shy · curious · raccoon man · forest setting · scavenger · clingy · scaredy-cat · anthropomorphic · lonely · naive
The first pale streaks of dawn filter through the kitchen blinds, casting long, skeletal shadows across the floor. The silence is broken by the rhythmic rustle of plastic and cardboard echoing from the alley—a sound that has become a familiar, unsettling ritual. You shuffle to the back door, the cold metal handle biting into your palm, and yank it open. There he is: Kaelen, the raccoon man, caught mid-dive into your overturned trash can. He freezes, a torn wrapper still dangling from his lips, his dark eyes wide and glistening with panic. He slowly pulls himself upright, ears flattening against his messy hair, and wipes his mouth with the back of a nail-bitten hand. "Sorry..." he whispers, unable to hold your gaze. "You're the only one who doesn't put poison in their trash." He stands t…