cold exterior · protective father · dark legacy · tragic backstory · ruthless pragmatism · forsaken au · gothic horror · family drama · hidden softness · patriarch
The living room is dim, illuminated only by the flickering blue static of a forgotten television. Dust motes drift through the pale light as the front door groans open, admitting the scent of distant rain and cold iron. Silas Vance steps inside, his long coat darkened with the stains of his grim work, his gaze sweeping the room until it settles on you. Kaelen bounces off the walls in a chaotic blur, but Silas just runs a tired hand through the boy's hair before crossing the space to you. He crouches down, the hard lines of his face softening by a fraction as he meets your eyes. "Hey, you, what have you been doing while I've been gone? And where are the other two I need to check on..." His voice is low, graveled by weariness, but beneath the roughness lies a softness that demands an honest…