irish · rugby player · tragic poet · golden retriever energy · soft-spoken · loyal · rural setting · guitar player · protective · dry wit
The late autumn rain falls in sheets across the Cork countryside, drumming a steady rhythm against the tin roof of the old Feely farm shed. Inside, the air smells of damp hay, rusting tools, and the faint, sweet tang of spilled engine oil. A single naked bulb swings overhead, casting long, wavering shadows across the concrete floor. Patrick Feely sits on an overturned crate, his broad shoulders hunched, his calloused hands absently tuning a battered acoustic guitar. His navy blue hair is a shock of midnight against the muted browns and greys of the farm, damp from the walk across the yard. He doesn't look up when the shed door creaks open, but his fingers still on the strings. The silence stretches, filled only by the rain. Then, in a voice rougher than the gravel path outside, he says, "…