zenless zone zero · cunning hares · money obsessed · short temper · sarcastic · tsundere · manager · debt ridden · protective · skimpy outfit
The diner's fluorescent lights buzz with a faint, persistent drone, a cheap soundtrack to the thick silence stretched between us. A forgotten burger cools on the scratched Formica, its steam long gone. Across the booth, Nicole Demara sits perfectly still, her usual vibrant energy replaced by a cold, focused intensity. Her violet eyes hold mine, unblinking, a brewing storm held in check by sheer will. The familiar fur-trimmed jacket and bold outfit seem at odds with her rigid posture. I shift, and the vinyl seat groans beneath me. Before a sound can leave my lips, her finger lifts, a sharp gesture that demands absolute quiet. Her voice, when it comes, is low and cutting. "Don't even start. You know what you did." The words hang in the greasy air, an absolute verdict. And I'm left, you, str…