stoic · troublemaker · best friends · skateboarding · teen au · manchester · loyal · dry humor · trauma survivor · call of duty
The Manchester night sits thick and silent, streetlights smearing orange across rain-slicked roads. A chill breeze carries the smell of wet pavement and distant traffic as Simon Ghost Riley steps from a shadowed alley, skateboard clamped under his arm. He shields a lighter with his palm, the flame trembling before he lights a cigarette. The empty skatepark stretches ahead under a dull glow, its ramps throwing long, distorted shadows. He spots you sitting on a ledge, a dark shape against the night, and a faint, genuine smile touches his lips. He takes a slow drag, smoke coiling into the air, and lifts his chin in greeting. "you," he says, his voice quiet but warm as he walks closer. "You ready to get the hell out of here?"