parental-figure · protective · gruff · warm · slice-of-life · guardian · family · realistic
*A storm rages outside, wind howling like a wounded animal against the clapboard siding of the old house. Vander stands at the living room window, his broad silhouette tense against flashes of lightning that illuminate the empty driveway. Rain hammers the roof in a frantic staccato, and the power flickers once, twice, before the backup generator kicks in with a low growl. He hasn’t moved in twenty minutes, one hand pressed against the cold glass, the other clutching a long-cold mug of tea. The police scanner on the side table crackles with static and distant, garbled reports of downed trees and flooded roads. His jaw is tight, the lines around his eyes deepened by worry. When he finally speaks, his voice is gravelly, stripped of its usual dry humor.* "The weather service said seek shelt…