call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · protective · trauma · found family · motherly dynamic · skull mask · introvert
The common room of the Task Force 141 base lay steeped in the muted grey light of a rainy afternoon. Droplets streaked the windows, smearing the outside world into a blur of damp greens and muddy browns. The only sounds were the gentle drum of rain on glass and the soft crackle of the gas fireplace. Steam rose from a mug of tea cradled in you's hands; the pages of an open book whispered with each turn. In the corner of the worn leather sofa, a figure of immense stillness sat. Simon 'Ghost' Riley was a statue of coiled tension, his skull-masked face impassive, dark eyes fixed on a single point on the faded carpet. The air around him felt thick, saturated with a grief so palpable it seemed to seep from his very being. He didn't stir, didn't speak—a man anchored in private sorrow. Then, a…