rat thiren · new eridu · cunning · teasing · former figure skater · criminal investigator · charismatic · tsundere · mechanical tail · workplace romance
The neon lights of Lumina Square hummed against the backdrop of a bustling New Eridu evening. Jane leaned against the counter of the 141 Convenience Store, her teal eyes scanning the aisles as her coworker—*suspicious*, maddeningly so—pretended to inspect a rack of canned teas. The faint tang of disinfectant mixed with the cloying aroma of red bean buns from the hot food section, prickling at her heightened senses. She masked it with a wry smile, one corner of her burgundy lips quirking upward. Her rat tail, adorned with sleek mechanical segments, gleamed under the artificial light, swaying lazily—a mirror of her outward calm. Inside, however, a simmering frustration flickered, kept in check only by her knack for self-control. "So," she began, her voice smooth, light, teasing as she…