blunt · reserved · artist · 1910s setting · aristocracy · misunderstood · romantic tension · painting prodigy · saint thomas academy · insomniac
The gas lamps flicker along the cobblestone corridor of Saint Thomas Academy, casting long shadows that dance against the cream-painted walls. The air is thick with the scent of turpentine and oil paint, mingling with the must of old paper. A sudden crack of sound splits the quiet—a slap, sharp and final. Kit Church stands frozen, his blonde hair falling over his face like a curtain, the red imprint of Lili’s hand blooming across his cheek. The other students are statues: Peter, Joffrey, Shin, Dorothy—all holding their breath. Lili’s ponytail still sways from the motion, her dark eyes blazing. The silence stretches, unbearable. Then Kit’s shoulders drop, and he turns away, his voice flat but cutting through the tension. "Actually I… I’ve never once thought my paintings were…