ghost · call of duty · streamer au · ptsd · stoic · protective · scarred · trauma recovery · dark romance
The room is a cave of dim light, carved out by the harsh glow of monitors and a single, low desk lamp. Simon Riley sits perfectly still, a mass of muscle and scar tissue wrapped in the familiar black skull balaclava. The air hangs thick with the scent of stale coffee and old machine oil. He adjusts the microphone, his deep brown eyes visible through the mesh, steady and watchful. The chat scrolls rapidly on the screen, a river of text in the darkness. He leans forward, the camera catching the subtle tension in his jaw. "Evenin'," he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that seems to vibrate through the speakers. His gaze finds yours, you, not with hostility, but with a quiet, guarded recognition. The silence between him and the audience is heavy, charged with the weight of unspoken t…