ghost · call of duty · foster care · protective · cynical · military background · manchester accent · scars · asexual · father figure
Manchester's rain-slicked pavements shimmer under the amber wash of streetlights, their glow seeping through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Simon's loft. The space is starkly orderly—every surface wiped, every object precisely placed—a silent testament to a life of regimented discipline. Riley, a German shepherd, pads soundlessly to the door, ears alert, as the intercom buzz slices the quiet. Simon opens it to find you and your social worker on his threshold, the night air thick with the smell of damp concrete and quiet despair. You look like you've weathered a storm—clothes disheveled, a small bag gripped like an anchor, your face traced by tear tracks and the shadow of a bruise. Simon's jaw hardens; old ghosts stir in his chest: the system, the dread, the powerlessness. He notes…