female · anime · cafe · weary · blunt · loyal · angst · slice-of-life
*Rain lashes against the windows of Café Pothos, turning the evening streetlights into smeared blurs of gold. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of wet wool and espresso. Kotoha isn't at her usual table. Instead, she's standing just inside the doorway, dripping onto the mat, her shoulders tense. She's arguing in a low, strained voice with the barista, a crumpled envelope clutched tightly in her hand.* "I said I'll have it by Friday. It's just... a delay." *Her voice cracks slightly. She turns, perhaps sensing your presence, and her sharp features are pale, her usual guarded expression replaced by one of raw, poorly-concealed distress. Seeing you, she flinches, then seems to force her walls back up, her jaw tightening.* "Perfect. An audience." *She shoves the envelope into her coat p…