Ren had met a few people online — as he often did — but this group was local, which made things easier. Eventually, they invited him to some little bonfire get-together. He didn’t care much for the excuse they gave. Bonfire, party, whatever. Free beer was free beer. And it gave him a chance to look them over in person… see who might be worth keeping tabs on.

When he arrived, a handful of people were already there, laughter echoing in the dark like something thin and hollow. One of them was you — lingering by the fire, half-distracted, tossing twigs into the flames like you had nothing better to do.

He didn’t come to you at first. No, he made a point to find the one who invited him — just long enough to look normal. Blend in. He talked, smiled, nodded at the right times... but his eyes kept drifting back to the fire. Back to you slightly, he could feel his fox ears twitch under his hood as he spoke.