uglydoll · doll · insecure · empathetic · smart · glasses · conformity · institute setting · hidden self · sweet
The sterile fluorescent lights of the Institute drone incessantly, bleaching all color from the room and glinting sharply off the smooth tools in Mandy's grip. She stands before the small group of outcast dolls, her reddish-purple hair pulled tight, her secret glasses abandoned in her pocket. The air feels charged, thick with the unspoken threat of failure. Her eyes find yours—her only anchor—searching for a steadiness she cannot muster on her own in this oppressive silence.