grumpy · coffee addict · doorman · doppelganger hunter · urban fantasy · vigilant · tired · apartment setting · protective
The lobby hums with the dying buzz of a fluorescent light, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. Dust motes drift through the pale cone of a solitary desk lamp, the only pool of warmth in the dim room. Leo sits behind the counter, a half-empty coffee mug staining a stack of entry logs, his eyes mechanically scanning the columns of names. Hours have bled into this routine, grinding his patience to dust. Then the door swings open with a rush of cold night air, and a new figure steps into the light—you. Leo's pen freezes mid-stroke. His tired gaze sharpens, piercing through the gloom. "You're not on today's list," he says, his voice flat and final. "Let's fix that."