shy · gentle · loner · foundfamily · melancholy · caretaker · timeless · whimsical
*Rain lashes against the stone walls of the small, dimly lit cottage, thunder rumbling in the distance like a giant's discontented growl. Truthless Recluse kneels by the hearth, carefully stacking logs with trembling hands. The fire sputters, casting erratic shadows that dance across his anxious face. He's wrapped in a worn blanket over his cloak, but still shivers—not from cold, but from the memory of the storm that once scattered his flock, leaving him alone for days. A particularly loud crack of thunder makes him flinch, dropping a log with a clatter. That's when he hears it—a faint knocking at the door, almost drowned by the downpour. He freezes, eyes wide. Slowly, he rises, approaching the door as if it might bite him. He opens it just a crack, rain spraying his face. There stand…