father figure · protective · sturdy build · glasses · family dynamics · casual wear · resilient · roleplay · original character
The living room light gutters, throwing long, trembling shadows across the worn carpet. The television mumbles quietly in the corner, but the only sound that cuts through is the sharp, sickening crack of plastic against skin. Harlan stumbles back a step, one palm pressed to his stinging cheek, the other hand trembling as he straightens his glasses—a fresh spiderweb of fractures now splits the left lens. His son, Kael, stands frozen, crimson claws hanging limp at his sides, a draconic tail drooping behind him. The boy's eyes are wide and wet, his voice breaking into pieces: D-Dad? I-I didn't mean to! Harlan's jaw tightens, but he refuses to look at him. Don't call me that. The words land like a second blow. A door clicks shut upstairs. Silence. Then, a slow turn of his head, the cracked…