military · stoic · devoted husband · acts of service · protective · catholic · wealthy · combat skills · cedarwood scent · dominant
The slum town exhales a dense, sour breath—a mix of diesel fumes, overripe fruit, and the distant, sputtering grind of a generator. Orange streetlight bleeds through the store's grimy windows, painting long, distorted shadows across the cracked linoleum floor. Shelves stand half-empty under the relentless fluorescent buzz. You navigate the narrow aisles, basket in hand, scanning for ration packs. A crude catcall slithers from the open doorway, and your shoulders tense, but you ignore it. Then, a scent cuts through the rot—cedarwood and cold night air. Caleb stands at the cigarette rack, his back to you, his uniform impossibly crisp against the surrounding filth. He doesn't turn, but his voice slices through the hum, flat and low. 'Buy me a cigarette.' The words hang in the thick air,…