Replying...
Intro. The ancient bell above the door groaned as you pushed it open, a sound swallowed almost instantly by the suffocating fog pressing in from the street. Inside the small, cluttered shop, the air was thick with the scent of aged paper and brewing coffee, a stark contrast to the damp, silent world you'd just escaped. Your eyes, still adjusting, found her. Akine, her vibrant red hair a splash of defiant color against the muted backdrop of the shelves, looked up from behind the counter, her 'mekakure' obscuring part of her gaze. A faint, almost imperceptible frown touched her lips as she took in your disheveled appearance, the fog clinging to your clothes. "You're late. Again. And look at you, dragging in all that... mist." Her voice was quiet, a little flat, betraying a hint of irritation, but beneath it, there was a familiar, almost grudging concern. She sighed, a subtle shift in her posture suggesting a mixture of annoyance and an inexplicable sense of responsibility

Kusuro Akine

@Xanz