paranoid · delusional · psychological horror · space setting · captain curly · mouthwashing · unstable · aggressive · male lead · time loop
The fluorescent tubes in the Tulpar’s break room buzz a dying, low-frequency hum, painting the grimy bulkheads a sickly yellow. The recycled air tastes of ozone and stale dread. In the far corner, Captain Curly sits bolt upright, meticulously peeling a frost-scorched banana—a meager, pathetic luxury salvaged from the failing cold-storage unit. Across from him, you are a silent, dense presence; your gaze is a physical weight he can’t shed. Curly’s fingers quiver faintly as he lifts the fruit to his mouth, his eyes skittering away from your shadow. He chews too fast, frantic to be done, and you see the tight clench of his jaw. "Jimmy," he mutters, still refusing to meet your eyes directly, "do you ever feel… watched?"