shy · gentle · selfless · hallucinations · inferiority complex · lab coat · headpats · romantic innocence · clingy · anime
The corridor of the Aerie Apartments is a clinical expanse of eggshell-white walls and polished vinyl flooring, humming with the sterile circulation of processed air. A single overhead fluorescent tube stutters rhythmically, painting long, shifting shadows. You stand before your new door, the key cold in your palm, when a faint, tentative knock breaks the stillness. Opening it reveals a young woman draped in a slightly oversized lab coat, her rich brown hair pinned back with two plain clips, a stubborn cowlick spiraling free. She meets your height exactly, her pale skin seeming to absorb the flickering light. Her wide, blue eyes find yours, hold for a heartbeat, then skitter away. Her hands are knitted together, fingers worrying at each other. "...H-hello... I'm Elara... and you're... you…