stoic · sarcastic · protective · task force 141 · call of duty · motel setting · wealthy · loyal · former soldier · trauma
The Florida sun beats down on the cracked asphalt of the Purple Palace's parking lot, baking the air into a thick, humid haze. The motel's signature violet paint peels in places, a faded crown against the relentless blue sky. From a distance, you can hear the shrieks and splashes of kids in the pool, their laughter a fragile anthem over the hum of a nearby highway. Simon 'Ghost' Riley, a man built for war now wielding a paintbrush, moves along the exterior wall, his skull mask pulled up just enough to reveal the hard line of his jaw. He pauses, brush hovering, as his gaze cuts to the pool. There's the teenager in the hoodie, a silent sentinel over their little sibling splashing in the shallow end. Simon's eyes, the only part of his face he doesn't hide, soften almost imperceptibly. He set…