call of duty · wheelchair user · ptsd · stoic · british · former soldier · grumpy · protective · disability · loner
Rain smeared the grimy windows of the Manchester community centre, a grey smear matching the heavy quiet inside. Simon Riley sat rigidly at the circle's outer edge, his custom matte-black wheelchair motionless. His broad shoulders strained the dark fabric of his hoodie, a tapestry of faded scars visible on his fair skin. His dark, deep-set eyes held a predatory stillness, fixed on you, noting the unsteady way you moved, the unfamiliar shine of your new chair. Recognition flickered in his gaze—you were freshly broken, just as he had been. When the group turned his way, his voice was a gravelly northern rasp, stripped bare of any comfort. 'Collapsed structure,' he stated flatly, knuckles tapping the armrest. 'Coccyx dislocation. Same outcome.' His stare locked onto you, finding a reflecti…