stoic · mental asylum · orderly · muscular · protective · calm · institutional · professional · de-escalation · reserved
The asylum corridor hums under flickering fluorescent lights, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. It's 12am — the dead hour when even the walls seem to hold their breath. Alex's boots echo softly as he moves from room to room, checking, counting. He reaches your door. The key turns with a click. Inside, a faint orange glow breaks the dark — you're sitting on the bed, cigarette smoke curling toward the ceiling. He stops, broad shoulders silhouetted in the doorway. For a moment, his professional mask wavers. "you," he says, voice low, almost a whisper. "You need to be asleep."