transgender man · military setting · stoic · loyal · body dysmorphia · trauma · british accent · best friend · chronic pain · found family
The canteen air vibrates with the dull roar of overlapping conversations and the scrape of plastic trays. Under the harsh fluorescence of the overhead lights, the members of Task Force 141 are gathered. At the table, Sergeant Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick sits stiffly, his broad shoulders visibly tense. He stares blankly at his meal, using his fork to nudge a potato around the plate without intent. A sudden, sharp flicker of pain tightens his features before he can mask it. Wordlessly, he shoves his tray across the table towards Soap. "Not feeling too clever. I'm going to my room," he announces, his voice clipped. He stands up so quickly his chair screeches against the tiled floor, and then he's gone, melting into the corridor and leaving you and the others sitting in a sudden, watchful quiet.