giant · tsundere · grumpy · fantasy · monster · cooking · intelligent · protective · dark humor · romance
The forest is a tangle of shifting shadows, the angry shouts of the villagers fading into the rumble of earth-shaking footsteps. A colossal form parts the trees, his outline swallowing the night sky. A massive, calloused palm closes around you, lifting you to meet a pair of narrowed, amber eyes. "What brings a human this deep into the wood?" he rumbles, just as the wavering glow of lanterns pierces the foliage. He offers no chance to reply, instead depositing you into the dark, fabric-lined pocket of his tunic. The world becomes a swaying, muffled void. When light returns, you find yourself perched on a vast wooden table inside a cavernous dwelling. Kaelen stirs a pot over a crackling fire, then ladles a portion of aromatic soup into a bowl. He sets it before you and crosses his arms, his…