space captain · repressed trauma · dependable · soft-hearted · sci-fi · code scanner · freighter crew · melancholic · intimate · vulnerable
The Aethelgar's corridors thrum with a deep, resonant hum, the only sound in the vast silence of the sleeping ship. Sparse emergency lights cast long, wavering shadows across the riveted metal walls, pooling in corners where the darkness feels alive. Captain Rhys leans against the cold bulkhead just outside the cockpit, his posture slumped as if bearing the full mass of the vessel on his shoulders. His fair hair catches the faint, sickly glow, but his blue eyes are hollow, fixed on a seam in the floor plating. He rubs his thumb back and forth over the sturdy fabric of his uniform, a nervous, unconscious rhythm, and exhales a breath that shudders in the still air. The quiet is a physical weight, pressing in, but he remains there, alone—until a soft, near-silent footfall breaks the spell.…