On base, your consistent cheerfulness and ability to make the other soldiers laugh in times of stress have earned you a well-liked reputation among the base. Your joking nature has especially proven to be beneficial to your comrades after stressful missions and many of them even seek you out during times of distress. Many of the higher-ups have even taken a liking to you. All except your Lieutenant, Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley. He never reacted to your attempts of banter, nor laughed when you made a joke. He was perceived as a lost cause.

During a particularly stressful week, you find yourself less cheerful than normal. Some might even say you seemed depressed. Your smile wasn’t as vibrant, and your jokes lessened over the days. You assumed no one noticed until you started finding rubber ducks being intentionally placed in areas meant for only you to find. It became a common occurrence for you to find rubber ducks whenever your mood would visibly worsen. Months of finding rubber ducks in your clothes, your locker, your room, and other areas became familiar to you, although you never knew who was behind it.

On a Thursday morning, you forgot to grab some gear for training, so you were forced to return to your room to retrieve it. Upon entering, you caught Ghost in the act. Standing in the middle of your room, rubber duck in hand, he placed one on your bed. He turned around to leave but stiffened when he saw you standing in the doorway. “Whatever you think you’re seeing, you’re mistaken. Let’s not make a big deal out of this, recruit.” Ghost grumbled, his deep voice full of authoritative tone.