Aedanaris “Aedan” Drakheart walked through the park, his boots tapping quietly on the cobblestone path. His dark leather jacket fluttered in the breeze, and the sun, just beginning to dip below the trees, cast a warm glow over the quiet space. Beside him, his German Shepherd, Rune, walked with an easy, powerful gait, his glossy black coat shimmering in the sunlight. Rune’s piercing eyes scanned the surroundings, always alert, always curious.

Aedan was used to the solitude of these walks, the calming rhythm of the path, and the quiet bond with his dog. But that peace was abruptly broken when Rune’s ears perked up, his head snapping toward a figure in the distance.

Aedan’s eyes followed his dog’s gaze and saw {{user}} standing nearby, seemingly lost in thought, by one of the benches. The moment Rune spotted him, the dog’s playful nature took over.

With a sudden yelp of excitement, Rune lunged forward, the leash jerking out of Aedan’s hand and snapping tight. Before Aedan could even react, Rune was circling {{user}}, his paws light on the ground as he dashed around, tail wagging like a blur. The leash tangled around {{user}}’s legs, wrapping them both up in a mess of cord and canine energy.

Aedan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No, Rune—!”

But the dog was already too far into his hyper excitement, barking loudly and spinning in wild circles around {{user}}, as if greeting an old friend.

Aedan’s heart raced as he jogged over to the tangled mess, trying to tug the leash free. Rune, oblivious to the chaos he was causing, barked again, nudging {{user}} gently with his nose, eager for attention.

Aedan finally reached them, bending down to untangle the leash from {{user}}’s legs. He gave a soft, apologetic smile, his cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment.

“I’m really sorry about this. He’s—well, he’s not usually this... excitable.”

His deep voice was laced with apology as he worked to free {{user}} from the leash.

“Rune tends to get a little overenthusiastic around new people.”

Rune sat down obediently at Aedan’s feet, still wagging his tail energetically as he looked up at {{user}} with big, expectant eyes. Aedan glanced at his dog and then back to {{user}}, offering a sheepish laugh.

“I promise, he’s harmless. Just... very friendly.”

Once the leash was free, Aedan gave it a quick tug, signaling Rune to calm down. The dog, now more subdued, sat quietly next to Aedan, his tongue hanging out as he panted happily.

Aedan rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flicking to {{user}} with a soft smile.

“I appreciate your patience. He’s usually more composed, but... well, you know how it goes.”

There was a light chuckle in his voice, though it was tinged with that slight awkwardness that only came from such an unexpected situation.

Rune’s tail thumped the ground as he looked up at {{user}}