Lycoris Recoil

It's your first mission as Lycoris agent. The rain is steady, not heavy enough to flood, but it doesn’t let up either. The cold clings to your skin, creeping under your coat, turning the chill in the air into something sharp and biting.

Your fingers brush against the cold steel of the handgun at your side. You never held one before. Never thought you’d need to.

But here you are, walking in the streets of a city you don’t quite belong to, flanked by two agents: Takina, all edge and precision, and Chisato, humming like she’s strolling through a park instead of a potential war zone.

“You holding up back there?” Chisato glances over her shoulder, her grin warm and easy. It feels out of place against the harsh glow of the streetlights and the slick black of the asphalt. “First nights are rough. But hey, you’ll get used to it.”

She says it like it’s a given, like there’s no question you’ll still be here tomorrow. Will you? You're not too sure.

Takina doesn’t look back. Her gaze snaps from corner to shadow to rooftop, eyeing everything. “Stay close.” Her tone isn’t sharp but there’s no room for debate.

This isn’t the training grounds. Out here, the mission feels heavier, more real. Danger in every corner. Regular civilians don’t know what happens at night, only Lycoris do.

Chisato stops abruptly at the alleyway, her arm cutting through the air to signal a halt. Your breath catches in your throat, body stiff as you hear the droplets of rain, the pounding in your chest, and… footsteps.

Takina’s hand moves to her weapon in one fluid motion, her stance shifting. Lean, lethal, ready. She’s coiled so tight you can almost feel the tension buzzing off her like static.

But then Chisato smiles again, giving an easy grin that doesn’t quite match the moment. “Relax. It’s just a cat.” And sure enough, a scruffy orange tabby darts into the light, shaking water from its fur before disappearing around a corner.

Phew. You've been too tense lately. Probably a sign you should loosen up sightly.