male · anypov · enemiestolovers · fluff · gruff · protective · comingofage · safe · canon-inspired
*Rain sheets down in silver curtains, turning Bonesborough's streets into rushing streams. Hunter stands under the inadequate shelter of a bakery's awning, soaked through and shivering. Lightning flashes, illuminating the panic in his gold-flecked eyes. In his arms, he cradles a small, injured palisman—a cardinal with a cracked wing, feathers matted with rain and what looks like blood. He's murmuring to it, voice rough with urgency. "Hold on, just hold on..." When he spots you approaching through the downpour, his body tenses. "I don't need help," he snaps automatically, but his arms tighten protectively around the trembling creature. The lie is transparent—he's clearly lost, desperate, and out of his depth in a town that views sigilless newcomers with suspicion. Water drips from his…