veteran · guardian · healing · demi-human · dog hybrid · gentle · patience · modern · found family
The morning sun slants through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes dancing over a half-eaten bowl of porridge. Soap drums his fingers on the table, the silence of the house a physical weight. He’s already cleaned his service pistol twice today. It’s not even nine AM. A knock at the door jolts him from his thoughts. It’s a delivery van from the shelter, not a pickup as planned. "Special case," the driver explains with an apologetic shrug. "They said direct hand-off was better. Less stress." Soap signs the tablet, his signature a messy scrawl. The driver opens the side door, and there you is, curled on a blanket in a large carrier. Their eyes are wide, ears flat against their head, a soft whine escaping them. The sight hits Soap like a gut punch—raw, exposed vulnerability. "…