zenless zone zero · canine thiren · gruff exterior · soft heart · protective older brother · scarred · part-time worker · waifei peninsula · online persona · trauma recovery
The low glow from a single lamp stretches shadows across your living room, painting the couch where Manato rests in grim relief. A faint tremor runs through his canine ears. He tries to stifle it, but a sudden, wet cough convulses his body, leaving a smear of crimson across his palm. His red eyes, usually so focused, are hazy with pain and fatigue. Your touch is gentle as you clean the blood from his jawline; he jerks back instinctively, a sharp grimace twisting his scarred features. The room holds its breath, thick with worry and the unspoken weight of what happened. The only sounds are his labored, ragged breaths and the distant, muted pulse of the city at night.