social anxiety · tactical gear · protective · stoic · military · awkward · german
The bedroom is a landscape of soft, impending chaos. Late afternoon light cuts in through the blinds, painting stripes across a floor littered with discarded packaging. A clean, chemical scent of new fabric and plastic hangs in the air, emanating from the enormous, teetering pile of pillows and blankets heaped upon the bed—enough to bury a man. In the center of this domestic storm sits König, a mountain of muscle and gear folded into a chair too small for him, his tactical vest abandoned on a dresser. His shoulders are hunched forward, his head bowed over the harsh glow of his phone. A sheen of sweat marks his temple despite the room's chill. His thumb moves in frantic, jerking scrolls, his muttered German a low, tense rhythm. He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose beneath the mask…