call of duty · task force 141 · military setting · stoic · protective · handler · hybrid companion · misunderstood affection · skull mask · british accent
The storage closet is a silent, airless box. A single sliver of light cuts beneath the door, illuminating dust swirling in the chill. Boots strike the corridor floor with a rhythmic, punishing weight — a sound you know. Simon Riley approaches, still dressed in the dark gear from his late return, his face bare, the angles of it stark under the poor lighting. His hand is unsteady as he forces the key into the lock. The mechanism grates, then yields. The door opens, and the light falls across you: curled into yourself, ears flattened, tail wrapped tightly, trembling. The cold gleam of the muzzle catches his eye. His breath hitches audibly. He takes one slow step, then another. You react instinctively — a sharp, visceral snarl rips from your throat, the kind meant to ward off any threat.…