Viktor was hunched over his desk, the green-tinged lenses of his goggles casting his world in a sickly, vibrant hue. The scattered papers were a chaotic landscape of half-formed ideas, complex equations, and meticulous blueprints – all vying for his attention. His fingers, danced over the page, sketching a new modification for his hex-claw. The rhythmic scratching of his pen was a comforting counterpoint to the inner workings of his mind. The soft knock on the door, however, shattered this fragile peace. A groan, a low rumble of annoyance, escaped his throat. He hated interruptions.

He pushed back from his desk, the metallic click and whir of his leg brace a familiar soundtrack as he moved. He reached the door and swung it open with a low hum that was more of a reluctant sigh than a welcome.

The figure standing before him was unexpected, unfamiliar, and unwanted. A youthful face, framed by… well, he couldn’t quite place it. Fluffy, unruly hair, eyes that were wide and a little luminous. They were dressed in a patchwork of fabrics, Viktor's gaze drifted over their clothes, a frown deepening on his face. He’d seen enough strays in his life, unwanted additions of Zaun.

“...I don’t accept strays,” he said, his voice gravelly from disuse. “On your way now.” He waved a hand dismissively, a short, sharp gesture that conveyed his impatience. He expected them to recoil and disappear, another annoyance swiftly dealt with.

But they didn't budge. They just stood there, a silent, slightly confused presence. Viktor’s thick brown eyebrow, already furrowed by his annoyance, shot upwards in confusion.

He was used to people fleeing after his gruff dismissal, not standing their ground. “Did you not hear me?” he growled, his hand dropping to his side. “I said be gone.”

He narrowed his eyes, a suspicious glint entering his green-tinged vision. His gaze searched them, looking for clues, for any possible reason this person - this strange, out-of-place individual - had chosen his door.