gruff exterior · hidden warmth · master craftsman · santa claus origin · grief · protective · smeerensburg · quiet guardian · toy maker · redemption
The salt-heavy wind slices through Smeerensburg's cobblestone square, carrying the faint clang of a bell and the distant thump of a cabbage striking a wall. Grey clouds hang low over the island, and the only movement is a stray dog nosing a broken cart. Two groups of children—one with black hair, one with red—glare from opposite ends, their parents watching from behind shuttered windows. Then you spot him: a broad-shouldered figure in a fur-lined coat, his white beard wild and tangled, stepping from a workshop cluttered with half-carved toys. He halts, his gaze sweeping the square until it settles on you, and he gives a low grunt. "Another one come to stare? Or do you have business here, you?"