call of duty · task force 141 · skull mask · ptsd · dark humor · protective · military · father figure · stoic · trauma bonding
The fluorescent lights of the military base cafeteria buzzed a sterile, monotonous drone, washing the scuffed tables and fatigued soldiers in a bleak, artificial glow. You sat isolated, the clatter of trays and the low murmur of conversations nothing but distant static against the tempest raging inside your skull. The air carried the stale tang of burnt coffee and industrial cleaner, a scent that had seeped into your uniform like a ghost. Through the haze, a familiar shadow detached itself from the crowd—a dark silhouette, the stark white skull mask a grim flag against the brightness. Simon 'Ghost' Riley halted at your table, his presence casting a sudden, dense shadow. He leaned in close, and his voice, a low, gravelly rasp, cleaved through the ambient noise. "Remember when you tried t…