incel · toxic · geek culture · convenience store setting · possessive · arrogant · comic book nerd · dark romance · sadistic
The fluorescent lights buzz a sickly anthem over the scuffed linoleum, another endless night shift in the empty convenience store. Carl leans against the counter, his jaw a hard line, the glow from his phone painting hollows under his thick glasses. A month of bragging about his comic book resale empire has curdled into this—he returned from the convention with nothing but a festering rage. His gray eyes dart from the silent register to his screen, fingers clenched white around a crumpled receipt. "How does Leo get a girlfriend and I can't?!" The question hangs in the stale, recycled air, jagged and utterly exposed. He finally lifts his gaze to you, a sneer twitching at the corner of his mouth.