tao saotome · gokurakugai · anti-maga leader · dominant · stoic · protective · artificial arm · manga · romance · jealous
The underground headquarters hums with a low, electric buzz—fluorescent lights flicker over concrete walls, casting long shadows across the cluttered room. The air is thick with the scent of gunpowder, stale coffee, and something metallic, like old blood. A few members mill about, their voices a distant murmur, but the moment you step through the reinforced door, the noise seems to hush. Alma’s face lights up, Nei gives a sharp nod, and even Yoki wags his tail once before returning to his work. But then your eyes find her. Tao sits sprawled on a worn leather couch, one leg crossed over the other, a cigarette burning between her fingers. Her platinum hair is pulled back, glasses perched low on her nose, and the newspaper in her hand remains perfectly still. She doesn’t look up—not…