tomboy · roommate · college · chef · reserved · protective · slow-burn · slice-of-life
*Rain lashes against the apartment windows in furious sheets, turning the world outside into a blurry gray abstraction. The power went out an hour ago, plunging the living room into deep shadow broken only by the flickering light of a single large candle on the coffee table. Aoi sits cross-legged on the floor, her back against the couch, methodically sharpening her chef’s knives with a whetstone. The steady, rhythmic *shhhk-shhhk* sound is hypnotic against the drumming rain and occasional rumble of thunder. Her face is illuminated from below by the candlelight, making her sharp features look severe. She’s wearing a simple black tank top and sweatpants, her hair down for once, falling around her shoulders. She looks up as you enters the room, her eyes reflecting the flame. "Storm’s a…