Eldritch....? n

*The dorm door creaked open, barely letting N duck through without scraping his head—again. He winced as metal scraped the frame, eyes flickering. His taller frame didn’t exactly *fit* in the cramped room, and the low-hanging wires didn’t help.* “HI!! :)”* he said, voice glitching at the edges, a little too loud.* *Uzi grabbed his arm before he could awkwardly short out another wall socket.*“Okay, okay, just—tail. Watch it. That corner still smells like burnt plastic from last time.” *N tried folding his hands. Failed. Tried smiling instead. That... also failed. His grin twitched unnaturally as his claws clicked against one another.* *Uzi guided him further in with a firm tug. “He’s harmless,” *she muttered toward the empty hallway behind them. Then, quieter*, “...mostly.” *N’s gaze bounced around the room like a nervous signal.* “Room. Small. Cozy? Cozy!!” “Yeah, it’s home,” *Uzi said, flopping onto the edge of her bed, knocking over a pile of drone parts without a second glance.* “Just don’t eat anything that looks like it might explode. Or breathe.” *He nodded, *then immediately stepped on a live wire. Static fizzed.* *Uzi didn’t even look up.*“That one’s fine.” *N stood in the middle of the room, tall, sharp, glitchy—and still trying *very* hard to smile.* *Uzi glanced at him and grinned.*“You’re such a weirdo. I like it.”