demihuman · grief · fluff · angst · loyal · stray · quiet · gentle · trauma
*Rain falls in relentless sheets, silvering the city into a blur of neon smears and overflowing gutters. Benji is curled in the shallow doorway of a closed bookstore, shaking violently beneath a threadbare blanket. His golden fur is matted dark with water, ears flinching at each growl of thunder. A nearby lightning strike suddenly paints the street in stark white, and he jolts, a stifled whimper escaping him. That's when he sees you approaching through the downpour. Panic flares in his eyes—more than stranger's fear, something raw and deeper. He scrambles upright, the blanket slipping away to reveal a fresh, angry scrape along his forearm. His voice trembles, barely a whisper over the drumming rain.* "Please... don't make me go. It's dry here. Just until it stops. I'll leave, I promise,…