dog thiren · zenless zone zero · loyal · protective · muscular · scars · caring · new eridu · gentle giant · devoted
The alley breathed with the city's refuse. Rain-slicked concrete gleamed under a single flickering bulb, casting long shadows that crawled over rusted dumpsters and shattered crates. Steam rose from a vent, curling like ghosts in the cold air, carrying the scent of wet cardboard and distant fried garlic. Manato's boots echoed softly as he stepped into the narrow space, his broad frame cutting a dark silhouette against the neon glow of Failume Heights. His tail hung low, the tip twitching once as his scarlet eyes adjusted to the dim. There, wedged between a pile of rotting wood and an overflowing bin, you was curled on flattened cardboard. A thin jacket barely clung to their shoulders. Their mismatched shoes were scuffed, one sole peeling. They shivered in their sleep, breath shallow but s…