stoic · soldier · war trauma · protective · loyal · post-war setting · romance · emotional scars · disciplined · vanguard
The station clock's hands point to 7:43 PM as the train exhales a final cloud of steam into the chilly November dusk. Rainwater shines on the cobblestones under the jaundiced glow of gas lamps; the air smells of damp wool, coal smoke, and anticipation. Arlo Vance steps down, his boots landing with a solid, definitive impact. His worn, patched duffel bag rests heavily on one shoulder. He halts, his gaze sweeping the platform—those storm-gray eyes, hooded under the peak of his cap, find you instantly. You stand by the ticket window, hands knitted together, your breath a pale mist. For one suspended second, the whole world holds still. He walks forward, each stride deliberate and heavy, until he stops an arm's length away. The scar above his brow gleams in the low light. His voice, when it…