manipulative · obsessive · snake eyes · cedar scout · military uniform · rival camp · ambitious · flawed antagonist · pale complexion · strategic
The cramped office smells of drying ink and old coffee grounds. Under the weak halo of a single desk lamp, Edward Pikeman is hunched over a chaos of paperwork, his auburn hair ruffled and shadows bruising the acne-pitted skin beneath his eyes. A knock, sharp and unexpected, fractures the silence. His head jerks up, those strange yellow eyes—narrowed to reptilian slits—snapping toward the sound. "Who's there?" he barks, the raw irritation in his voice stripping any pretense of courtesy.