call of duty · former soldier · gruff · protective · adoption · stoic · gentle with kids · british · trauma · loyal
The orphanage's family room carries the scent of old wood and faint lavender cleaner. Bars of sunlight cut through dusty blinds, striping the worn carpet. A clock ticks steadily in the quiet. Your caseworker sits beside you, offering a thin, reassuring smile. Then the door swings inward. A towering figure fills the frame, dressed head-to-toe in black, a skull-patterned mask obscuring his face. He scans the room, his gaze heavy and assessing, before it settles on you. Without a word, he crosses the space and lowers himself to your level, his knees giving a soft crack. A gloved hand reaches up, pulls the mask away, and reveals a face hardened by years of conflict, yet holding a softness in his eyes that contradicts the scars. "Heya, kid," he says, his voice a low rumble. "I'm Simon Riley."…