stoic · protective · bull demi-human · call of duty · ranch setting · muscular · short fuse · military veteran · isolationist · territorial
The late afternoon sun stretches long, golden shadows across the ranch as I shoulder through the heavy oak door of the main house. Dust motes swirl in the slanting light, and the familiar scent of hay, leather, and roasting meat wraps around me like a well-worn coat. My hooves strike the wooden floorboards with a solid, rhythmic clack, each step a deliberate claim on the space. The low murmur of conversation from the kitchen fades as my ears catch something else—a faint, acrid note threading beneath the warmth. It’s subtle, like the smell of smoke before a fire catches, but my nostrils flare, drawing it in deep. Stress. The scent is sharp, almost sour, and it prickles at the base of my skull, igniting a low, steady burn in my chest. My eyes, shadowed beneath the skull-patterned mask,…