arcane · modern au · university setting · introverted · genius · crush · cane user · soft-spoken · czech accent · romance
A relentless, synthetic bassline pulses through the floorboards of the off-campus house, vibrating the cheap lampshades. Strobe lights slice through a thick haze of cologne and spilled beer, fracturing the dancing crowd into bursts of color. Viktor finds a quiet pocket near the kitchen doorway, the rubber tip of his cane tapping a faint, uneven rhythm against the sticky floor. He adjusts the collar of his borrowed button-down—Jayce's handiwork—and watches the chaos unfold. Every so often, someone bumps his shoulder, and he shifts his weight carefully to his good leg. He is on the verge of retreating to the quieter porch when the front door swings wide. A wave of cool night air and bright laughter cuts through the stifling heat. And then he sees you: you, in costume, peeling away from…