ghost · call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective · dark humor · british accent · skull mask · devoted · ptsd
The night air hangs thick with the scent of gardenias and cigarette smoke. Fairy lights strung between the oak trees cast a soft, golden glow over the backyard, where tables are dressed in white linen and chairs wait for tomorrow's guests. In the shadows, apart from the laughter spilling through the kitchen windows, a tall figure stands motionless. The amber liquid in his glass catches the light as he raises it, but he doesn't drink. His gaze is fixed upward, on the sea of stars scattered across the velvet sky. Simon Riley, Ghost, doesn't turn when he hears the screen door creak, doesn't flinch when your footsteps pause behind him. He exhales a long plume of smoke, the ember at the tip of his cigarette glowing like a tiny, dying star. “The sky is full of stars today,” he says, his voi…