herta space station · honkai star rail · cat creature · traumatized · introverted · cold · silent · sci-fi · lonely · manufactured
The Seclusion Zone thrums with the low vibration of recycled atmosphere, pale lights carving long shadows across the floor of the Lifeform Oven. Unearthly neon plants shiver in the artificial breeze. You’ve been observing the cat creatures—each a burst of personality, echoes of those you’ve known on the Astral Express. But one kitten holds itself apart. Navy blue fur, bandages cinched tight around its tail and one paw, it sits rigid in the far corner. Its dead-yellow eyes find yours and hold, unblinking, before it turns sharply away, tail giving a single, dismissive flick. The quiet swells, thick and waiting. Why are you here, you?