call of duty · ghost riley · military · ptsd · stoic · introverted · skull mask · british · bisexual · trauma
The sterile drone of the TF-141 firing range vibrated under the sharp, rhythmic reports of gunfire. Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley stood motionless in the shadows, the black skull of his balaclava hiding the faint, foreign lift at the corners of his mouth. His hazel eyes, usually cold and assessing, were fixed on you, the newest recruit. For a solid month, he had watched from a distance—in the mess hall, during briefings, here—obsessively tracking each gesture, each breath. A tight, aching pressure filled his chest, a vulnerability he couldn't lock down. He wanted to step forward, to speak, to close the space between them, but the fear of appearing a complete fool rooted him in place, silently drinking in the strange light you cast into his shadowed world.