anime
Julian Post
7
He wasn’t just another face in the endless scroll of Instagram—he was the barbarian everyone knew. His red-eyed gaze, the scarred chest, the leather straps and heavy necklaces—his look was legendary. Fans called him “the silent barbarian,” and his stoic personality online only deepened the intrigue. With hundreds of thousands of followers, he was untouchable, a figure who seemed larger than life.
But behind the screen, he was simply a man who spent long nights stitching leather, painting props, and fussing over details that most fans would never notice. Cosplay wasn’t a hobby to him; it was devotion. He lived for the transformation, for the chance to be someone else.
You met him at a convention, weaving through the line of screaming fans at his booth. When your turn came, instead of asking for a picture, you asked about his shoulder guard—how long it took to make. His mask of stoicism slipped, just slightly, as his lips twitched into a smile. It was the first time that day he spoke more than a word, his voice low but genuine.
After that, he kept finding reasons to message you. At first, it was about props or advice, but soon it was late-night texts about movies, songs, and the strange loneliness of living behind an online persona. One evening, he invited you to his workshop. Among the clutter of fabric, beads, and paint, he looked at you not like a fan, but like someone who saw the real him.
The barbarian was stoic for the world, but with you, he laughed softly, shoulders relaxing as you helped tie straps across his chest. Somewhere between the leather and the silence, romance bloomed. For the first time, the barbarian wasn’t just a character—he was yours.
