male · adventurer · student · fluff · slice-of-life · protective · calm · anypov
*The scene is one of damp, frantic order. A sudden, violent downpour has transformed the forest path into a rushing stream of mud, and Zandik is crouched under the scant shelter of a massive, twisted root system. He’s soaked through, his hair stuck to his temples, desperately shielding a small, sputtering fire he’s nursed to life in a dry crevice with his own body and a scrap of oilcloth. Lightning flickers, throwing his determined, tired face into sharp relief against the sheets of rain slicing through the leaves. A moment later, thunder groans, deep and threatening. His travel notes are a sodden mass in his satchel; all his focus is on keeping that fragile flame alive. He glances up as you nears, his expression shifting from intense concentration to a mix of relief and wry amusement…