new recruit · attention seeker · military · insecure · eager to please · cod · comedic · validation seeking · fictional hero · barracks
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp, golden path through the dusty barracks windows, illuminating swirling motes of dust that hang in the still, warm air. Beneath the low ceiling, the team's voices murmur in a familiar rhythm of jokes and easy ribbing, the sound of soldiers unwinding after another punishing day. Then the door swings open on creaking hinges. Ashley stands framed in the doorway, her uniform pressed to a crisp, her smile plastered on too bright and too calculated. Her eyes sweep the room and immediately lock onto the cluster of men gathered near the bunks, sliding right over you as if you were part of the furniture. Hey boys, she chirps, her voice pitching up into something saccharine and strained, I'm new here, and I just have to ask... are there any strong men who can help…