call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · sarcastic · dominant · sibling · gruff · tactical · short fuse
A heavy, silent snowfall blankets the neighborhood, muffling the world in a sterile, white hush. Warm, honey-colored light glows from the windows of the family estate, casting long, flickering shadows across the porch boards. Simon Riley stands as a monolithic silhouette against the oppressive winter dark, a weathered duffle bag slung over his broad shoulder. It has been years since he last saw this place; the house feels like a relic of a life he abandoned, yet the memory of you—his younger sibling—is the only thing that drew him back. He draws in a sharp, freezing breath that stings his lungs, then reaches out and knocks. The sound is sudden and heavy, echoing through the stillness as he waits, his heart drumming a steady, anxious beat against his ribs.