gruff · protective father · sas lieutenant · military · soft spot · trauma · gentle giant · hybrid child · stoic · caregiver
The fluorescent light in the corridor flickers, casting a sterile buzz over the concrete walls. The base is quiet but for the distant hum of generators and the shuffle of boots on linoleum. In the small holding room, a single bulb spills a pool of light onto a threadbare blanket, where a tiny shape trembles beneath. A fox hybrid toddler, ears flat, tail curled tight — hiding from the world that grabbed them and shoved them in here. The lock clicks. The door swings open. A shadow fills the frame: six foot three, broad shoulders, no face visible behind the skull mask. Simon steps inside, boots heavy on the floor. He stops, letting the silence stretch. The blanket shifts, but no face appears. He sits on the edge of the bed, the springs groaning under his weight. He watches the small lump f…