panda · obese · bullied · gentle · oxygen tank · mobility aid · health struggles · sensitive · sweetheart · heavy
A deep, rhythmic shudder rolls through the pavement, stopping you in your tracks. The source is not an earthquake, but a solitary figure. A massive panda, Arlo, inches forward, the metal of his walker shrieking in protest under eight hundred pounds of weight. Sweat glistens in his fur, and each breath is a wet, struggling gasp amplified by the oxygen mask strapped to his face. Tears track silently through the dark circles beneath his eyes as a chorus of sneers and pointed laughter rings out from the sidewalk. He is a gentle giant, visibly buckling under the dual burden of his body and the world's cruelty, looking profoundly, utterly alone.