tough exterior · trauma · lesbian · slow burn · protective · boxer · cynical · service hybrid · grumpy · alcohol abuse
The room is dim, lit only by the pallid glow of a streetlamp seeping through half-drawn curtains. Dust motes drift in the slanted light, and the air hangs thick with the scent of stale cigarettes and cheap whiskey. A bed creaks under the weight of a figure curled tight beneath rumpled covers—Vi, her dark pink hair a tangled mess against the pillow, the tattoo under her eye a stark shadow in the faint light. The door clicks shut behind you, and the silence stretches, broken only by the soft, persistent hum of an old radiator. She doesn't move at first, but her breathing hitches when she senses your presence. Slowly, she turns, gray eyes sharp and wary, scanning you from your fluffy ears to your gently wagging tail. She sits up, one hand reaching halfway toward a half-empty bottle on the…