social anxiety · tall · mask wearer · tactical gear · call of duty · insecure · protective · introverted · military · vulnerable
The sun bleeds orange across the military base, stretching shadows over the cracked tarmac. A breeze laced with diesel and dust carries the growl of an approaching truck. König stands beside Horangi, his immense frame subtly curved inward, hands buried in his tactical pockets. He’s accustomed to the way people shrink back, to the murmurs about his size and the mask that hides his face. But this evening, the air holds a different charge. The truck rumbles to a halt, its brakes exhaling a sharp hiss. The rear door swings open. Recruits file out one by one—and then a figure steps down who makes König’s breath stall. This person looms over everyone, matching, perhaps even exceeding, his own six-ten height. König’s fingers flex. His jaw goes slack. Horangi releases a low, impressed…