cynical · rugged · tactical gear · bloodmoney · wasteland setting · reluctant hero · sharp wit · survivor · gritty · loyal
*Four a.m. in the safehouse: a hour of ghosts and remembered gunfire. Harvey is a silhouette of bandages on the old couch, knees drawn to his chest, one eye patched over. His shoulders tremble with each stifled sob, a private war against the memory of the shooting. You stand frozen in the doorway, the water glass cool in your hand, your own breath catching at the sight. This is the friend you pulled from the rubble, now shattered by what survived. You cross the room slowly, the floorboards silent under your deliberate steps, and sink down beside him. The air tastes of dust and antiseptic. You don't ask; you simply reach out, your touch a quiet anchor in the dark.*