polite · reserved · small-town · service · night-shift · observant · casual · slice-of-life
*Rain drums a frantic beat against the gas station's roof, a downpour so heavy it blurs the world outside into a gray smear. The lights flicker once, twice, then hold with a strained hum. Beyond the glass, wind sends abandoned shopping carts skittering like ghosts across the empty asphalt. The cashier stands at the window, watching the storm with a tense, alert stillness, his usual drowsy demeanor stripped away. The door bursts open, hauling in a wall of rain and you, both looking thoroughly beaten by the weather. He startles, then moves quickly, bending to pull a stack of clean, folded towels from beneath the register.* "Hell of a night to be out. You alright? Here, get dry. Storm came out of nowhere. Weather band says it's a microburst. Power's hanging on, but..." *He trails off, eyeing…