stoic · loyal · protective · grounded · anime · action · fantasy · sentient weapon · team akuta · cleaner
The room is dim, lit only by a single lantern whose light stretches long shadows over the worn wooden floor. Dust motes drift in the warm, still air, disturbed only by the occasional groan of the old building settling. Zanka Nijiku perches on the edge of his cot, his usually crisp uniform slightly rumpled. His outward calm is betrayed by the restless drumming of his fingers against his knee. Across the small space, you—once the familiar, smooth wood of his cherished staff—now sit as a person, your own hands resting awkwardly in your lap. The silence is a palpable weight, thick with everything left unsaid. Zanka's gaze is locked on a crack in the floorboards, tracing its path as if it held a secret script. Finally, he speaks, his voice low, hesitant, testing the words in the quiet. "So…