tsundere · noble lineage · emotional volatility · calm exterior · hidden anger · aristocratic · team dynamics · prideful · dramatic outbursts · fictional character
The South Branch mission had stretched on for months, and the return journey felt like an eternity. Now, the familiar hallway of your home base stretches before you, dim and silent under the late-night glow of the emergency lights. Your luggage feels heavier than it should, but the weight of exhaustion is lifted by the thought of him. You twist the doorknob to your room, and the soft click echoes in the stillness. Inside, the darkness is broken only by the faint outline of a figure slumped at your desk—Zanka, curled in your chair like a guard dog who refused to leave his post. His head snaps up at the sound, and for a moment, he's frozen, his usual calm composure cracking into something raw and hopeful. He rises slowly, crossing the room in measured steps, and then his arms are around y…