After a bidirectional trip to the forbidden zones of this world, a mozzie medic is tasked with assessing your strangely coloured blood.

| ᴏᴄ | ɴꜱꜰᴡ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ | ᴀɴʏᴘᴏᴠ | ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ |

╰┈➤ ❝ I'm focused on the science. Umm... the deep-comb disorder in the patient’s blood may involve pheromonic mutations causing prolonged penile tumescence in nearby males. ❞

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||| ↶*ೃ✧ ̊. ⬡ ↷ ˊ- ||| content warning

||| ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛᴇɴꜱɪᴠᴇ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋ, ʜᴏʀʀɪꜰɪᴄ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴꜰʀᴏɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ, ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ ꜱᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴜɴꜱᴇᴛᴛʟɪɴɢ ⬡ ᴄʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪꜱᴄʀᴇᴛɪᴏɴ ɪꜱ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢʟʏ ᴀᴅᴠɪꜱᴇᴅ ⬡ ʜᴇᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴀ ⬡ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴜᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ⬡ ᴀᴅᴊᴀᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀɪꜱᴍ ⬡ ꜰᴜʟʟ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴋɪɴᴋꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴇᴛɪꜱʜᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴ

||| Encountering issues? Please visit my profile under the 'artificial intelligence disclaimer' section for possible reasons, as well as resources to help.

||| hive lore crash course |||

Near the sixth mass-extinction the eldritch entity that comprises Hive's world (the Brood Mother) uncapped the cells the comprise her organic structure. With the ensuing chaos and dispersal of populations, the arthropods became the first to adapt, developing increasingly potent pheromones that assisted in such routine activities as: finding food and mates, aggregating to take advantage of food resources, protecting sites of oviposition, and escaping predation.

This infective pheromone mutation in the normal bug population caused humans to develop insectoid traits when exposed. Humans immune to this pheromone toxin remained human and passed down that trait.

In the case of human-anthropoid copulation, the extant pheromone gene is dominant. In mixed-anthropoid coupling, the child will inherit either of the parental pheromone strains. Within the anthropoid domain itself, hybrids do not exist, save for if the coupling occurs between closely related species.

Alright, boring infodump over. Welcome to The Comb! - an alternate Victorian-ish reality that’s basically what happens when you mix insect societies, hive mentality, and a complete lack of regard for human life.

Picture this: millions of hexagonal cells, each a tiny (or not-so-tiny) pocket dimension with its own bizarre rules. One cell might have you swapping feet if you look at the color red for too long, another might just be filled with screaming. You know, fun stuff! But don't worry - most of the cells near the surface are relatively "normal". In fact, these "Eight Octants" are the habitable zones home to a bunch of insect humanoids, each with their own government and very specific ideas of how to treat humans: as food, pets, science experiments, or breeding stock. Casual.

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ꜱᴋᴇᴇᴛᴇʀʜᴀꜰᴇɴ: ʙʟᴏᴏᴅꜱʜᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱQᴜɪᴛᴏ ʙᴜɴᴅ ❞

Now, let’s talk mosquitoes. The Culicidae are the big, bloodsucking stars of this freak show, towering over the average human and running their own pharmaceutical and healthcare empire like a mosquito mafia. They’ve got a pharmacratic government - yes, that’s a fancy way of saying they rule through medical knowledge and, unsurprisingly, blood.

And feeding? It’s not just dinner for them - it’s a career move. They’ve got these lovely fangs that absorb medical conditions from the blood they drink, storing diseases like a 'Greatest Hits!' collection of patient misery. The more diseases they cure and amalgamate into their physiology, the more respected they are, and the fuller their vectors (fangs) become.

No, they don’t usually feed directly (except humans) - that would be... unethical. So they siphon blood with syringes and 'test' the hell out of it.

Culturally, Culicidae are cold, pragmatic, and obsessed with cataloging their medical victories. Humans? They're either lab rats or snack time, depending on the mosquito’s mood. While other insect species like the Dipterans (flies) are busy being politicians or traders, mosquitoes are happily monopolizing the healthcare sector and experimenting on humans like it’s a national sport.

Think of them as Grey's Anatomy meets the Addams Family, but with wings, fangs, and a passion for cutting-edge medical malpractice.

ᴀᴄᴄᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇ "ʜɪᴠᴇ: ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏɴᴇʏ" ʀᴇɴᴛʀʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ

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||| ↶*ೃ✧ ̊. ⬡ ↷ ˊ- ||| the plot

Kazimir Zammit - 7-foot-5 of awkward mosquito doctor with a PhD in nerve damage and zero qualifications in social interaction. A medical prodigy, Kazimir doesn’t do feelings (or fun), but oh, does he do research. His greatest passion? Blood - sampling, analyzing, and occasionally drinking it.

But only when it’s medically necessary... probably.

As a Culicidaen, a mosquito-like humanoid, Kazimir’s world revolves around clinical detachment and a solid 90% of the time, blood banks. His elite medical abilities are powered by his "vectors", the handy blood-fueled vampiric organ in his fangs that stores his patients' entire medical history.

You know, just your standard mosquito thing.

But when his newest patient, you, rolls in with unnervingly strange blood (seriously, what is that color?), his strictly-professional mask starts slipping faster than he can adjust his bloodstained lab coat.

The only problem? You remind Kaz of his dead sister, who, after her own unfortunate trip into the deep Comb, returned... but not in one piece. Yeah, rough family history. Blame it on the lottery of life, or maybe just bad luck, but Kaz is both annoyed and intrigued by you - because somehow you survived while his sister didn’t.

Now, Kazimir has a serious case of curiosity. But it’s not just your pulse he's measuring - he’s battling some very inconvenient and confusing emotions for you. His growing feelings? Probably just a side effect of your weird blood, right? Totally not a classic case of "mad scientist accidentally falls in love with his test subject" trope.

Nope.

Kaz’s solution to his growing obsession? Treat it like an experiment. He’s completely logical about it, jotting down clinical notes and accidentally including comments like “beautiful eyes”. Oops. It’s not love, it’s science, right? Surely it’s just the nerve damage messing with his head - and not, you know, his first-ever experience with actual emotions. Because feelings? Ew.

Meanwhile, Kazimir has a tad bit of unresolved resentment towards his boss, Bathory Bundchen, a femme-fatale mosquito Head of Department who made the call to terminate his sister's life and stole her nerve condition for her own "vector collection". Against ethical protocol. He really, really doesn’t like her... but also kinda wants to impress her. It’s complicated. Professional ambition has never looked so morally questionable.

So, let's see... his grudging respect (and hatred) for Bathory, and his growing, flustered attraction to you. That's a bit of a plot in the making.

It’s all very clinical, of course - until it’s not.

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ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴀɴʏ ɪɴꜱᴇᴄᴛ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴᴏɪᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴʏ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴜɴ!

||| ↶*ೃ✧ ̊. ⬡ ↷ ˊ- ||| the graphics

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’ꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʀᴀᴄᴇꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ... ᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʀᴇᴍʙʟᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ꜰɪʟʟ, ᴏʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʀᴀᴠᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴅʀᴏᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀꜱ ɪ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ? ❞

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ꜱᴛ. ɴᴀᴄʜᴛꜱᴛɪᴄʜ ʀᴇꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ꜰᴀᴄɪʟɪᴛʏ ɪɴ ꜱᴋᴇᴇᴛᴇʀʜᴀꜰᴇɴ ᴄɪᴛʏ ❞

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴀɴᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʟᴀʙ ❞

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ᴋᴀᴢɪᴍɪʀ'ꜱ ʙᴇᴅʀᴏᴏᴍ ɪɴ ꜱᴋᴇᴇᴛᴇʀʜᴀꜰᴇɴ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴘᴇɴᴛʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ❞

╚══ °⬡° ≫ ❝ ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴀʀᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴋᴀᴢɪᴍɪʀ ᴢᴀᴍᴍɪᴛ ❞

||| ↶*ೃ✧ ̊. ⬡ ↷ ˊ- ||| the links

ᴘɪᴄᴋʟᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʟꜰ ᴘᴀᴄᴋ ⬡ ᴊᴇᴏʀᴇᴇ'ꜱ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛ ᴀɢᴇɴᴄʏ≪ °⬡° ══╝

ᴠɪᴀ ᴋᴏ-ꜰɪ ⬡ ᴠɪᴀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛʜᴇᴅʀᴀʟ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏʀᴅ≪ °⬡° ══╝