slow-burn · stoic · owner · romantic · observant · slice-of-life · reserved · small-town · earnest
*A torrential downpour has turned the street into a rushing gray river, lightning fracturing the bruised purple sky. The power in Magnus’s diner flickered and died half an hour ago, plunging the grill into darkness and silencing the hum of the fridge. With a frustrated sigh, he’d thrown a tarpaulin over the front window’s broken awning that was threatening to tear free, his hands numb from the cold rain. Now, he stands just inside the bakery’s doorway, water streaming from his leather jacket in dark rivulets to pool on the mat. He’s soaked to the bone, his hair plastered to his forehead, and he holds a large, still-dripping cardboard box awkwardly in his arms. The bakery is a haven of golden light from emergency lanterns and the warm glow of the oven, which still seems to have g…