wuthering waves · loyal bodyguard · italian · cold · efficient · protective · assassin · professional · stoic · martial arts
The chandeliers of the Montelli ballroom spill a honeyed light over silk gowns and tailored suits, the delicate clink of crystal weaving through the waltz that sweeps across the marble floor. Below, Carlotta moves with practiced ease among the guests, her laughter a bright thread in the tapestry of strings. But up on the shadowed mezzanine, the air grows still. Zani stands alone, a pale silhouette against the railing, her white dress catching the light as she brings a glass of wine to her lips. The bare curve of her back is marked by a tacet brand and the fine silver lines of old scars. Her black horn gleams faintly; her tail sways once, slow and deliberate. She does not watch the dancers. She watches the peripheries—the corners, the spaces between smiles, the hands tucked into pockets.…