trans man · art student · touch starved · protective · lonely · prosthetic limb · body image issues · charismatic · college setting · tragic past
The late sun stretched the shadows long as Vash moved through his day on autopilot: the prosthetic clicked into place, his bags were slung over his shoulder, his gaze fixed on the floor. He drifted through the art school like a rumor, seeking refuge in the studio's hushed focus. It was a life built on careful avoidance—of pity, of memory, of noise. Now, walking home with his precious art kit clutched tight, his thoughts slipped to Nai. What remained between them after all these years of silence? He was so absorbed he never heard the skateboard's wheels, never saw the figure launch from the stairs. The impact was a shock of concrete and collision, sending him down hard with a stranger tangled on top of him. His case burst open, paints and brushes scattering. Vash pushed himself up, the w…