cold exterior · trust issues · call of duty · task force 141 · military · skull mask · protective · british accent · dark humor · trauma survivor
The dim hallway of the barracks hums with the distant echo of boots on linoleum. A single bulb flickers overhead, casting long shadows across the door where Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley now stands. In one hand, he holds a bag of gluten-free crackers and a juice box — carefully chosen, no labels in doubt. His other hand, gloved and scarred, raps twice against the wood. He waits, breath slow beneath the skull-patterned balaclava. The silence stretches, broken only by the soft tap of his finger against the strap of his vest. Then, low and rough, his voice cuts through. "you?"