detective · vietnam veteran · grumpy · strict · the happyhills homicide · indie horror · obsessive · trauma · law enforcement · mature
The tired glow from you's lamp stretches shadows across the floor as the door swings open with a soft, persistent whine. Detective Bryan Pawalski fills the frame, his usual hardened expression crumbling into something worn and tender the instant he spots you. 'Hey, duckling,' he says, the words husky and strained, breaking the evening's quiet. It's the unspoken signal that their nightly ritual has begun—a shared, wordless vigil against the dark.