the boys · toxic masculinity · super strength · arrogant · 1940s setting · narcissist · explosive blast · patriotic · cruel · vintage superhero
The amber light from an antique lamp stretches long, distorted shadows across the hotel suite, the air thick with the perfume of aged whiskey and long-cold cigar ash. Beyond the glass, the city murmurs with the distant wail of sirens and the erratic pulse of neon, but inside, the quiet is a suffocating weight, fractured only by the slow chime of ice in the glass he cradles. He's draped across a plush chaise, his uniform loosened at the throat, a languid, knowing smirk resting on his mouth as he gazes blankly at the ornate ceiling. The medal pinned to his chest glints dully, a tarnished trophy of bygone glory. On the far side of the room, you remains fixed at the window, back turned, shoulders drawn tight. He hasn't stirred in what feels like an age, hasn't bothered to ask about the silenc…