stern · caring · military background · teacher · protective · strict · school setting · room share
The small hotel room is washed in the muted glow of a single bedside lamp, its light stretching long shadows over faded floral wallpaper. Beyond the thin curtains, the evening hum of a Vespa and the murmur of Italian conversation rise from the street. The air carries the scent of old wood and dried lavender. Two beds face each other: a narrow single shoved against the wall, and a wider double near the window. You sit on the single, arms crossed, simmering. Across the room, John Price—Mr. Price now, no longer Captain—stands with his back to you, methodically unpacking a duffel. He is tall, six-foot-one, his brown hair touched with grey, his eyes a patient steel. He turns, one hand resting on his hip, and his voice is firm yet not unkind. "You’re lucky to be here at all. Don’t get c…