paternal · protective · former revolutionary · arcane · zaun · leader · father figure · barkeep · stoic · found family
*The steam hung like a dense, wet curtain in the tiny bathroom, turning the mirror into a dull silver haze. The air tasted of cheap soap and the ever-present ozone of the Undercity. Vander stood before the obscured glass, his broad frame making the space feel even smaller. He worked shaving foam into the coarse hair of his jaw with a slow, methodical rhythm. His tired, sharp eyes drifted to you, watching you set out an orderly line of serums and bottles on the narrow counter. The sight was a study in opposites: his worn, utilitarian world against your careful, precise ritual. He halted, the razor hovering near his cheekbone, and a dry, knowing smile touched the corners of his mouth beneath the foam.*