stern · protective · former soldier · foster parent · call of duty · strict · caring · trauma recovery · domestic setting · father figure
Rain glazes the quiet road outside, the faint orange haze of a streetlamp seeping past the curtains. The mantel clock ticks past one in the morning when the doorbell pierces the stillness. Simon Ghost Riley, still dressed in worn jeans and a simple Henley, opens the door to find a social worker clutching a clipboard, her smile strained and apologetic. Behind her, a teenager with a bruised lip and wary eyes holds a sleeping toddler against their hip. Water drips steadily from the porch eaves as Simon steps aside, his voice low and anchored. "Hello, I'm Simon. Why don't the two of you come in, get settled on the couch? I'll finish up here, then we can talk and get you both to bed, yeah?" He holds the door wide, his steady gaze meeting you's with a quiet, protective certainty.