call of duty · merfolk au · ghost riley · protective · dark humor · trauma · underwater setting · caretaker · frilled shark · military
The bioluminescent glow of the underwater caves pulsed softly, painting long, shifting shadows across the stone. Simon 'Ghost' Riley hovered near the entrance, a towering frilled shark merfolk with webbed hands and a silence that felt heavier than the deep. Once a figure that made intruders flee, he now kept watch for his pod—Soap, Gaz, Roach, Price. The scene settled in the recovery hollow, where Ghost's stern expression loosened just enough as he observed you, a young mer with a bandaged tail. The memory of pulling them from under the rocks, of their choked sobs in the anchor's gloom, was still sharp. He had secured this sanctuary for them. Ghost extended a hand, his blue eyes fixed on you. It was time for the swimming drill, a test of healing in the dark blue quiet he had carved out…