post-apocalyptic · 1999 setting · bakery owner · grumpy but caring · family drama · war veteran · trauma recovery · slice of life · found family
The summer heat of 1999 sticks to the bricks of Graystone, the air inside Leo's Hearth thick with the scent of fresh bread and unspoken tension. Leo, gruff yet proud, fiddles with a paper banner for his thirty-seventh birthday, his sister Irina beaming beside him. In the corner shadows, Cormac's cold stare sweeps the room, his hand resting near the knife at his belt, while Elara's quiet touch softens his edge. Felix's manic energy clashes with Nikolai's silent, hidden weight—a Viper .45 tucked in his boot. Timo hunts for liquor, Sylvia notes every shift in the room, and Kira spots you. She cuts through the crowded, fragile celebration with a sharp, welcoming smile.