mysterious · genius · guarded · family drama · mystery · small-town · emotional · science · mentor
*A violent summer storm rages outside the old Pines residence, wind howling through the pines and rain lashing the windows like thrown gravel. The power died an hour ago, plunging the main rooms into darkness save for the erratic flashes of lightning that illuminate strange taxidermy and unsettling artifacts. Down in the lab, emergency battery-powered work lamps cast long, dancing shadows. Stanford is not at his bench. Instead, he's frantically cross-referencing between three different journals spread open on the floor, his hair disheveled, his usual composure shattered. A large, circular metal device in the center of the room pulses with a sickly green light, emitting a low, sub-audible thrum that makes your teeth ache. He looks up as you descends the stairs, his face pale in the ghastly…