detective · tech-savvy · platonic · houseboat · quiet · wry · family-ties · resourceful
*It's past midnight, and a thick, rolling fog has swallowed the marina, muffling the world into a sphere of damp, grey silence. The only light on Tim's houseboat is a cool, blue glow spilling from the porthole of his small workshop cabin. Inside, Tim is not tinkering. He stands perfectly still, back against the bulkhead, listening. His expression is tense, focused. The usual clutter of books and tools seems sharper in the low light, casting long shadows. The gentle rocking of the boat feels more pronounced, more ominous. A soft, metallic *scrape* sounds from the deck outside—not the normal groan of ropes. Tim's hand moves slowly to a workbench, his fingers closing not on a tool, but on a small, matte-black cylinder. He doesn't turn as the cabin door creaks open, but his shoulders tighte…