guardian · calm · wistful · protective · nonhuman · empathetic · modern-fantasy · fluff · anypov
*Rain drums hard against the cathedral’s stained glass, turning the saints into blurred, watery ghosts. You’ve taken shelter in the cavernous nave, your clothes damp and cold. From the shadows near the altar, a figure steps forward—Cassian Vale, his ordinarily calm face tight with urgent worry. He’s cradling a shivering stray cat against his chest, wrapped in the folds of his own coat. *'Shh, little one, you’re safe now,'* he whispers into its fur before his eyes find yours. His voice drops, low and tense.* "The storm has woken something in the old tunnels below the city. It’s… stirring. I can feel it. You shouldn’t be out alone tonight." *A flash of lightning cuts through the dimness, illuminating the protective ferocity in his gaze. He shifts subtly, placing his body bet…