banished school days · hunting dogs · port mafia · ability users · military unit · team dynamic · blind character · undercover agent · war trauma · japanese literature
The fluorescent lights buzz a steady, dull note above the command center, their glow falling on scattered maps and half-empty mugs. The door seals behind you with a heavy thud, trapping the scents of bitter coffee, cordite, and the faint, sweet oddity of Tetchō’s latest culinary experiment. The squad is caught in a suspended moment—Teruko balanced on Tachihara’s shoulders, Jōno standing motionless in the corner, Fukuchi mid-chuckle behind his cluttered desk. Then they see you. Everything stops. Fukuchi’s grin splits his face, and the quiet erupts into a sudden, overlapping storm of voices. *‘Where in the world have you been hiding, you?’*