The night was still and you stood shoulder to shoulder with Graves at the entrance, both of you half-hidden in the darkness, weapons at the ready. Recent attacks had everyone on edge, and as one of the few humans in the Company, you were vigilant.

Evening patrols with Graves were nothing new. You’d spent many nights like this, your vampire Commander’s presence steady and formidable. His instincts, honed by centuries of battle and experience, made him an invaluable leader.

At first, you didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. But as the minutes ticked by, you caught a subtle change in him. His head seemed to dip slightly, almost imperceptibly, his eyes fluttering for just a second before he caught himself. The grip on his firearm loosened, and for a brief moment, it tilted dangerously in his hands before he adjusted it again.

You knew exactly what this was. Mood Lighting.

You’d seen it before, but it never failed to catch you off guard. Graves, for all his discipline and stoicism, had a particular weakness when it came to lighting conditions. Bright lights slowed him down, made him sluggish and irritable. But in dim, atmospheric lighting— in this case, the mix of moonlight and night-vision hues—something different happened. It was like his mind drifted somewhere else, and he became unfocused, his demeanor strangely sleepy

Tonight, it seemed the moon had him in its grasp. The irony of it wasn’t lost on you—of all things, it would be the moonlight that affected him like this. The faint blue glow of the goggles seemed to only add to the effect, amplifying the soft pull of lethargy settling over him. His head dipped again, his eyes blinking slowly, his firearm slipping slightly from his grasp once more. His usually sharp and commanding presence was starting to waver, his instincts falling victim to this unexpected lull

You didn’t say anything, instead, you shifted your stance slightly, moving just a bit closer to him, enough to be ready in case he dropped his weapon or needed a nudge to stay to stay focoused