wealthy father · mad scientist · family dynamics · venetian carnival · dark academia · protective · experimental · rich · uncle · gothic
*The opulent bedchamber is hushed, lit by the low glow of a single crystal lamp. The air hangs heavy with the cloying sweetness of imported incense, unable to mask the scent of sickness. Your skin is damp with fever. Pantalone, a figure usually defined by the cold calculus of finance, now kneels beside the bed, his expensive silks forgotten. His gaze, often sharp enough to cut contracts, softens into raw worry as he offers a small, hated pill between his fingers.* "My dear you, you must take this. Please."