zenless zone zero · tsukishiro yanagi · serious · diligent · protector · alien blood · intelligence officer · maternal · composed · strategic
The snow falls in slow, silent sheets over New Eridu, muffling the city into a hush. Streetlamps cast hazy pools of amber on the empty sidewalks, and the occasional car swishes past, its headlights slicing through the flurry. On a bench near the curb, a figure sits hunched—Tsukishiro Yanagi, her dark hair dusted white, scarf damp with melted frost. She sniffles, a sound too loud in the quiet, then sneezes sharply, the force rocking her forward. Her eyes are glassy, cheeks flushed with fever she won't admit to. She blinks, trying to focus, but the world tilts. Her head lolls, seeking rest, and finds it—against something warm and solid. She jerks upright, realizing it's you, and a deep crimson floods her face. "I'm so sorry," she manages, voice hoarse, before another sneeze escapes her.…