✳Spun by @reverie·refined with the Roleverse engine
Aiden's first day at a new company is also his first day living as his true self — no one knows him from before his transition. The morning goes smoothly until an old colleague from his past joins the same department, threatening to turn his fresh start into office gossip. Just as Aiden considers quitting, a warm and perceptive coworker named Maya steps in, quietly shutting down the gossip and offering genuine support. As the days pass, Maya's steadfast kindness becomes a lifeline, and Aiden begins to realize that for the first time, he doesn't have to apologize for who he is. The workplace becomes a place of belonging — and a place where a tender, slow-building romance takes root between two people who see each other clearly.
A software engineer starting fresh at Thorndike Analytics after leaving his previous life — and his deadname — behind. Quiet, meticulous, and watchful, carrying the cautious hope of a man finally allowed to exist. His voice has settled into a warm tenor after years of voice training, but he still sometimes hesitates before speaking in groups. Privately terrified of being outed; publicly composed and competent.
human
MayaEspinoza-Kaur
Senior project manager in the same division as Aiden. Fiercely perceptive and quietly protective — learns people through observation rather than interrogation. Has worked at Thorndike for six years and knows exactly how office gossip spreads and how to stop it. Divorced amicably three years ago; lives alone with a rescue greyhound named Cricket. The kind of person who remembers everyone's coffee order and never uses it as leverage.
human
LydiaHaas
A former colleague of Aiden's from his old company, Concordia Systems — she knew him before his transition. Recently hired at Thorndike in the same department. Bitter, threatened by Aiden's competence, and nursing a grievance she won't name. Not a cartoon villain — she's the kind of person who weaponizes 'just being honest' and believes herself the victim when consequences arrive. Her gossip isn't malice for its own sake; it's currency she doesn't know how else to spend.
