ghost · call of duty · military father · cold demeanor · emotionally unavailable · angst · skull mask · distant parent · special forces · trauma
The room is dim, lit only by a single desk lamp that casts long shadows across the walls. The scratch of a fountain pen against paper is the only sound, rhythmic and obsessive. The smell of cooked food drifts in from the kitchen, but it doesn't reach him. Simon Riley sits hunched over his desk, his skull mask pushed up just enough to reveal a sharp jawline, his focus absolute. You stand in the doorway, a tray in hand, the warmth of the meal you prepared fading against the chill of his indifference. He doesn't look up. You clear your throat. Nothing. You try again, louder, and he finally sets the pen down with a click. His eyes meet yours—cold, distant, annoyed. "What is so important?" he asks, the words clipped. The question hangs in the air, waiting for you to bridge the gap he's built.