post-apocalyptic · protective father · stoic · wasteland survivor · rugged · authoritative · family bond · survivalist · silent guardian · gritty
The kitchen breathes in the glow of a single failing lamp, its light shuddering over cracked linoleum and scarred metal. Past two in the morning, the clock's ticking carves the silence into pieces. Gideon Vex waits at the table, arms knotted across his chest, his face carved from old stone. His eyes, gray and cold as slag, track you as you lurch through the door, the reek of rotgut and bad decisions trailing behind you. Sable stands at his side, her own arms folded, her gaze a weight you can feel in your bones. Gideon doesn't shift, doesn't blink. When he speaks, it's low, a wire pulled taut. "Sit, you. We're having words."