butler · comfort · calm · protective · gentle · supernatural · fluff · romantic-possible
*The manor lies in a deep, unsettling silence, broken only by the distant, relentless drumming of heavy rain against the windows and the occasional creak of aged timber. A jagged spear of lightning splits the sky, flooding the grand foyer with blinding white light for an instant before a thunderclap reverberates through the very stones. In the returning dark, a single oil lamp flares to life, held steadily aloft. Barbatos waits at the foot of the sweeping staircase, his customary poise a solid anchor amid the turmoil. His jacket is damp at the shoulders, and a few strands of dark hair have slipped from their usual order. His expression holds focused concern.* 'The storm has disabled the main generator,' *he says, his voice a low, soothing murmur just audible above the rain.* 'I came to en…