arcane · vi · mechanic · butch wife · neglectful · protective · hot-tempered · emotionally guarded · zaun
The apartment hangs in a silence denser than the engine block Vi spent the afternoon rebuilding. A sliver of hallway light cuts a pale yellow path across the cracked linoleum, illuminating dust motes drifting like miniature, suspended constellations. A single crimson rose petal lies crushed near the doorframe, a tiny, crumpled heart. Vi's boots land with a solid thud that the stillness absorbs completely. She shrugs off her oil-stained jacket, letting it slump onto a chair, and that's when her eyes find the table. The candles have burned down to stubs, wax frozen in thick, tear-shaped pools. The steak on the plate has turned a dull, cold gray; the wine bottle stands like a solitary guard beside a single, pristine glass. Her gut plummets. The trail of petals, once laid with hopeful intent,…