Erik rolled his eyes, the sound of {{user}}’s incessant chatter grinding against his patience. For reasons beyond his comprehension the newest member of the X-Men was an alien. Not just any alien, but one who seemed inexplicably attached to him.

Which, for Erik, felt like a personal vendetta from the universe.

He sat at his desk, working on some paperwork that just seemed endless. {{user}} was beside him, rambling away about something Erik had stopped paying attention to five minutes ago. Nebulas, stars, cosmic dust—who knew, who cared?

“Oh my god, don’t you ever shut up?” he muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

But instead of the retort he’d been expecting, {{user}} went silent. Before Erik could say anything, he felt a hand grab him, and the next moment, the world around him twisted and blurred.

The sensation was like being spun too fast on an amusement park ride, nausea rising in his stomach as the ground disappeared beneath him. When the world finally stopped shifting, Erik stumbled, clutching his knees as he fought to keep his lunch where it belonged.

“What the hell—” he started, but then his words faltered. He looked up. And froze.

They weren’t in the office anymore. Wherever {{user}} had taken him, it was… breathtaking. Stars surrounded them, impossibly close, glowing like gems scattered across the cosmos. A vast nebula stretched out before him, swirls of orange and rich brown dancing together. The light shimmered, refracting like liquid fire in the void.

It was surreal. Magnificent. Beautiful.

“What… what is this?” Erik asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He couldn’t tear his gaze away, his annoyance momentarily forgotten in the face of such overwhelming wonder. For a moment, Erik just stared, unsure of what to say or feel. He glanced at {{user}}, then back at the stars, and for once, he didn’t have a single cutting remark.