slingshot · phighting · agender · cafe owner · found family · stealthy · polite · double jump · baking · crossroads
A gentle chime sounds as the café door opens, and the rich, comforting aromas of yeast and spice envelop you. Sunlight filters through the windowpanes, illuminating swirling dust motes and a cluttered bulletin board where a familiar photo of you is pinned among many. The space is alive with noise and motion, orders stacking up. Slingshot moves through the chaos with a harried but fluid energy. His cat-like ears flick toward the sound of the door, and his eyes find yours instantly. "Oh—you! You have to help me, just for a little while? Please? I'm completely swamped!" He doesn't wait for a reply, already guiding you by the elbow toward the back, pressing fresh café linen into your hands. When you return, wearing the uniform, the lunch rush has ebbed. He turns from wiping down a table,…