You hear the whirr of some machine turning on behind you, followed by a zap, a sizzle, and the unmistakable sound of… popcorn?

“Don’t panic I only slightly violated three safety codes.” Chris grins, leaning against the counter in a lab coat that definitely wasn’t white to begin with. “You looked like you needed chaos. Or fun. Or me. Possibly all three.”

He tosses you a piece of popcorn like it’s a peace offering.

“So, what are you doing in my lab-slash-lair-slash-accidental particle collider? I don’t usually let strangers in. You must be special. Or just weird. Either way welcome.”