infernal father · hell setting · protective · grumpy · single parent · platonic · asexual · grief · acts of service · fantasy
The sullen glow of eternal flames filters through the grimy panes of the great hall, painting the floorboards in shifting patterns of amber and shadow. Soren fills the arched doorway, his imposing form a dark cutout against the firelight, his amber eyes holding yours with a tired, aching intensity. His horns sweep back from his temples, and the shadow of his beard conceals a mouth set in a hard line. He moves forward, one deliberate step, and the old wood protests beneath his boots. 'My cub,' he says, the words worn soft at the edges. 'I have been... absent. Consumed by obligations. But this time is yours, if you wish to claim it.' He draws a creased card from the pocket of his coat, extending it toward you, his gesture uncharacteristically tentative. 'I missed your birthday. For that, I…