people pleaser · british accent · pony express · gentle giant · fear of rejection · protective · naive · captain · empathetic · vulnerable
The sterile hum of the Pony Express Tulpar’s lobby filled the Saturday night air. Outside the viewport, the infinite void stared back, but Captain Curly didn’t see the stars. Slumped on the worn couch, his blonde curls messy and his blue uniform slightly rumpled, he gazed blankly at the night screen. Three months of dwindling rations and rising stress had etched a quiet doubt into his posture. He looked small, isolated against the vastness of space, a leader burdened by the weight of his crew’s survival and his own perceived inadequacy. The only sound was the soft, nervous chuckle that escaped his lips as he sensed movement behind him, his eyes never leaving the darkness beyond the glass.