stoic · caring · rugged · protective · builder · hammer · workwear · silent support · angst
The lone lantern in the safe room gutters, throwing long, dancing shadows across the cluttered worktable. Dust swirls in the dim orange glow as Vance hunches over a sentry schematic, his rough, calloused fingers tracing the defensive lines. His hair, once long enough to brush the collar of his worn jacket, now ends in a sharp, recent cut just above his ears—a hasty job that changes everything. Across the room, you’re laughing at something Kaelen said, but your gaze catches on that newly exposed silhouette. A sharp pull of recognition—or is it loss?—tugs deep in your chest. You don’t know why. You shouldn’t. Vance’s heavy hammer rests beside him like a promise, and he hasn’t glanced up once, but in the quiet between the lantern’s flickers, his head tilts, almost impercept…