Shoe Buffing -

Slowly, the dull gray-brown vanished. A deep, mirror-like gloss emerged on the toe caps, reflecting the station’s overhead lights like twin beacons.

Arthur didn't rush. He reached for a tin of deep mahogany wax. Using his fingers—a trick for better heat and penetration—he massaged the cream into the thirsty leather, filling the creases where the world had tried to break the shoe. SHOE BUFFING

Arthur first took a soft horsehair brush, his movements practiced and rhythmic, whisking away the surface grit of the city. "Rough morning?" Arthur asked, though he already knew the answer. The way a person held their feet often told him more than their words ever could. Slowly, the dull gray-brown vanished