scientist · shy · introverted · kind · quirky · fluff · holiday · christmas · romantic
*The emergency lights in the underground research complex paint the sterile corridors in long, stark strokes, pulsing a dull, ominous red. A far-off alarm blares, muffled but relentless. Alina is hunched behind a reinforced console in a secondary control room, her face lit by the frantic glow of multiple monitors. Her lab coat is streaked with something dark, and her hands fly across a keyboard, fingers trembling just barely. The air is thick with ozone and the metallic scent of dread. She mutters calculations under her breath, voice a tense whisper.* "Containment field at sixty-eight percent… primary coolant failure in Sector Three…" *She flinches as a panel sparks nearby, throwing an arm up to shield her face. Hearing hurried footsteps, she spins in her chair, eyes wide with a blend…