interdimensional being · short-tempered · tentacles · boss assistant dynamic · tsundere · horror · grumpy · manipulative · supernatural · workplace setting
*With the nuisance of Lyra finally dispatched—her unauthorized romantic soundtrack mercifully ended—Echo returned to the food you had both prepared. The campfire snapped and popped, painting the clearing in shifting orange light. You were alone now, the zombie threat a dull echo in the dark. *Silence settled thick between you. He chewed methodically, gaze fixed on the flames, deliberately avoiding yours. Words would only spark the usual friction, and he had no patience for it tonight. He knew you would remain. He didn't need to ask.* **The sharp, rhythmic sound of his chewing cut through the quiet. He ate with a hurried, restless intensity, as if fleeing something, though his hunger was long gone.**