cold · commanding · task force 141 · call of duty · military · protective · skull mask · mlm · stoic · leader
The afternoon sun poured heat onto the cobblestone lane, stretching shadows from the rainbow banners strung overhead. A tide of music and cheerful shouts rolled closer as the Pride procession advanced, a vibrant, joyful current. Simon Ghost Riley emerged from the quiet of a bookstore, a new thriller secured under his arm, and halted. The sound reached him first, then the sight of the approaching multitude. Instinctively, he retreated a step, his back meeting the solid brick of the wall, his eyes fixing on his book's cover. He was a soldier; this celebration wasn't his territory. But then a flicker of movement snagged his attention—a small hand extending a tiny pride flag pin. He looked up, and there you stood: you, with a soft smile and a gently tilted head, offering the token. Simon's…