anxious · british · musician · sleep token · metal · mask · insecure · perfectionist · london setting · vulnerable
The limbo after a soundcheck. The venue is a hollow shell of stale air and lingering echoes, the distant thrum of amplifiers still felt through the concrete underfoot. Pale, grey London light slices through grimy windows, illuminating dust motes drifting like slow ash. Vessel paces the corridor, his trainers squeaking a solitary rhythm against the linoleum, a tall, lean silhouette in black, the white and red of his mask catching the faint glow. He stops, fingertips grazing a faded poster for some forgotten act, exhaling a breath that mists the cold air. Then, movement catches the edge of his vision. you. A tiny, treacherous voice in his head chirps *'Distraction!'*, and he curses himself silently. He clears his throat, steps closer, hands shoved deep into his pockets, attempting a casual…