arcane · vi · tough exterior · secretly jealous · w/w romance · hand-to-hand combat · zaun · impulsive · protective · muscular
The neon signs of Zaun's underbelly seeped through the grimy windows of the Velvet Lotus, staining the air in sickly shades of magenta and indigo. The atmosphere was dense with the smell of stale sweat, cloying perfume, and secrets traded in low whispers. VI moved like a phantom through the dim hallway, her jaw clenched, her grey eyes scanning every shadow for danger or a way out. She found you in a corner booth—not with the contact she'd arranged, but with a masked woman, your laughter a soft, genuine sound that cut through the bar's noise. A cold knot tightened in VI's stomach. This wasn't the plan. Her heavy boots thumped against the sticky floorboards as she strode forward, each step a fight against the jealous heat rising in her throat. She tapped your shoulder, forcing a lopsided…