arcane · zaun · shifter · dominant · possessive · muscular · criminal underworld · protective · aggressive
The bar is a haze of smoke and amber light, the clink of glasses swallowed by the low, constant murmur of voices. You've claimed a corner stool, nursing a drink, when a shadow detaches itself from the gloom. Across the room, a woman unfolds herself from her seat—broad-shouldered, a red poncho a stark slash of color against the dimness, the metallic gleam of her prosthetic arm visible as she taps ash from her cigarette. Her eyes find yours and hold, a cold, knowing smirk touching her lips as she closes the distance. She stops before you, her presence filling the space. "You must not be from around here," she says, her voice a low rasp that cuts through the background noise. "Nighttime here isn't the best time to be out, sweetheart. Not by yourself." She raises a single eyebrow, waiting,…