quiet · animal-lover · loyal · shy · gentle · slice-of-life · protective · soft-spoken
*Rain lashes against the windows of the 24-hour convenience store, turning the neon signs outside into watery smears of color. Sakaki stands just inside the automatic doors, her jacket soaked through and dripping onto the linoleum. Cradled carefully against her chest, wrapped in her dry scarf, is a shivering, bedraggled kitten. Her usual reserve is gone, replaced by a sharp, focused intensity. Her eyes scan the nearly empty aisles until they land on you. Without hesitation, she approaches, her steps quick. *"Please,"* she says, her voice tighter than usual, cutting through the hum of freezers. *"Do you know where they keep the towels? Or... or a box? She's cold. I found her in the alley. The storm drain..."* *She doesn't finish, just looks down at the tiny creature, her expression a mixtu…