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And Simon has his Johnny back. He knows Soap is gone, knows that he’s probably lost his marbles along the way, but it keeps him going. Gives him something to hold onto. And he’s human again, because of it. /end

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Chuckles at jokes that weren’t said, asks the air at his side what it thinks of his plan. But he’s good at what he does, and he works well in a team when needed. So they leave him to his quirks.

Not to mention having a /purpose/ again. Except he talks to himself now. At least, that’s what the other mercs say as they whisper to themselves over their MREs while he’s off on watch. The Ghost talks to himself, stares at things that aren’t there.

So if he has gone crazy, it can’t be all that bad of a change, considering. Maybe Simon starts to actually function like a human being again, slowly, and he starts doing contract work. Laswell won’t say no to using his skills off the books, and he could use the extra cash.

He can hear the smile behind the words, the cheeky look in Soap’s eye as he says it, & maybe Simon’s finally lost the last of his remaining loose screws. But it’s Soap’s voice. *Johnny’s* voice. And it’s the only thing in *months* that’s moved him to do anything besides drink himself into a stupor.

It’s a shock to his system, and nearly smacks him across the face with a clarity he hasn’t felt in months. He could swear he hears Soap’s voice bouncing around the tiles as he reaches for his 3-in-1 shampoo - *There ye go, doll. What would you do without me?*

And before he can think about it, Simon is standing up, sets his half-drunk beer down on the table, and shuffles stiffly to the bathroom. He stands under the cold spray for what feels like hours, but it also feels like a cleansing in more ways than one.

Would look at you with those sad puppy eyes and a pout and pull you off the couch with both hands, shove you into the bathroom saying /You smell like shite, Simon. I swear on my gran, I’m no’ touchin’ ye ‘til you’ve had a wash/.’

when out of know where, a thought rings through his skull: ‘What if Johnny saw you like this?’ /He wouldn’t because he’s dead/, Simon thinks blearily. ‘But what if he did?’ The thought needles. ‘He’d pity your sorry arse.

some late night talk show on mute. His skin is damp and tacky with sweat, hasn’t showered in at least two weeks. He’s sitting there like he has every night for who knows how long at this point, his side piece in its holster tossed onto the far corner of the coffee table,

cheap beer cans scattered across the coffee table, one fresh in his hand, resting on his knee. It’s lukewarm and flat. His single oscillating fan isn’t working and it’s dark as all hell except for the sickly blue light of the tv pulsing across from him,

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What an irony, to be /too good/ at his job. So he lets himself waste away in his flat. Probably thinks, distantly, about eating the end of his pistol if that gets boring enough or takes too long. Until one night he’s sitting alone in his flat in his skivs, slumped on his secondhand couch,

Only when he finally snuffs out the last candle, he finds himself– adrift. When he started this crusade, he fully expected to die in the process (hell, it would almost have been a bonus at that point), but he didn’t.

He’s learned his lesson, becomes a true ghost of a man, all those messy, useless emotions locked tightly away, even deeper than they were before Soap came into his life. To stave off the pain, he hunts down any and all loose ends from Makarov’s network, buys himself a few more months of purpose.

he returns to England as a hollowed out shell. Reality catches up to him as soon as he no longer has a goal to run towards. Soap’s death was the final straw that proved to him that opening his heart to any loss or pain will /always/ end badly, so he shuts down.

Because this time, /his/ temples are at least protected. He may not live to see the next day but he’ll be damned if he gives Makarov the opening for a repeat performance. When it’s over - when Makarov is bleeding out at his feet, head riddled with holes -

It’s an unacknowledged homage to Soap, but it’s also Ghost taking Soap’s death as a lesson. He eventually separates himself from the 141, goes AWOL to hunt down Makarov himself. Wears this new mask so that when he finally faces Makarov, he’ll be ready.

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This pic got me thinking Things and I just,, 💀🧼 CW: post-mw3 canon, refs to Soap MCD, suicide ideation, hopeful ending After Johnny dies from a bullet to the head, Ghost changes his skull mask to include a reinforced helmet and armor at both temples. 🧵

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Ravania @ravania.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

omg i don’t know HOW i missed your work this long i am absolutely in love with your style! 💖

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Reposted by ☁️

Stay frosty ❄️ A study of two Ghosts, two vibes.

The reference for his expression for when he told Price he thought his face melting off would be an improvement

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Reposted by ☁️

Ravania @ravania.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

My companion piece for the darling @aessedia.bsky.social, he definitely is Mr. Sunshine <33

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Ravania @ravania.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Someone needs to pluck the cig from his mouth and kiss him stupid

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this is such an incredible compliment, thank you so much!! that really means a lot to me, i’m so happy that you enjoyed reading my self-indulgent word soup! :’) 💖

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that is so incredibly sweet of you to say, oh gosh 💖 and thank you so much for reading!

aw yay! i’m so glad! i hope the final chapter meets expectations! ☺️

☁️ @saintlithic.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

steph! ahh i hope you enjoy!! 🥲🫶

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☁️ @saintlithic.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

hello friends! i just wanted to say thank you so so much for all the kind comments on this final chapter~ this monster was draining my life force after a certain point and i was just glad to get it finished, but all the kind feedback has been so sweet and reassuring 💖

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☁️ @saintlithic.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

oh gosh thank you so much! that’s so sweet of you to say 💖

☁️ @saintlithic.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

aw thank you dear!! i hope you enjoy the new chapter! 💖