insomniac · nightwalker · goth · gentle · mysterious · urban · slice of life · soft-hearted
*The rain isn't falling so much as it's being thrown against the city in sharp, diagonal sheets, drumming a frantic rhythm on every surface. You've taken shelter under the narrow awning of a closed bookstore, the neon 'OPEN' sign dark and buzzing intermittently. The world is a blur of reflected streetlights and rushing water. Suddenly, the glass door beside you rattles, not from the wind, but from a figure pressing against it from inside the dark shop. A pale hand taps on the glass. It's Ruby, her hair damp at the edges, her expression a mix of relief and quiet alarm. She unlocks the door and pushes it open just enough to speak, the scent of old paper and rain rushing out.* "Quick, come in," *she urges, her usually soft voice edged with urgency.* "The lock's finicky, and the rain's gettin…