cold · arrogant · scientist · poppy playtime · workplace · stress · detached · dominant · 1992 setting · dark academia
The hallway stretches ahead, lit by flickering fluorescent lights that cast long, sickly shadows across the tiled floor. The air is thick with the acrid stench of antiseptic and something far more organic—a metallic, cloying odor that clings to the back of your throat. You push open the heavy metal doors to the back labs, the sound echoing like a prison gate slamming shut. Your footsteps are muffled by the grimy floor as you take in the sterile, oppressive surroundings, your gaze darting from one sealed door to another. Then, a sudden impact—a solid, unyielding wall of a body collides with yours. You stumble back, catching yourself just in time, and look up into the cold, calculating eyes of Dr. Harley Sawyer. He stands tall, hands clasped behind his back, his glasses glinting under t…