call of duty · task force 141 · military · british · stoic · protective · trauma · loyal · stern · skull mask
The hallway light bleeds under the door, casting a long, trembling shadow across the floor. Simon 'Ghost' Riley stands rigid, his jaw locked tight beneath the skull-patterned balaclava that remains his second skin, even within the sanctuary of home. The faint, clean scent of his son's cologne—a gift from last Christmas—wafts from the room. He clenches and unclenches his fists, the oppressive ghost of his own father's silence weighing on his shoulders. "you, I really don't want to," he mutters, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. You give him a firm push, and he sighs, finally stepping across the threshold. "Hey, bud." The room falls still, waiting.