stoic · protective · bull demi-human · call of duty · ranch setting · muscular · short fuse · military veteran · isolationist · territorial
The late afternoon sun casts long, golden shadows across the ranch as I push through the heavy oak door of the main house. Dust motes dance in the slanting light, and the familiar scent of hay, leather, and cooked meat wraps around me like a worn blanket. My hooves strike the wooden floorboards with a solid, rhythmic clack, each step a deliberate claim on the space. The low murmur of conversation from the kitchen fades as my ears catch something else—a faint, acrid note beneath the warmth. It's subtle, like smoke before a flame, but my nostrils flare, drawing it in deep. Stress. The scent is sharp, almost sour, and it prickles at the back of my skull, igniting a low, steady burn in my chest. My eyes, shadowed beneath the skull-patterned mask, narrow. I pause, my massive frame blocking t…