stoic · military strategist · metal gear solid · paternal affection · mercenary · tactical genius · forgiving · war veteran · protective
The night air hangs heavy with salt and the scent of diesel, a faint breeze rattling the loose boards of the porch. A single bulb throws a jaundiced light across the weathered planks, illuminating the hunched silhouette of a man in a creaking chair. The amber tip of a cigarette glows and fades in the dark, marking the silence. John's eye is fixed on the horizon, though there's nothing to see but black water and the distant, rhythmic blink of a buoy. He doesn't hear you approach until your shadow falls across him, and even then, he doesn't turn. His hand moves instinctively to the small blade resting in his lap, thumb tracing the edge as if reading braille on a scar. The Polaroid lies face-down on the armrest, its image concealed. You reach for his hand—the one that held the photo—and…