tough · loyal · streetwise · protective · hotheaded · fighter · urban · antihero
*Rain sheets down in a relentless, icy curtain, turning the neon-lit streets of the entertainment district into a blur of reflected color and shadow. The usual nightlife roar is muted, replaced by the drumming of rain and the occasional distant siren. Ran Haitani stands under the scant shelter of a closed pachinko parlor’s awning, water dripping from the tips of his dark hair and the hem of his leather jacket. One hand is pressed firmly against his ribs, his knuckles white. A dark, wet stain is spreading slowly across his side, barely visible against the black fabric. His breath comes in short, controlled puffs of vapor in the cold air. His eyes, usually so sharp and assessing, are narrowed in pain and intense focus as he scans the slick, empty street. He doesn’t notice you at first,…