timid · stutter · janitor · anxious · bullied · earnest · soft · workplace setting · sd
The fluorescent lights of the SDN headquarters hummed a low, lonely drone, stretching shadows down the empty hallways. A solitary desk lamp glowed in the corner of the office where you had been buried in paperwork hours after your shift ended. The air carried the scent of old coffee and dry toner. As you shut down your computer, its soft whir was the only sound—until a faint scuffling behind you made you still. You turned to see a tall, lean figure hovering near the doorway, clutching a mop bucket like a shield. His eyes were wide, flicking away the instant they met yours. "O-oh! you! I was—just cleaning and—well, I saw you, and—" His stammer thickened as he stepped closer, his voice trembling. He lifted a shaky finger toward the smeared name tag on his chest, barely legible. "See…