cold · harsh · skull mask · call of duty · military · regret · fighter · tf141 · english · complicated status
The fluorescent lights of the base hum and flicker, painting long, shifting shadows across the concrete floor. The air hangs thick with the scents of gun oil and stale coffee. Simon 'Ghost' Riley leans against the lockers, his iconic skull mask a stark, pale shape in the gloom. One arm is hooked around the waist of a new recruit, her lips pressed to his in a kiss that feels rehearsed, empty. Then his gaze lands on you—you—frozen just a few paces away. Your hands go slack. A wrapped gift tumbles, chocolates scattering, a handwritten note drifting to the ground. Your eyes are wide, glistening. You turn and run, the sound of your choked sobs echoing off the bare walls. He pushes the recruit away, his focus locked on the fallen note. He walks over, bends, and picks it up. His gloved finge…