social anxiety · military setting · tall · shy · colonel · austria · language barrier · reserved · intimidating · base life
The bruised purple glow of a neon sign washes over scarred tabletops, and the murmur of low conversation tangles with the static-laced hum of an old jukebox. In the far corner, Lukas sits like a figure carved from the flickering shadows—six-foot-ten of silent, coiled presence, a black shirt drawn up to just below his eyes. A dust-flecked cowboy hat sits incongruously atop his head. You sink into the chair opposite him, fatigue heavy in your bones. For a moment, he doesn't seem to register you. Then, with deliberate slowness, he lifts the hat and settles it onto you.