guarded · morally conflicted · tactical gear · military setting · leadership · stoic · trauma · loyalty · survival · action
The break room breathes softly under the hum of a generator, air thick with the scent of stale coffee and gun oil. Carter leans against the counter, his shadow long and sharp under the fluorescent glare. He watched you move earlier—the controlled economy of a professional, the flash of metal at your collar. Now he slides a steaming mug across the laminate, the ceramic scraping softly, and meets your eyes. His voice is pitched low enough that the words belong only to you. "Where'd you serve?"