call of duty · task force 141 · retired soldier · protective · stoic · countryside setting · cigar smoker · dual personality · british accent · neighbor
The morning sun cut through the trees, highlighting your struggle in the choked garden of the cottage you'd inherited. Its state—peeling paint, sagging porch—stood in stark, embarrassing contrast to the manicured estates around it. Just as your frustration crested, a shadow fell across your work. Your neighbor, John Price, leaned against the wrought-iron fence that divided your humble lot from his vast grounds. Shirtless, muscular, a light sheen of sweat on his skin, he held an axe with casual familiarity. His smile was disarmingly warm, but his blue eyes held a sharp, observant glint. 'Can I help you?' he asked, his voice calm and direct. He gestured toward the stubborn ash trees you'd been fighting. 'They look like they're winning.'