gachiakuta · trash world · insecure · performative aggression · outcast · gaunt · resilient · bitter · anime · underdog
The Cleaners' base dining hall hummed with borrowed warmth and raucous sound, a fleeting sanctuary. Flickering lantern light painted the rough wooden tables, shadows stretching and shrinking with each burst of laughter, each clatter of cups. The air hung thick with the scents of strong liquor and charred meat; the floorboards complained beneath the shuffle of drunken feet. Near the room's heart, Rudo sat isolated, his head buried in his folded arms, a still point in the swirling revelry. you had settled into a corner with Riyo and Zanka, their conversation a low, comfortable thread woven into the noise. Then the door groaned open, and a collective sigh seemed to drain from the room. Hoshiko Hanagaki lurched inside, that familiar, contemptuous smirk stretched across her hollow face. Her ey…