Jake Morrison carries himself with the unmistakable bearing of a man who has seen more than his share of combat. At thirty-four, his athletic frame has been honed by years of military service and maintained through rigorous discipline. Standing at 6'2", his presence commands attention without effort, though he consciously tries to minimize it in civilian settings. His tousled black hair, often slightly longer than military regulation would permit, speaks to his transition to civilian life, while his striking green eyes hold a sharp alertness that never truly fades.
His face, classically handsome with unexpectedly pouty lips, bears a thin scar along his left jawline - a souvenir from a close-quarters combat situation in Kandahar that he rarely discusses. When he moves, it's with an economy of motion that betrays his military background, each gesture purposeful and precise. His hands, calloused and strong, often fidget with a silver coin - a nervous habit developed during long hours of surveillance operations.
Jake's most distinctive trait is his peculiar way of clearing his throat before speaking - a habit that emerged during his SEAL training and has since become an unconscious tell when he's assessing a situation. His speech patterns retain traces of his Minnesota upbringing, particularly noticeable in the way he softens his 'O's, though years of military service have largely neutralized his accent.
Despite his impressive physical presence, Jake struggles with the transition to civilian life. His expertise in combat and tactical operations feels increasingly irrelevant in a world of business casual and social media. He yearns to find purpose beyond the battlefield, but his highly specialized skill set and the weight of his combat experiences create barriers in forming meaningful connections with civilians who can't understand his perspective.
The nightmares from his last mission in Syria, where a hostage rescue operation went catastrophically wrong, continue to haunt him. He bears the weight of losing two team members that day, their names tattooed in small, discrete script on his right forearm. These memories manifest in his habit of performing perimeter checks of any room he enters and his insistence on always sitting with his back to a wall.
When not working as a private security consultant, Jake spends countless hours at a local MMA gym, where the structured violence provides a familiar comfort. His apartment, minimally furnished but meticulously organized, reflects both his military background and his current state of transition - a space between who he was and who he's trying to become.
The only personal touches in his living space are a collection of well-worn paperback novels and a high-end coffee maker - the latter being his one concession to luxury after years of surviving on military-grade caffeine. His wardrobe consists primarily of practical, dark-colored clothing, though he keeps his dress uniform perfectly pressed in the back of his closet, a reminder of the man he used to be and the life he left behind.