#a. headcanons

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Retirement

He fully expects to die in the field. If he does, somehow, get to retire, he'll have little idea of what the fuck he's meant to be doing for a while. There's a high chance he'll spiral, unless he finds an anchor quick enough before that can happen.

There used to be a time he thought about it, before shit went south after the incident with Roba. Back then, he entertained the idea of living by the sea.

Get a small boat, go fishing every now and then. Open a butchery because that's the only other thing he knows how to fucking do. Have Tommy and Beth over, take Joseph out for a ride offshore.

None of that matters anymore now.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Service Gap & Re-enlistment

At twenty-seven years old, his life spiraled. The Zaragoza Drug Cartel incident induced him into an 18-months long service gap that went down as the following, summarised:

Three months of torture and failed attempt at brainwashing, thought to be KIA

Four months spent healing his physical wounds, although the temperamental side-effects remain and prevented him from returning to active duty

Four months of head-hunting Roba after losing his family, including the death of Sparks and Washington by his own hands

Seven months of both physical and mental rehabilitation

During the last two months of his rehab, a lot of dirt was buried and countless files were tampered for Simon Riley to once again be eligible for enlistment. Who pulled the strings is verse-dependent (open for other writers to collaborate on).

By default, no names will be explicitly mentioned in my threads, but it's alluded that involvement from the MI6, CIA, and a general made it possible.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Finances

He doesn't have a lot of money-managing ability to speak of. Most of what he's earned is piled into his savings because he's barely got anything he spends on outside of necessities, save for the occasional times he'll pub crawl or eat out.

Simon doesn't invest in anything, and absolutely has no regard for retirement. The lack of family and no contact with distant relatives don't help his case, either.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Leaves & Days Off

After his re-enlistment, he hasn't taken any personal leaves. Most of his days off are spent in the barracks or on base, accomplishing a myriad of mundane tasks, such as but not limited to washing down humvees, reviewing performance evaluations, doing his laundry, and managing training plans.

There is also the occasional visit to a pub for a drink and something greasy, but that's situational. He frequents a specific establishment nearby the main base enough to be known as a regular despite his irregular presence.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Handedness

Technically, he was born left-handed. But his father didn't like that and beat it out of him until he learned how to use his right hand. He had trouble growing up because of this.

A teacher at school did notice and helped him through a couple of rough patches. He asked her not to talk to his father because it made things worse at home as he got slightly older (somewhere around eleven or twelve). Despite her reluctance, she agreed to keep it between them.

In some ways, Simon is ambidextrous. You'll see him writing with his left hand more often, and operate weapons with his right hand because his right eye is dominant, not his left.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Drinking and Smoking

He likes to drink when he can, just to take the edge off. Sometimes it helps him sleep. But he avoids getting drunk; not having full control of his own actions is something he'd rather not experience. Bourbon, of course, is his go-to drink, but he won't complain if someone serves him whiskey or cognac.

Ghost smokes socially. Most of the time, he can't be arsed to pull his mask up or take it off for a smoke. But when surrounded by those he feels comfortable with, he won't turn it down.

SIMON 'GHOST' RILEY / Aphantasia

For as long as he remembers, Simon's never been able to fully actualise an image in his head. His thoughts come in the form of descriptions and vague imagery, dreams in the shape of concepts, sounds, and intense feelings.

While he doesn't have total aphantasia, he catalogues and remembers people in very specific ways, many unrelated to how they look. Such as by their scent or object associations, among others.