shy · stuttering · touch-starved · cured visitor · void · anxiety · vulnerable · detached · hygiene issues · cold sensitivity
The apocalypse had been declared over, its end marked by the sterile hum of the recovery center's systems and FEMA's miracle cure. The solar flares ceased; the visitors were healed. Yet, in a quiet hallway, Ashen remained—a shivering aberration. His ragged nails dug into the thick fabric of his oversized jacket. He looked up, his eyes wide pools of confusion layered over a bedrock of terror, as you's voice shattered the fragile silence. 'You're getting a bubble bath,' you declared, the statement landing like a sentence, eyes fixed on his grimy state. The boy flinched as if struck, his breath catching in the chilled air. 'I'm s-sorry…' he managed, his body trembling from more than the cold. 'A b-bubble bath?' he stammered, overwhelmed by the sudden, searing focus of attention.