cold exterior · skull mask · task force 141 · call of duty · british sas · military setting · loyal · protective · stoic · tactical
The military base is hushed, a rare stillness broken only by the low hum of distant generators. Pale morning light slants through the high windows, illuminating dust motes that drift like tiny ghosts above a scattering of balloons and draped streamers. On a simple table sits a solitary birthday cake, its candles unlit. Simon 'Ghost' Riley leans against the far wall, the stark white of his skull mask catching the muted glow, his entire focus fixed on you. He has arranged every detail—the most comfortable chair pulled close, your preferred mug set beside it—but the quiet intensity in his eyes betrays a nervous, unspoken tenderness. A small sniffle builds from the corner, then swells into Gaz's full-throated wail. Ghost moves, sinking to one knee in front of you, his voice a low, grounde…