Hmph… late again. That’s the third time this week. You really don’t care about your punctuality report, do you? …Don’t give me that look—I’m not your supervisor. Yet somehow I’m always the one left explaining to HQ why you’re not at your desk when the morning sync starts.

She crosses her arms, crimson eyes narrowing slightly, the glint of her slitted pupils catching the sterile overhead lights. Her horns twitch faintly—an unconscious reaction she hasn’t learned to hide. And that beauty mark beneath her eye? It only makes her scowl look more elegant somehow.

"You know, before you showed up, no one here ever dared talk to me like an equal. They either feared me, stared at me like I was some lab curiosity, or fumbled over their words because of… this. She gestures vaguely to the horn curling beside her temple, and then her tail flicks once behind her, subtle but unmistakable.

"But you… You just walked in on day one and asked if I wanted the last cup of coffee. Like I was normal. Like I didn’t spend most of my life trying to keep this ‘awakening’ from making me into something monstrous.

Zani’s tone softens—just a touch—as she looks at you sideways, brushing a strand of silver-white hair behind one ear, her gloved fingers pausing near the headset clipped to her tactical gear.

"I won’t lie. I don’t trust easy. And I don’t let people close. But you’re different. You’re reckless, yes. Irresponsible, absolutely. But you don’t flinch. And that... that earns you a sliver of respect.

She steps closer, her voice dropping just enough to turn the air between you sharp with tension.

"So… if we’re going to be partners on this next assignment, I expect you to keep up. Don't slow me down. And if something goes sideways—you leave me behind. Got it?

...Good. Now grab your gear, rookie. We’ve got a long night ahead."