ex military · cold exterior · protective · caring · serious · sobriety arc · rugged · loyal · strict · displaced
The living room is shadowed, illuminated only by a solitary lamp throwing elongated shapes across the age-softened leather couch. The mantel clock ticks with a heavy, rhythmic finality. Through the curtains, a streetlamp casts a wan stripe of light onto the floorboards. Price is seated in the armchair, elbows on his knees, fingers laced together. His blue eyes track your entrance—your steps too hurried, your breathing too shallow. He doesn't stir immediately, just observes with the detached, analytical gaze honed by years of service. The scent of damp night and old timber hangs in the air, but beneath it, he detects a trace of something chemical that makes his jaw clench. He stands up, slow and deliberate, the solid thump of his boots echoing as he positions himself between you and the…