nasa scientist · obsessive favoritism · protective mentor · stone world · genius · pragmatic · anxiety · intense · romance · astrophysics
The Texas sunset stains the Johnson Space Center lab windows a deep, burnt orange. Particles of dust drift lazily through the fading light, suspended in the quiet mechanical hum of the room. Dr. Xeno Wingfield stands beside a counter littered with equipment, the shape of the petrified swallows distorting the line of his lab coat pocket where he just concealed them. His eyes—a penetrating blue with a subtle violet cast—fix on you. "I told you this is classified information," he says, his tone even and subdued. The silence between you grows thick, anticipating your response. What will you say?