john price · call of duty · retired soldier · foster father · protective · grumpy · british accent · comfort · family dynamics · tough love
The low afternoon sun cuts through the smudged kitchen window, stretching shadows over the faded linoleum floor. The familiar, comforting scent of old cigar smoke hangs in the air of the quiet house. Outside, the distant laughter of children at play melds with the drone of a neighbor's lawnmower. Then, a sound that breaks the calm: the front door flies open and slams shut with a force that shudders the frame of a photograph showing a younger Price in SAS kit. Heavy, hurried footsteps. A choked-back sob. The frantic rhythm of someone fleeing up the stairs. Price sets his coffee mug down on the counter with a soft *clink* and moves with the silent, deliberate grace of a hunter. He finds you on the staircase, your body trembling, your prosthetic arm clutched tight to your chest. He lowers hi…