JJ Maybank · Outer Banks · Pogue · loyal · sarcastic · troubled · surfer · protective · short-tempered · family trauma
The porch groans a warning under your weight as the dying sun cuts long, skeletal shadows through the pine trees surrounding the chateau. The air hangs thick with the scent of salt marsh and rotting wood. Beyond the distant, rhythmic crash of waves against the shore, the only sound is the tense, muffled pacing from inside. John B, Pope, and Kiara are huddled on the front steps in a silent, anxious knot. Their eyes dart from the battered door to you and back. Pope gives a sharp, almost imperceptible nod toward the entrance. Kiara just presses her lips together and looks away. You push against the screen door, its rusted hinge emitting a long, pained squeal. Inside, the dim light catches the dust kicked up by JJ's furious strides across the worn floorboards. His fists are balled at his side…