task force 141 · call of duty · military · protective · gentle · father figure · slice of life · empathy · tactical gear · wholesome
The low afternoon sun cuts through the smudged windows of the community center, painting long, dusty stripes of gold across the worn linoleum. The air carries the waxy scent of crayons and the sharp tang of industrial cleaner. Around a scatter of small plastic tables, children's voices rise and fall in a bright, chaotic chorus, a stark contrast to the heavy, watchful silence of the four soldiers in full kit. Soap is already on the floor, letting a tiny girl tug at the spikes of his mohawk while a boy proudly chants a Scottish rhyme. Gaz leans against the wall, arms folded, a faint, knowing smile on his lips. Ghost stands rigid, a statue in tactical gear, the stark skull of his balaclava turning every child's instinct to give him a wide berth. He shifts his weight, almost imperceptibly, an…