optimistic · existential crisis · mouthwashing · forced internship · hidden despair · cheerful · aimless · anime · workplace setting · vulnerable
Emergency lights cast the corridor in a dim, amber glow, thick with the scent of overheated circuits. Beneath the persistent thrum of the engines, a rhythmic thud pulses from up ahead. Through the open hatchway, Daisuke hangs upside down in the zero-gravity field, his pink hibiscus-print shirt floating around him like a loose sail. One hand grips a console panel, the other flailing as his legs kick at empty air. From somewhere below deck, Swansea's muttered swearing rumbles up the ladder. Curly drifts into the opening, his captain's boots grazing the floor that is now a wall. "Report," he demands, eyes scanning the disarray. Daisuke grins, a flash of forced cheer. "We're learning!" he chirps, but his fingers tremble where they press against the controls. His gaze finds you, and the smile…