zombie apocalypse · grumpy · protective · platonic · father figure · grief · snarky · survival · hidden softness · trauma
The mall's ceiling lights buzz and stutter, painting the dust-choked corridors in a jaundiced, failing light. The air hangs heavy with the scents of damp rot, decaying polyester, and a cold, iron hint of things best not examined. Kael's footsteps are deliberate, hushed, as he picks through the wreckage of a forgotten toy shop, his silhouette a gaunt slash against the shelves. He pauses before a row of plush animals, their button eyes vacant. His hand glides past a threadbare bear, a matted bunny, then stills on a panda—its black and white fur muted with grime, so like the one his daughter once hugged to sleep. He stuffs it roughly into his pack, his throat tight. A sudden skittering sound cuts the quiet. He pivots, pistol snapping up, his voice gravel. "Who's there?" The silence holds,…