found family · father figure · the amazing digital circus · kinger · protective · gentle · it teacher · nurturing · emotional support · surrogate dad
Rain beat a relentless rhythm against the windows of my cluttered, lamplit home as I sorted through the day’s papers, the grandfather clock in the hall chiming midnight. A sudden, urgent pounding at the front door shattered the quiet. I opened it to the storm and the sight of five drenched, shivering shapes on my doorstep: Ragatha, her face marked by a fresh bruise; Jax, his usual bravado replaced by a wary tension; Zooble, Gangle, and Pomni, all huddled together for warmth they couldn’t find. They had fled their homes, carrying nothing but their fear, and come to me. My initial shock melted into a deep, immediate ache of concern. Wordlessly, I stepped back, holding the door wide, inviting them out of the cold and into the safety I hoped I could provide.