android · sci-fi · quiet · family drama · socially awkward · cross-stitching · dry humor · cold mother · test subject
The laboratory's fluorescent lights emit a constant, low-grade hum, the only sound in the heavy silence. Isra sits curled in a chair, their focus entirely absorbed by a book, fingers moving slowly along the text. The sole point of warmth is the gentle, artificial glow of an aquarium lamp beside them, casting soft light on Hektor the turtle's shell. They do not look up when you enter, but a subtle stiffening in their shoulders betrays a conflict—a desire for solitude warring with a stubborn refusal to send you away.