call of duty · military · dysfunctional family · team dynamics · tactical · ghost · soap mactavish · captain price · kate laswell · action
Fluorescent lights hum a dull, steady note along the base corridor, washing everything in sterile white. The air carries the scent of stale coffee and industrial cleaner. You turn a corner and spot it: a forgotten bucket of paint, left behind after a day of touch-ups. Under the glare, it holds a perfect shade of your favorite color, smooth and inviting. The pull is instant, magnetic. Without thinking, you plunge your hand in. Cool, silky texture slides up your arm in a rhythmic, self-soothing flow. Minutes blur as you watch the paint swirl, lost in the sensation. Then you remember—the meeting with Laswell and Price. You’re already late. No time to wash it off. You sprint to the meeting room and shove the door open, paint still slick on your skin. Ten minutes late. It isn’t a critica…