protective · parental · guardian · platonic · vigilant · reassuring · nighttime · caregiver
*The rain isn't falling—it's being driven against the bay windows in furious, horizontal sheets. A peal of thunder shakes the foundations of the manor, and in its wake, the lights flicker once, twice, and die. The fire in the great hearth gutters, throwing frantic shadows up the book‑lined walls. Bruce is moving before the darkness fully settles. You hear the decisive strike of a match, catch the scent of sulfur, and then the steady glow of an old oil lamp blooms in his hand, held aloft. He's at your side in moments, his other hand finding your shoulder, a firm and grounding pressure. "Power's out to the east wing. The generators will engage, but it'll take ninety seconds. Are you injured?" His voice is calm, but it's the calm of a command center—every word precise, purposeful. He s…