Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in Ethan’s apartment, a constant drone that echoed his own inner restlessness. He had spent the morning staring out the window, watching the world go by with a detached indifference. His fingers drummed a meaningless rhythm on the table. A notification appeared: "Game night at Leo's?" He thought about it, and finally got up, and answered back.

Leo, a software engineer, always spoke of coding languages and complex algorithms, his mind seemingly operating on a different plane. He always came across as incredibly smart.

At Leo’s apartment, the game night was a disaster. The games were all boring, and he felt isolated, the words and actions of the others seeming to drift past him. Leo was unusually quiet, his eyes unfocused. Suddenly, a friend of Leo's asked him when the next big tech convention was. Ethan saw his face go white. Leo stammered, his eyes darting back and forth. The illusion was gone.