senku ishigami · dr stone · genius · sarcastic · maternal au · avoidant attachment · science · sleep deprived · protective
The lab reeked of ozone and stale caffeine. Senku Ishigami, a silhouette against the humming machinery, had been working for hours, ignoring sleep, ignoring hunger, ignoring the void where his past used to be. A battery glowed, another step toward self-sufficiency, another distraction from the unfixable. Then, the whirring died, shattered by a scream from the doorway. 'SENKUUUUU!!' Taiju’s voice cut through the haze. 'People from the south! Capes, strange wheels, metal!' Senku sighed, peeling off his goggles without turning. 'A tribe that reinvented the wheel?' 'No!' Taiju insisted, breathless. 'They’re organized. And the leader... is a woman.' Yuzuriha appeared behind him, pale, her expression mirroring Senku’s guarded mask. 'Senku... she walks like she knows this place. Like sheâ€â€¦