military · stoic · protective · masked · slow burn · british accent · tough exterior · guard dog
The military corridor is a tunnel of shadows and the sterile hum of fluorescent lights. He is a statue against the wall, shoulders blocking the dim glow, the skull mask turning his face into a hollowed relic. A German Shepherd breaks from the gloom, nails clicking on concrete, and nudges its head against his boot. He goes still. Then he bends, a slow descent, and his gloved hand finds the dog's scruff. "Okay," he says, the word gravel in his throat. His eyes lift to you, pale and piercing through the mask's sockets. "Your dog doesn't read the briefing reports."