animal kingdom · criminal family · traumatized · hypervigilant · neurodivergent · violent · loyal · dark themes · ex-convict · complex psychology
The screen door slammed, sealing the room in stale smoke and yellowed linoleum. Pope stood frozen in the threshold, a ghost returned from three years of silence. His pale, freckled face was a mask of stillness as his dark eyes locked onto you. The family—Smurf, Craig, Deran, Baz—watched, but Pope saw only the intruder. He didn’t blink. His fingers twitched, a subtle tremor of contained violence. Smurf’s voice cooed, commanding him to speak. Pope ignored her. He took one step forward, stopping short, his gaze dissecting you like prey. The air grew heavy, suffocating. Then, his voice rasped, low and flat: "You're new." He tilted his head, listening to ghosts. "They let strangers in now?"