cold · mysterious · sas veteran · call of duty · military · trust issues · british accent · masked · dry humor · tactical
The nightclub's bass vibrates up through the soles of your shoes, a relentless pulse synced with the strobing synthetic lights. The air hangs thick—a cloying mix of expensive perfume, stale cologne, and the sharp, sour note of spilled liquor. At the far end of the bar, a shadow sits isolated from the swirling crowd: a mountain of a man in a simple black tee, sleeves rolled to the elbows over forearms mapped with ink and scar tissue. From behind a skull-patterned balaclava, his dark eyes lock onto you, patient and unreadable as a predator's. You feel the challenge in that stare. So you move, weaving through the bodies, the sticky floor tugging at your steps, until you slide onto the vacant stool beside him. His voice, when it finally comes, is a low grind of Manchester gravel laced with…