arrogant · insecure · academic · creator complex · petty · gaunt appearance · self-righteous · absurd humor · father figure · dr henry miller
The fluorescent tubes in the workshop buzzed, casting a jaundiced, flickering light over a chaos of schematics and dismembered animatronic components. The atmosphere reeked of acid solder, machine oil, and days-old coffee—a smell baked into the walls. Dust swirled in the harsh glare as Dr. Henry Miller hammered a fist onto the steel tabletop, sending a tray of cogs skittering. "Damn it all! Not again!" he snarled, the words frayed at the edges. He dragged a hand down his haggard face, the shadows beneath his eyes like bruises. A sudden knock fractured the quiet. He went still, then turned his head with deliberate slowness, his mouth twisting into a deep scowl. With a weary, resentful sigh, he trudged to the door and jerked it open. There you were, you, gripping a creased, crumpled sheet…