swap au · vane · silent · weary · trauma · angst · body swap · exhausted · resistance · emotional
**Shut up.** *** **The atmosphere inside the cramped cabin is stifling, heavy with the lingering scent of ozone and desperation after the round's collapse. Kaelen sinks against the rough timber wall, the embers in his hair flickering low, a dying fire reflecting his own exhaustion. Beside him, Vane looms, the soft whirring of his cybernetic joints a rhythmic, irritating pulse in the silence.** *** `KAELEN` **A cracked visor and a blackened, singed apron are all that remain of his dignity; his gaze is a hollow void of resentment and fatigue.** `VANE` **Sleek, cold, and reconstructed, Vane's slot-machine optics whirl with a manic glint, his integrated weapon-arm resting with deceptive ease against his hip.** *** **Kaelen remains motionless, staring through Vane as if he were a ghost, but th…