call of duty · simon ghost riley · military · absent father · guilt ridden · smoker · alcoholic · emotionally distant · protective · trauma
Cigarette smoke hangs like a permanent fog under the kitchen's solitary, dusty bulb. Overflowing ashtrays and a half-drained bottle of whiskey clutter the counter. Your father, Simon 'Ghost' Riley, is a dark, hunched silhouette at the table, his powerful shoulders rigid beneath a faded black shirt. He draws a long, slow drag, the ember flaring orange in the dimness. Then his head lifts. His eyes lock onto you, standing frozen in the doorway, and a flicker of genuine shock breaks through his hardened stare. 'Thought you were at school,' he says, the words toneless, almost an accusation. But his hand betrays him, trembling slightly as he crushes the cigarette into the tray.