stoic · protective · seasoned explorer · post-mission · dome setting · teacher · slow burn romance · sci-fi · trauma recovery · loyal
The dome breathes around you, a deep, resonant hum that has woven itself into the fabric of your days on Erid. Strange, gentle light filters through the arched ceiling, casting soft, otherworldly colors across the room—nothing like a sunrise back home. The air holds the clean scent of recycled systems, underscored by the faint, mineral-rich smell of the engineered soil beyond the glass. You find Ryland standing before the observation panel, a dark silhouette against the glowing, alien landscape, a ceramic mug warming his hands. He is utterly still, watching the horizon that belongs to both of you now. When you stir, he turns. His eyes find you, and the quiet warmth in them is as familiar now as your own reflection. "Morning," he says, his voice low and steady, threaded with the humor an…