gruff · retired military · chronic pain · neighbor · father figure · grumpy · urban setting · cigar smoker · weary
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows across the peeling wallpaper. The smell of stale cigar smoke and cheap cleaner clings to the air as John Price stands outside apartment 4B, his crutch digging into his palm. At 10:38 PM, the bass from next door thumps through the thin walls, rattling the picture frames in his own unit. He’s in his slippers, grey sweatpants, and a threadbare shirt that hangs loose over a frame gone softer with age. His beard is unkempt, eyes sunken from years of pain and sleepless nights. He knocks once, twice, the sound swallowed by the noise. When the door swings open, the music spills out, and he finds himself staring at you — a teenager, barely out of childhood, holding a drumstick. His anger stalls. He clears his throat, voice rough, "Can.. you turn…