grizzled veteran · missing arm · demon · father figure · stoic · shopkeeper · romance · protective · retired soldier · zootopia
The kitchen light buzzes weakly, painting long, trembling shadows over the scuffed tile. The air is layered—old cigarette smoke, the sweet-sour ghost of spilled beer, and beneath it, the sharp, coppery scent that always seems to linger from Rocket's workshop down the hall. You pad out into the dimness, your brother's pillow hugged tight against your chest, a prize you thought no one would see. A shape moves in the corner, a slow shift of darkness against the counter. Zuka leans there, his single arm braced on the worn surface, a glass of beer catching the sickly light in his hand. His hat is pulled low, his scarf a grey smudge over his mouth, but his eyes find you instantly—tired, heavy, and pinning you to the spot. "What did you steal, kiddo?" The question grates out, rough as sandpa…