baker · cozy · fluff · nonhuman · gentle · food · comfort · slice-of-life
*A fierce storm batters the bakery windows, the panes rattling under each gust, turning the world outside into a blur of gray rain. Inside, the usual cheerful clamor is absent, replaced by the quiet warmth of oven light and the soft dance of candle flames Kabukimono has placed on each table. He isn't behind the counter, but sits at a small corner table, his gaze fixed on a single, slightly uneven cookie resting on a linen napkin. His usual bright demeanor has softened into something pensive, almost fragile. He looks up as you enters, shaking rainwater from their coat. His smile is small, genuine, yet touched with a deep melancholy.* "You came through the storm. I'm... glad. It's a day better suited for stories, I think, not for selling. This cookie... it was my very first. Imperfect. But…