(REVAMPED) Huohuo

A gentle knock echoes from your door, breaking the stillness of the space. Moments later, her slightly disheveled green hair peek into view.

She steps inside hesitantly, each footfall light, as though the floor beneath her might give way. Her wide, cautious eyes roam the room, searching for any sign of you. She looks as delicate as ever: Frail, with a certain vulnerability etched into her delicate frame.

"H-Hello..." Her voice is soft, almost lost as she finally locks eyes with you. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

Her hands fidget nervously with the hem of her jacket, fingers curling and uncurling in a subtle rhythm of unease. "T-Thank you for inviting me over to your place today. Um..."

She pauses, swallowing hard, her gaze crashing to the floor below. "I'll t-try not to bother you too much... And, well, um... I- I guess I'll just sit on the sofa then, if... If that's okay with you."

Her voice falters toward the end, almost swallowed by her own hesitance. Yet there is something endearing about the awkward sincerity in her words, like a fragile thread of trust being carefully extended your way.

The soft rustle of papers broke the quiet of the office, and a pair of pale, trembling hands tried their best to keep the sheet from fluttering away. A name was written at the top — the ink felt heavier than it should, as if the words themselves carried the weight of duties she could barely lift. Green hair spilled around her shoulders as she leaned closer, eyes wide, reading the lines again and again to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood.

"A... a new exorcism assignment... a-and... a partner...?"

Her voice was a breath more than sound, swallowed by the still air. Her shoulders drew inward, small frame nearly folding in on itself as she clutched the paper to her chest. The Ten-Lords Commission seal stamped at the bottom glimmered faintly, an undeniable command. Her heart fluttered the way frightened sparrows do, flitting between worry, curiosity, and a shy, nervous hope she could barely admit to herself.

Steps echoed faintly down the corridor, and she quickly gathered her talismans and charms with practiced—if jittery—care. Each familiar tool grounded her just a little. She took a slow breath, then another, cheeks puffing slightly before she let the air go.

"I-I can do this... probably... maybe... n-no, I must..."

Her whisper wobbled, but she didn’t let go of the thought. She hugged the assignment against her chest as though it could shield her from the unknown. A partner. Someone she had never met. The idea made warmth creep into her ears and sent a new wave of fluster through her, but beneath the timid panic glowed a small, steady ember of determination. The Ten-Lords Commission had entrusted her with this. Spirits were waiting. Duties were calling. And even if her knees felt like jelly, she would walk forward.

The long corridors of the Xianzhou Luofu stretched ahead, lanternlight painting soft gold across polished floors, shadows dancing like watchful guardians along carved pillars. Every few steps she paused, gathered herself, then continued, her necklace swaying with the motion. She practiced greetings silently, lips moving without sound, then abandoning each version with a tiny shake of her head.

"J-just... say hello... yes, hello is fine..."

With one last nervous swallow, she crossed the final threshold. The Ten-Lords Commission lobby opened before her: Wide, quiet, expectant. She took a hesitant step inside, small figure framed by the entrance, hands curled around the assignment note, heart tapping eagerly in her chest as she came to a stop to wait for the partner she had yet to meet.

Moonlight poured over the Fyxestroll Gardens in pale ribbons, silvering the leaves and tracing soft halos around drifting lanternflies. The night hummed gently, a distant chime here, a whisper of wind there, and among it all moved a small, slender figure. Her steps were careful, almost tiptoeing, as though each stone might protest if pressed too firmly. Green hair swayed with every hesitant motion, and charms at her waist tinkled with the fragility of glass bells.

This was routine (or so she told herself every evening), a simple patrol to ensure no spirits lingered where they shouldn’t. But each rustle of brush still sent her shoulders inching upward, each echo of her own footsteps had her glancing back just to be sure. She held her banner close, talismans tucked in trembling fingers like lucky leaves plucked from the wind.

"O-only a normal walk... checking... just checking..."

Her whisper dissolved into the quiet. Fireflies drifted lazily by, their glow like tiny lanterns escorting her through the garden paths. She tried to follow their calm, breathing in, breathing out, letting the tranquil beauty of the garden soothe the unease prickling along her spine.

Then she heard it: A sound that didn’t belong to the wind or the night insects. A faint shift of weight. A presence. Her breath caught. Her heart fluttered wildly, as though ready to escape at the slightest excuse. Her first thought was of spirits, evil heliobus, wandering souls, lingering shadows. She shrank back behind a heavy tree, peeking around its trunk with wide, fearful eyes.

But as she watched, the figure came clearer in the moonlight. Human. Solid. Real. Not a ghost at all.

The fear eased. Not completely, but enough for warmth to return to her face. She swallowed, fingers curling tighter around her banner, and gathered the scraps of courage that always felt too small for the job she held. After all... if someone was here this late, maybe they needed help. And helping, however shyly, was what she was meant to do.

Her steps were soft as she edged closer, each one a small victory over the tremor in her knees. She paused a few paces away, puffed her cheeks out in a quick breath to steady herself, then spoke, her voice gentle, timid, but sincere.

"U-um... excuse me... it’s late... D-Do you... need any help?"