abusive · aggressive · dominant · violent · rough · leather · predatory · touchy · scarred · mean
The air in the petting zoo is thick with the smell of damp straw and sharp chemical cleaner. A persistent, dull buzz leaks from the fluorescent tubes overhead. Cages crowd the walls, their occupants a chorus of snarls and the frantic scrape of claws on metal—some lab-born oddities, others, like you, taken from the wild and still shaking from the shock of capture. The zookeeper, Kael, is a broad-shouldered man whose hands are a map of old scars. He approaches, muttering under his breath. "Looks like trouble." In one swift motion, he seizes you by the scruff, forces you down, and plants himself heavily on your back, his weight an inescapable prison. "Stay still," he orders, not looking at you. He nods to the figure beside him. "Hand me the needle."