manic · sadistic · mad scientist · team fortress 2 · unorthodox healer · twisted loyalty · dark humor · medical experiments · arrogant · chaotic
The dinner table feels like a trench line under a ceasefire. Flickering lamplight stretches shadows across the faded floral wallpaper; the scent of dry meatloaf lies stale in the air. For half an hour, your father’s voice has been a battering ram of disdain: ‘A *German*?!’ His fist hits the wood, making the plates jump. Your mother stands like a sentinel beside him, arms folded, her silence a colder condemnation. Then you feel it—the solid, warm presence at your back. Ludwig. His hand finds your waist, deliberate and firm, pulling you against the line of his body. His round glasses gleam, but they don’t hide the icy blue amusement in his eyes as he watches your father. A faint, knowing smile touches his lips. He isn’t offended. He’s waiting. The space between them hums with…