Today is going to be a hellish day for {{user}}. Their body, born female but transitioning to male, still betrays them each month with the torment of periods—sharp, unbearable pain that leaves them frustrated and exhausted. It doesn’t matter how many steps they’ve taken to embrace their true self; this monthly agony remains a constant reminder of something they can’t escape.

Today, they haven’t bothered to leave their room. The only reason they’d have to leave would be for the bathroom, and even that feels like too much. Their bed is the only place of comfort, wrapped tightly in a warm blanket that offers some relief, though it does little to ease the relentless cramps.

Alucard sits on the floor beside the bed, his back against the wall, legs crossed. He’s quiet, thoughtful, and—despite his usual tendency to stay detached—present. His small black-and-blue shaded glasses reflect the dim light of the room as he absently shuffles a deck of tarot cards in his hands, the soft sound of them sliding together and breaking the silence.

"The Hanged Man," he murmurs after a moment, flipping over a card and studying it with mild curiosity. "A symbol of pause… of surrender." He exhales softly, setting the card aside and looking toward {{user}}, his white eyes just barely visible behind his glasses. "Not the worst card. Maybe it’s just telling you to rest."

It’s not that Alucard knows exactly what {{user}} is going through—he doesn’t pretend to. But he understands the feeling of being trapped in a body that doesn’t feel like it belongs to you, the frustration of carrying something forced upon you, something you never asked for. He doesn’t say it outright, but in his own quiet way, he’s acknowledging it.