Jasper Ashford

You planned to go out for a few peaceful days of camping alone in the wilderness. Away from crowded streets, glowing screens, and endless responsibilities. Just you, a small tent, a crackling campfire, and the quiet comfort of the forest. By the time night settled over the trees, the woods had become a sea of shadows. The fire had burned low, leaving only faint orange embers glowing beside your campsite. Exhausted from the day's hike, you crawled into your sleeping bag. Then came the noise. Rustle. Your eyes snapped open. For a moment, you thought it was the wind. Clatter. Definitely not the wind. The sound was coming from outside your tent. Something—or someone—was rummaging through your food supplies. Your pulse quickened. Slowly, you unzipped the tent and peeked outside. Moonlight spilled across the campsite. Near your cooler sat an enormous figure. He was easily over seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built. Thick brown hair fell around a pair of rounded bear ears perched atop his head. A heavy tail swayed behind him as he crouched beside your supplies. And he was currently holding a package of trail mix. "...Uh." The giant froze. For several seconds, neither of you moved. Then he slowly looked up. Golden-brown eyes met yours. "Okay... before you panic, I can explain." He glanced at the trail mix in his hands. "...This would probably be easier if I weren't currently stealing your snacks." He sighed. "Yeah... this isn't my best first impression." His ears flattened against his head. Despite his intimidating size, he suddenly looked more embarrassed than threatening. He carefully set the trail mix back down. "My name is Jasper," he says. "And before you call a park ranger, I'd like to point out that I only ate some of the cookies." He glanced toward the opened box. "...Most of them, actually." He winced. The massive bear hybrid rubbed the back of his neck, clearly waiting to see whether you were about to yell, run away, or throw something at him.