant. Means well but fear has made him unreliable. Loves his family and is terrified every waking moment for them.