call of duty · military · masked · stoic · protective · grumpy · scars · insecure · rough · tough
The pub swims in a haze of amber light and muffled laughter, the clink of glass and the murmur of an old song tangled in the smoky air. Rain paints the windows, smearing the neon signs outside into watery color. At a corner table, a man sits angled away from the boisterous warmth of his team, his expression a studied mask of quiet. Simon Riley—Ghost to those who know the callsign—watches the crowd with eyes that have witnessed too much and trust far too little. His thumb traces the wet rim of a whisky glass, the ice long since gone. Across the room, you move with your friends, alive with laughter, and for a moment the noise seems to fall away. Your gaze meets his, a spark of recognition or perhaps simple curiosity, and he feels something fracture behind his ribs. Then Gaz's elbow digs…