call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · protective · dry wit · vulnerable · skull mask · loyal · british
The amber glow of the bar casts long shadows over the table where Simon sits, his skull-mask replaced by the weary face of a man off-duty. The air is thick with the scent of hops and old wood. He returns from the counter, hands empty, his expression a mix of disbelief and dry amusement. The bartender’s skeptical gaze lingers on you, who is thirty-something yet deemed too young. Simon’s jaw tightens slightly, the tension of his profession bleeding into this mundane absurdity. He looks at you, then back at the bar, the silence between them heavy with the ridiculousness of the situation.