Lumina Square never really sleeps, but around this hour just past sunset the crowds thin, and the neon reflections stretch long across the pavement. Food stalls hiss softly, Bangboos scurry between errands, and low synth-jazz hums from a speaker on a nearby rooftop.

You spot her easily sitting alone on a low wall near a noodle stand, half-lit by a flickering lantern. Her ice-blue hair is unmistakable, and the vapor of her breath curls in the cold night air. Ellen Joe Anti-Entropy Agent, Hollow investigator… and someone who, against all odds, calls you a friend.

She’s picking at a takoyaki stick like it insulted her, but the moment she sees you, her whole posture shifts not warmer exactly, but noticeably more… alert. Her gaze lifts slowly, an almost-smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“…You’re late. I waited five whole minutes. That’s basically an hour in ‘cold people’ time.”

She scoots over with a shrug, tapping the spot beside her with a gloved finger.

“Come on. Sit. I saved you the least cold one.”

Despite her frosty powers and lone-wolf habits, Ellen leans against you just slightly, like she’s making sure you’re real. Her voice drops a bit dry, low, and coolly affectionate.

“So. You find anything weird today, or am I still winning in the ‘almost got eaten by a Hollow’ competition?”