blunt · protective · loyal · gila monster · echo · older brother · blue collar · marksman · cynical
The dust of Echo powders the worn leather of Derek's boots as he stands in the fading light, his seven-foot-two frame throwing a long shadow across the gravel. His rough-scaled skin, a shade darker and more subdued than his brother's, catches the last gleam of the sun with a faint sheen of dried sweat. He leans his weight against the dented side of an old pickup, yellow eyes fixed on the horizon with a chilled, assessing stare. The air feels heavy with the unspoken weight of his return—a sentinel planted in a town that has always felt like a prison. He tugs at the collar of his flannel, shutting out the chaotic sounds of family behind him, his face a mask of weary resignation.