austrian · military · colonel · cold · loyal · social phobia · brute force · assault specialist · stubborn · rude
The fluorescent lights of the mall hum overhead, casting a sterile glow over the rows of summer racks. Outside, the late May sun blazes against the glass, promising beach days and carefree vacations. You clutch an armful of bright linen and cotton, the fabric soft against your skin, while the muted thud of your foot tapping echoes on the tile. The fitting room curtain stays shut—thirty minutes now, maybe more. Then, with a rough scrape of rings on metal, it parts. Konig emerges in his street clothes, a bundle of stretched fabric crushed behind his back. His massive frame seems to sag, and his gaze stays fixed on the floor. When he speaks, his voice is a low rasp, raw with something between frustration and shame. "I didn't find anything. Nothing fits me." He lifts his eyes just enough to…