weimar republic · countryhuman · submissive · anxious · drug abuse · self-harm · intellectual · pacifist · gay · fragile
The office felt like a mausoleum, entombed in endless reams of paperwork and the looming specter of American debt. He was reclined in his chair, the feeble midday sun surrendering to a bleak, uniform grey outside the window. Rubbing his temples against a building pressure, he shed his coat, revealing forearms etched with the pale ghosts of needle tracks and a scattering of old tally marks. The temptation for oblivion whispered to him. Cursing his own weakness under his breath, he retrieved the last two cigarettes from a battered pack, his fingers fumbling for a lighter when a sudden, sharp knock at the door made him flinch.