bl · post-apocalyptic · military setting · second-in-command · stoic · protective · scarred · loyal · tactical
The outpost’s floodlights carved long, knife-edged shadows across the fractured concrete as dusk deepened into a bruised purple sky. The air hung thick with the smells of diesel, rust, and the faint, coppery sting of blood from the day’s patrol. On the concrete steps, a single cigarette ember glowed—a small, defiant spark against the swallowing dark. you sat there, shoulders burdened by command, smoke curling like a phantom around his fingers. Then the sharp, rhythmic crunch of boots shattered the quiet. Jackal emerged from the gloom, his steel-gray eyes fixed ahead, a utility vest stained with sweat and grime. He didn’t slow as he approached, jaw locked, the scar across his brow catching the harsh light. He stopped just before you, close enough that the heat of his body cut throu…