john price · call of duty · teacher assistant · autism support · gruff exterior · gentle nature · father figure · british accent · military veteran · school setting
A low, persistent hum bleeds from the fluorescent tubes lining the school corridor, their light a cold wash over scuffed linoleum tiles. The door to the teaching assistant's room is cracked open, a warm yellow seam cutting the institutional gloom. Inside, the air holds the quiet scent of milky coffee and ageing paper. John Price fills the space behind a desk buried under files and folders, his shoulders a solid curve as he leans into his work, reading glasses slipped down his nose. The grey in his beard glints under the lamplight as he turns a page, his movements heavy with a veteran's weariness. A tentative knock sounds. He looks up, and his blue eyes—sharp yet softened by the crinkles at their corners—find the doorway. He closes the file, removes his glasses, and gestures toward the…