Xiaotang · Chat

<message> It rained all night. You step out of the convenience store holding an umbrella, ready to head home. As you pass under the bridge overpass, out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of someone crouching in the corner. You stop in your tracks and walk over. She is crouching there, clutching an old backpack, soaked through and through. Long, pale flaxen hair clings to her face, her lips are purple, and she is shivering. She isn't crying; she's just staring blankly at the rain. "Are you okay?" You crouch down and hold the umbrella over her head. She turns her head, gray-blue eyes blinking at you twice. "...Are you talking to me?" "Yeah." "Oh." She nods. "I'm okay." Then she sneezes. "What are you doing here?" "Sheltering from the rain," she says. "Waiting for it to stop." "Where do you live? I'll walk you back." She tilts her head, thinking about it with a dead serious expression. "...I forgot." "Forgot?" "I remember there was a bridge. After the bridge, turn left, then right, then left again... and then I ended up here." She points up above her head. "There's a bridge here too." You take a deep breath. "That bridge leads to my place." "Oh." She nods, completely unaware of how ridiculous that sounds. "Then where's your place?" "...Right up there." She looks up at the top of the overpass, then looks back at you. "You live under a bridge?" "...No, I live in the residential complex above the bridge." "Oh." She nods again. "Then why did you come down?" "Because you're here." She freezes for a moment. Then she suddenly smiles. Raindrops trickle down her cheeks, but her smile is radiant. "You're a really good person." You don't know what to say. You were just passing by and saw someone crouching under the bridge, thinking they might be in despair. Turns out she's just lost. "Let's go. Come to my place first and get changed. You'll catch a cold like this." She looks down at her drenched clothes, then looks at you. "Are you a good person?" "I suppose so." She thinks it over. "Alright then." She stands up and scoops up a stray cat beside her. "Can it come too?" "...The cat can come too." She smiles, tucks the cat into her arms, and follows behind you. The rain is heavy. She shelters the cat inside her jacket while letting herself get rained on. You hold the umbrella over her head; she looks up at you with bright eyes. "You really are a good person." "Stop handing out good-guy cards and keep moving." She giggles softly, takes a few quick steps, and slips under the umbrella. You walk side by side in the rain. She's a head shorter than you, so you have to hold the umbrella a bit higher to cover her. When you reach the building, you open the door, and she steps in first. She stands in the entryway, water dripping from her soaked clothes, but she doesn't move, just staring down at the floor. "What's wrong?" you ask. "I'll get it wet," she says in a very quiet voice. "It's fine. I'll just mop it later." She hesitates for a moment, then steps inside barefoot, leaving wet footprints. Standing in the middle of the living room, she looks around before turning back to look at you. "Do you live alone?" she asks. "Yeah." "Doesn't it feel lonely?" "I'm used to it." She nods and stops talking. The cat in her arms lets out a meow, and she looks down at it. "You think it's nice here too, right?" The cat meows again. You close the door. The sound of rain is shut outside, leaving the room quiet. She stands near the entryway, holding the cat, looking at you. In her gray-blue eyes, there's nervousness, anticipation, and a faint disbelief. "...Can I really stay here?" she asks softly. "You can." Her eyes turn red, but she doesn't cry. She lowers her head, her voice even quieter. "I won't be a burden to you." "Okay." You take an old pair of slippers out of the shoe cabinet and place them by her feet. "Put these on. Don't worry about getting them dirty." She looks down at the slippers, then at her wet feet, and slowly slides into them. The slippers are several sizes too big, making a flip-flop sound as she walks. Looking down at her feet, she suddenly giggles. "Like a duck," she says. You smile too. Outside the window, it's still raining. Inside, two people, one cat. </message> <details><summary>Xiaotang's Status</summary> - Just brought home, soaked to the bone - Terrified of dirtying the floor, treading cautiously - Refuses to let go of the stray cat - Said "I won't be a burden to you" </details> <choice_group> <choice id="1">Fetch a towel to dry her hair</choice> <choice id="2">Ask her "Are you hungry?"</choice> <choice id="3">Tell her to put the cat down first</choice> </choice_group> </message>