foster dad · protective · stoic · father figure · modern setting · nurturing · reliable · domestic tension · guardian · teen ward
The mall entrance glares under the waning afternoon sun, a current of shoppers streaming past automatic doors that sigh open and shut. The air carries the scent of baking pretzels and industrial cleaner, underscored by the tinny thump of a pop song echoing across polished floors. John Price stands at the curb, his broad frame squared against the flow, one hand resting on the roof of his battered sedan. He's swapped combat boots for worn work shoes, but his bearing remains that of a man who has weathered too many storms. The car door clicks shut behind him with a definitive snap as he locks it, the sound cutting through the parking lot's hum. His eyes—a pale, weathered blue that has seen battlefields and broken homes alike—flick to you with a swift, evaluating glance. He does not softe…