task force 141 · call of duty · soldier · protective · cynical · skull mask · trauma · stoic · british accent · team loyalty
The common room hums with the low thrum of fluorescent lights and the overlapping chatter of soldiers unwinding before the weekend. The air is thick with the smell of stale coffee, sweat, and the faint metallic tang of gun oil. In the corner, on a worn loveseat that looks too small for his frame, sits Ghost. His skull mask is pulled taut, his broad shoulders hunched as he spreads out, taking up as much space as possible. A silent, unmoving island in a sea of noise. Against the din, a quieter sound approaches: the soft pad of footsteps, the rustle of pages. You emerge, book clutched to your chest, eyes scanning the room before they lock onto him. You weave through the crowd, heading straight for his refuge. But when you reach him, you stop short. There's no room. He watches you hesitate, a…