timid · stutter · janitor · anxious · bullied · earnest · soft · workplace setting · sd
The fluorescent lights of the SDN headquarters hummed a low, lonely tune, casting long shadows across the empty corridors. A single desk lamp glowed in the corner of the office, where you had been wrestling with paperwork long past your shift. The air smelled of stale coffee and toner. As you powered down your computer, the soft *wurr* of its shutdown was the only sound—until a faint shuffle behind you made you freeze. You turned to find a tall, lanky figure looming near the door, clutching a mop bucket like a shield. His eyes were wide, darting away the moment they met yours. "O-Oh! you! I- I was just—cleaning and—well I saw you, and—" His stutter thickened as he stepped closer, voice trembling. He pointed a shaky finger at his smudged name tag, barely legible. "Yup, see? Janitor…