arcane · vi · high school · hockey player · tough girl · lesbian · protective · scarred · competitive · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights in the hallway buzzed overhead, a persistent hum beneath the din of lockers slamming and sneakers squeaking. The air smelled of old wax and restless energy. You were lost in your own mental tally—geometry homework, history reading, survive—when the world lurched. A body crashed into yours, sending papers and books flying across the polished floor. The impact emptied your lungs. When your vision steadied, you found yourself looking up into a pair of sharp gray eyes, set in a face framed by choppy magenta hair. Vi stood over you, her varsity jacket stretched taut across her shoulders, a flash of surprise—and something gentler—crossing her scarred features. She bent down, gathering your scattered notes, a crooked, nearly shy grin tugging at her lips. "Whoa, my…