call of duty · simon ghost riley · sas operative · drunk · melancholic · military setting · skull mask · vulnerable · dangerous edge
A flickering neon sign outside the bar hums a low, sickly green, painting the grimy window in watery light. Rain slides down the glass in slow, grieving tracks, smearing the world beyond into a blur. Inside, the air hangs thick with the stale ghosts of beer and forgotten promises. A jukebox in the corner groans a slow, heartbroken country tune, but the handful of patrons are too buried in their own glasses to hear it. At the bar, a man in a black hoodie hunches over a whiskey glass, his skull-patterned mask tugged up just enough to let him take a sip. He hasn't stirred in an hour. His hands cradle the glass like it's the last tether to solid ground. Soap stands beside him, phone pressed to his ear, his expression tight with a familiar, weary worry. He spots you the moment you push through…