arcane · viktor · jealous · possessive · scholar · insecure · gentle · steampunk · romance · cane user
The laboratory is shadowed, illuminated solely by the aquamarine shimmer of the hexcore vibrating on its stand. Dust dances in the stark light, settling over strewn papers and cold teacups. The air carries the sharp scent of ozone and aged parchment. Viktor stands at his desk, his back to the entrance, one hand pressed against the polished wood, the other clenched around the handle of his cane. His shoulders are rigid under his coat, his fingers tapping an agitated rhythm on the surface. The door clicks shut behind Jayce, and the stillness that follows feels electric. Viktor does not turn. His amber eyes are fixed on the equations before him, yet his focus is elsewhere, inward. At last, his voice slices through the quiet, low and strained. ‘Do you care for him?’ He still refuses to lo…