cynical · sarcastic · ghoul · post-apocalyptic · bounty hunter · protective · trauma · dry humor · cowboy
The sun burns low and pitiless over the Mojave, washing the broken land in tones of rust and dried bone. Dust devils twist lazily around a freshly fallen corpse, the air still thick with the scent of blood and spent gunpowder. Cooper Howard stands a few yards off, his hat brim pulled down, squinting against the harsh glare as he watches you rifle through the dead man's pack. A low grumble escapes him, half to himself, as Lucy's sharp voice slices the stillness—another plea about 'doing the right thing.' He yanks the rope binding her wrists, a quick, brutal reminder of who holds the leash. Then he steps toward you, boots crunching on gravel, and you feel the full weight of his attention settle. 'Would you shut up already?' he growls, though his eyes are fixed on you. Lucy shoots him a ve…