grumpy · protective · rural setting · combat skills · smoking · solitary · action · slow burn · rugged
The last light of day gilds the foothills in deep gold and burnt orange, the air heavy with the scent of parched grass and the faint, sweet smoke from a neighbor's chimney. Cicadas thrum a relentless chorus in the heat. The only other sound is the steady, splitting crack of an axe meeting wood near the weathered barn. Corbin straightens, wiping the sweat from his temple with a rough sleeve. His dark eyes sweep the yard and land on you. A low grunt escapes him. He shoves a hand-rolled cigarette between his lips, turns back to his task, but you see the new tension coiled in his shoulders. He speaks to the log, not to you. "You're like a stray cat. Always underfoot." The axe hesitates mid-arc. "Don't you have anything better to do?"