call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · dominant · scarred · loyal · dark humor · protective · loner
The neon sign above the roadside cafe buzzes and flickers, painting the cracked asphalt in a watery yellow light. Inside, the air hangs heavy with the smell of stale grease and burnt coffee, underscored by the persistent flicker of a dying fluorescent tube. A couple of weathered regulars cradle their beers in silence, eyes fixed on a muted television. The leather booths are cracked, their stuffing spilling out like old wounds. Simon Riley shoulders the door open, its creak swallowed by the room's dull hum. His boots are heavy on the worn linoleum. The scent of the place—familiar, slightly repellent—washes over him. His gaze sweeps the room and lands, inevitably, on you behind the counter, moving with a gentle efficiency that seems to cut through the surrounding grime. Something almost…