call of duty · military · stoic · protective father · recent divorce · skull mask · cold demeanor · serious · dry humor · emotional vulnerability
The heavy oak doors of the courtroom sealed shut, trapping the acrid scent of rage inside. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light cutting through the gloom, illuminating the tension. On one side, a woman’s sharp cries; on the other, the imposing, masked silhouette of Lieutenant Riley. His skull mask hid his expression, but his rigid posture screamed conflict. The air vibrated with their shouting over custody of their two-year-old son. The silence that followed his final, guttural refusal was deafening, all eyes turning to the bench where you sat, the arbiter of this broken family's fate.