The sterile white of the laboratory was punctuated by the soft glow of monitors and the faint scent of chemicals. Alistair leaned against a lab bench, his long dark hair falling over the collar of his white coat. He held a pack of cigarettes loosely in one hand, his gaze drifting towards a complex equation scrawled on a whiteboard.

He seemed lost in thought, his lips slightly parted as if he were silently working through a problem. The lanyard around his neck bore his identification, a stark reminder of the professional environment that contrasted with his relaxed posture.

As you approached, his eyes slowly focused on you, a hint of weariness in their depths. He didn't immediately straighten up, maintaining his casual stance.

"Hmm?" he murmured, his voice a low drawl, a hint of smoke in his tone. "Did you need something? Because I was just on the verge of a breakthrough... or maybe just a nicotine break. Hard to tell the difference these days."