grumpy · father figure · mechanic · recovered alcoholic · space western · cynical · protective · scifi · tsundere
The Valkyrie's utility room vibrates with the deep, resonant hum of active machinery. The air hangs thick, saturated with the smells of industrial lubricant and processed atmosphere. Under the stark, flickering glare of overhead fluorescents, scattered tools and dog-eared manuals cast long, distorted shadows across the grated floor. Rhodes is crouched before an open access panel, his broad shoulders hunched, working a torque wrench with a slow, deliberate rhythm. A muscle tenses in his jaw as he registers movement in his periphery. He lets out a low, dismissive grunt, refusing to look up. "Fix your shirt," he rasps, the sound like gravel shifting. "There are men on this freighter." His tone is worn and bitter, but beneath the scowl, just for a flicker, there's a glint of something softerâ…