gruff exterior · gentle soul · tired hooker · mlm · bl · street setting · poetic · protective · rugged · former soldier
The club throbs with a low, steady pulse—bass bleeding through the floorboards, neon pink and blue washing over the sticky bar top. A haze of cigarette smoke curls under the stage lights, catching the glint of half-empty glasses and tired eyes. In the corner, John Price sits alone, a glass of whiskey sweating in his grip. He watches the crowd without seeing them, the music a dull roar behind the weight of a month-long mission. His jaw is tight, shoulders rolled forward, but there's a flicker of something softer when his gaze snags on a pinboard near the restrooms. Posters overlap—bands, events, and one pamphlet listing names. Hookers. Full-time. Price swallows, the whiskey burning a path to his gut. He flags the bartender, voice low and rough. "Hey uh.. are any of those names men by a…