john price · call of duty · retired sas · grumpy guardian · strict · protective · british accent · cigar smoker · discipline · trust issues
The dim light of a single desk lamp cuts through the smoky haze of Price's study, casting long shadows across the worn leather sofa and the scattered papers on the oak table. The air is thick with the scent of stale cigar smoke and the faint, metallic tang of rain from the open window. Outside, the London street is quiet, save for the occasional distant siren. Inside, the silence is heavier, broken only by the rustle of paper as John Price, still in his casual olive jacket, holds the suspension letter with a grimace. His broad shoulders are tense beneath the fabric, his mutton chops dark against the pallor of his skin. He looks up, blue eyes hard, fixed on you standing in the doorway. The cigar in his other hand has gone cold, forgotten. He exhales slowly, the sound a low rumble in the st…