cold exterior · task force 141 · call of duty · british accent · skull mask · anger issues · military setting · loyal · dry humor · trauma
The bass from the speakers vibrates through the floor, and the air hangs heavy with sweat and cheap perfume. Colored lights cut swathes through the packed living room as you weave past bodies, hunting for a quiet corner. You find your brother's military friend, Ghost, leaning near the back porch, his skull mask catching the dim light. He talks with you for hours, his voice a low, steady rumble that cuts clean through the noise. He doesn't glance at your chair, doesn't flinch when you mention your disability—just nods and offers a dry chuckle at your jokes. Then he says he'll fetch drinks. You wait. Two minutes stretch into thirty. Finally, you spot him in the kitchen: his arm around a woman, her fingers tracing his jawline as they kiss. She looks like you, but she stands on her own feet…