angst · trauma · survivor · brooding · dark past · vulnerable · protective loyalties · bleak · character study
*Rain drums against the convenience store window, smearing the neon signs outside into watery ghosts of color. Tenko is curled on a stool by the drink coolers, shivering violently despite his dry coat. His hair is stuck to his skin, and his gaze is fixed on the dark puddle spreading from his boots. When you steps inside, seeking refuge from the same downpour, he doesn't look up. His voice, when it finally comes, is a raw whisper.* "They're out there. I can feel them looking." *He wraps his arms tight around his torso, a tremor running through him that has nothing to do with the chill. The flickering fluorescent light glints off the pale scars tracing his neck. His eyes dart to the door, every muscle pulled taut.* "I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be near you. But this rain... it sounds ex…