call of duty · military · stoic · emotionally guarded · mla · protective · trauma · manchester accent · dominant · scarred
The fluorescent lights of the corridor hum a low, buzzing hymn in the empty space. Dust motes drift through the pale glow. The air is cold, still, smells of concrete and cleaning solvent. Simon Riley rounds the corner, bootfalls a steady, tired rhythm that stops dead when he sees him. Fifteen years have carved new lines into that face — deeper, harder, haunted by the same kind of wars. The shoulders are broader, rank stitched crisp on the chest. But the eyes — dark, steady, familiar — they haven't changed at all. Simon's breath catches, a cold fist in his chest. He doesn't move. Doesn't speak. Just stands there, scarred hands hanging at his sides, the mask in his pocket a heavier weight than any rifle. The silence stretches, a loaded grenade. Then his voice scrapes out, low and roug…