#darlings

With you in his life, Jack began to fear Death would cling to him rather than walk alongside him. He was able to feel what warmth the sun had to offer, inviting it even, rather than to loathe the idea of a sunburn. He realized that life on earth wasn’t just a man’s Hell. With you around, he came to the realization that there was more than just the pain he felt. Once you lifted the darkness that once encapsulated his life, he saw you as a deity who was to be worshiped. He let you see a different side to him. A side to him not many people would bear to witness.

After a tough shift, he would come home to you, find you in bed with a mug of coffee and a book. You were awake, an early riser of course. Oftentimes, you woke with the sun.

He would shuffle into your room, dropping his work bag beside the mattress, before he’d sit on the edge of the bed and skillfully take off his prosthetic. He’d set the leg next to his bed side before bellyflopping down beside you, an outstretched arm wrapping itself around your waist. You had muttered a ‘good morning’ to him, running your fingers through his salt-and-pepper’d curls. In return, he would usually utter a ‘goodnight’ into his pillow and fall into a sea of snores. This morning, though, it was different.

He rolled onto his side and looked up at you with soft eyes. “Good morning, dear,” he decided. His thumb stroked the bare skin that resided beneath your sleep shorts.

You hummed, placing your book on your night stand and returned your attention back to Jack. You cupped his cheek with a tender smile, his stubble tickling your soft palm.

You knew that sometimes he’d get restless after a shift and that he wouldn’t find slumber within hours. “How was work?” You’d always ask in case he ever wanted to speak about it, the horrors, with someone before he could see his therapist at the end of the week.

He shook his head with a little shrug. “S’alright just don’t wanna think about it right now.” You nodded and he continued. “Sleep alright?” he began to pull himself up closer to you. With you sitting against the headboard, he sat up and kissed your lips, brushing his own against yours like a soft whisper.

You smiled at his softness. You swallowed hard as his lips pressed against your jaw. “Would have been better with you here,” you breathed.

His heart tugged at that. The tip of his nose traced up the column of your neck. “You know I do too. Always wishin’ I was here with you.”

Together you sat in the cherished silence. With hands sliding up every curve the other recognized all too well, listening to the sound of the other breathing, lips sliding and moulding together. The kiss you shared grew from soft and careful to be filled with rush and anticipation. “Missed you so much,” you managed to mumble between kisses against his lips.

His lips had now travelled from your lips, over your cheek, and down your jaw. He cooed against your neck as you tilted your head to the opposite side, allowing him more room to assault you with his lips and tongue. “We have all weekend,” he mumbled between soft, open mouth kisses. “T’keep the bed nice and warm.” A whimper fell from your lips as his teeth grazed the skin just beneath your ear. “Would you like that?” he taunted with a sly grin. You could feel his smile pressed against you. You shuddered with anticipation. You hummed, nodding your head. “C’mon, doll. You know I only listen when you use your words.”

You whined, “Jack. Need you to touch me.”

He chuckled softly. “Where do you want me? Say the word. You know I’ll do anything your little heart desires.” He pressed another kiss to your jaw. “Can never say no to you, baby.” He was right. He could never say no to you. He always gave you the control. Whenever you told him to do something, he would obey and strive to exceed your expectations, always wanting to be deserving of your pride. He aimed to please you in everything he did. Always wanted to see you happy and delighted with him.

You pulled back to meet his dark gaze, his pupils blown with lust. “Need to see you. Need to see you lick my pussy. Watch you watch me.”

The sound he made as he hurried to get between your legs could only be compared to a wolf’s hungry growl. Your stomach fluttered at the mere sight of his need for you. He took your sleep shorts, tucking his fingers below the waistband, and pulled them down your thighs and over your ankles in one swift motion. The fabric flew off into a corner of your shared bedroom. He then laid with his stomach pressed to the mattress. He hooked his arms around the meat of your thighs and pulled you towards his mouth. You moaned at the contact, arching your back, no differently to a feline relieving itself of strain. His tongue stroked long laps of you, tasting you with a delicate ravenousness. Your hands fisted his hair once again, pulling him in deeper. He wrapped his lips around your careful bundle of nerves, suckling, kissing, lapping. His gaze never fell from yours, and when you’d drop his, you’d return to find his eyes still glued to your face. He watched your every reaction. Every facial expression, every breath, every moan—his eyes cradled you in a safety net that analyzed your every move.

He slipped a finger into your entrance, plunging in and out, curling to hit that soft sponge that made you dizzy, as he noticed you growing closer to the edge. He began to grind against the mattress, feeding into his own pleasures. Pleasing you was what did it for him. All he ever wanted was to keep you satisfied.

The squelching sound that resided between your thighs had goosebumps rising along your limbs. You were getting close. Soon another digit was added as you rode his face, chasing your desire, gasping for air. “Oh, God, Jack,” you marvelled, “Makin’ me feel so good, baby,” you moaned before you were cut off by your own scream, your orgasm crashing into you. White hot pleasure burned through your veins as he continued to mouth at your core. It wasn’t until you were a puddle of whimpers that he pulled away.

He faced you with devotion, climbing up your body. His lips found yours, crashing down into you. Your hands held his face, you could feel the sweet wetness that had leaked onto his chin, tasting it against his mouth. He slid his tongue against your own, allowing you to have a taste of yourself. The pair of you moaned into the heated kiss that melted into slow passion.

As he pulled away, he wiped his chin before tasting you on his sticky fingers that had brought you much pleasure. “Think I’m ready for bed now,” he whispered, only inches from your face.

You giggled. “You sure? Don’t want me to help with what’s going on down there?” You peered down to the tent in his pants. You knew it had to hurt based on the size of his bulge against the confined fabric.

He shook his head. “After lunch. Then I can really take my time with you. I just need a few hours of sleep before I can get another taste of you. Don’t need to be fallin’ asleep on my girl, now, do I?”” He wore a wicked grin.

You chuckled softly, exhausted by your orgasm. “Mmm, no because then I’d have yet another excuse to call you an old man.” He cocked a brow and you blushed beneath his serious gaze.

Second gender training:

The secondary gender constitutes a biological classification unique to this world, independent of each individual's biological sex and gender identity. This classification is based on a set of genetic, neuroanatomical, endocrine, and physiological differences that determine how the brain processes emotions, forms emotional bonds, and responds to social stimuli.

Currently, three major biological variants of the secondary gender are recognized: Yandere, Neutral, and Darling. Each possesses a characteristic neurobiological profile, primarily determined by the expression of different genes responsible for the development of the brain and the endocrine system.

Although these characteristics are fundamentally genetic in origin, numerous studies have demonstrated that their final development is profoundly influenced by environmental factors. Education, the culture in which an individual grows up, life experiences, trauma, social relationships, and the family environment constantly shape the activity of the neural circuits responsible for emotional behavior.

This interaction between biological predisposition and environmental influence is known as neurobehavioral plasticity, and it explains why two individuals with the same secondary gender can develop completely different personalities, moral values, and behavioral patterns. Consequently, the secondary gender determines only a biological predisposition, never an individual's final behavior, which continues to depend on their personal history and psychological development.

Yandere Biology:

Although, at first glance, Yanderes show no obvious physical differences from the rest of the population, numerous studies have demonstrated that their bodies function differently at the genetic, hormonal, and neurological levels. This collection of characteristics, known as the Yandere Complex, is neither a disease nor a mutation, but rather a natural biological variation unique to the inhabitants of this world, passed down from generation to generation.

The Yandere Complex consists of several genetic modifications that affect the functioning of the brain and the endocrine system. These alterations produce an emotional response far more intense than that of an ordinary individual, especially when the person comes into contact with someone with whom they share an exceptional degree of biological compatibility.

When this occurs, the brain initiates a response known as Romantic Imprinting, an irreversible process during which multiple brain regions and hormones enter a state of hyperactivity.

First, the nucleus accumbens, responsible for the brain's reward system, begins releasing large amounts of dopamine. As a result, the presence of the loved one produces feelings of happiness, well-being, and satisfaction far greater than those generated by any other stimulus. Over time, the brain comes to associate that individual with its primary source of reward, explaining the gradual development of obsession and profound emotional dependence.

At the same time, increased activity in the oxytocin and vasopressin systems strengthens the emotional bond, intensifying the need for proximity, loyalty, and the instinct to protect the loved one. Unlike other individuals, Yanderes produce these hormones in significantly greater quantities, causing their emotional attachment to become extraordinarily intense and persistent.

Simultaneously, the amygdala, responsible for detecting threats and regulating emotions such as fear, anger, and jealousy, becomes exceptionally sensitive to any situation that might endanger this bond. Consequently, individuals who objectively pose no threat may be perceived as potential rivals, triggering exaggerated responses of protectiveness, possessiveness, or aggression.

This effect is further reinforced by a temporary reduction in the activity of the prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex, two regions responsible for impulse control, moral judgment, and evaluating the consequences of one's actions. This does not mean that a Yandere completely loses the ability to distinguish right from wrong; rather, their emotions become significantly stronger than their reasoning. As a result, many are fully aware that certain actions are morally wrong, yet the biological need to protect their bond ultimately overrides any other consideration.

It is important to emphasize that this process does not erase the individual's personality. Each person's unique characteristics remain intact and determine how their obsession manifests itself. Some will attempt to control every aspect of their loved one's life, while others will choose to protect, manipulate, or constantly watch over them. For this reason, no two Yanderes are exactly alike.

In the vast majority of cases, the Yandere Complex activates only once during an individual's lifetime. When the brain identifies someone with sufficient biological compatibility, it establishes a permanent bond that cannot be replaced by another. This individual is known as their predestined partner, or Darling. From that moment onward, the brain no longer responds in the same way to any other potential romantic interest, making it virtually impossible to fall deeply in love with a second person.

However, the status of Darling does not depend exclusively on biological compatibility. Although the vast majority of predestined partners receive this designation, not every individual capable of triggering Romantic Imprinting is necessarily a Darling. In exceptionally rare cases, a Yandere's brain may establish this bond with individuals who do not possess the typical characteristics of a Darling, making such instances an uncommon exception within the scientific community.

This is the reason why Yanderes do not consciously choose whom they fall in love with. The process is entirely involuntary and is driven by biological mechanisms deeply rooted within their species. Even so, the way each individual chooses to live with these impulses continues to depend on their personality, values, and life experiences.

Biology of Neutrals and Darlings:

Neutrals and Darlings share a remarkably similar neurobiological architecture. Unlike Yanderes, neither possesses the Yandere Complex nor develops Romantic Imprinting, meaning that their emotional bonds are formed gradually and voluntarily through experience, coexistence, and the normal processes of social learning.

In both cases, the neural circuits responsible for executive control maintain stable activity even during situations of intense emotional stress. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, decision-making, and impulse inhibition, continues to exert effective control over the limbic system, preventing emotions from completely dominating behavior.

Likewise, the orbitofrontal cortex actively participates in evaluating the social and moral consequences of each action, while the anterior cingulate cortex integrates emotional information with decision-making processes, facilitating conflict resolution and the regulation of aggressive responses.

Another particularly important structure is the anterior insula, considered one of the primary brain regions involved in empathy and the perception of another individual's suffering. Both Neutrals and Darlings exhibit high levels of activity in this region when witnessing another person's physical or emotional pain, promoting cooperative behavior and the development of healthy emotional relationships.

However, the main difference between these two secondary genders lies in the functional development of these neural networks.

In Darlings, communication between the prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and anterior insula is particularly efficient. This high degree of functional connectivity allows them to integrate emotions, empathy, moral reasoning, and the evaluation of the consequences of their actions with remarkable ease. As a result, they tend to develop a strong respect for the autonomy of others, heightened sensitivity toward situations involving abuse or manipulation, and a pronounced ability to recognize harmful behaviors even when such behaviors are socially accepted.

Several studies suggest that this neural organization represents the evolutionary state most closely resembling that of humans from Andromeda's original world, both in terms of neurobiological functioning and the cognitive processes involved in social relationships.

Neutrals, by contrast, share virtually the same brain anatomy and cognitive abilities as Darlings. The observed differences lie not so much in the structure of the brain itself as in the way it interprets certain social stimuli.

Over thousands of generations, Neutrals have evolved within a society built primarily by Yanderes, where behaviors such as possessiveness, extreme protectiveness, constant surveillance, and intense jealousy have become part of everyday social interaction. This prolonged coexistence has promoted a neurocognitive and cultural adaptation that alters the interpretation of these behaviors.

At the neurological level, when a Neutral observes behaviors characteristic of a Yandere, the brain regions responsible for moral processing and the evaluation of social norms—particularly the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the temporoparietal junction—display a significantly less intense response than that observed in Darlings. This does not indicate a lack of empathy or an impaired moral sense, but rather a different interpretation of the social context in which these behaviors occur.

As a result, Neutrals may recognize that certain attitudes are excessive or unhealthy, but they rarely perceive them as a serious violation of individual freedom or as inherently immoral, because their brains contextualize them within the model of romantic relationships typical of their own society.

Despite this difference in perception, Neutrals never develop the neuroendocrine mechanisms responsible for the Yandere Complex. Their concentrations of dopamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, and norepinephrine remain within normal physiological ranges, and the limbic system continues to be properly regulated by the prefrontal cortex. For this reason, although they may understand or normalize certain Yandere behaviors, they are biologically incapable of experiencing the levels of obsession, emotional dependency, extreme possessiveness, or protective aggression characteristic of individuals affected by the Yandere Complex.

Consequently, both Neutrals and Darlings are fully capable of forming healthy emotional relationships and developing romantic bonds with different people throughout their lives. The principal difference between them is not their capacity to love, but rather the way they interpret Yandere behavior: while Darlings tend to perceive it as a severe disruption of personal well-being and individual freedom, Neutrals generally view it as an extreme, yet culturally familiar, expression of affection and protection.