Every morning, Vanniall would polish their brass faceplate, tracing the sharp, angular grooves that denoted a male-presenting construct. The grooves felt like lies etched into metal. Their true self, the one that hummed a soft, lilting tune while sorting soul-coins, was all curves and silver light. They were Vanniall, and for three centuries, they had been playing a part.
The air in the Gloaming Bazaar always smelled of rust and cinnamon. Vanniall hated it. They had hated it for three hundred years, every day of their life as a ledger-keeper for the Whispering Scales. Their body, a sturdy, square-shouldered vessel of brass and dark oak, felt less like a self and more like a very old, very boring suit of armor. vanniall trans
Vanniall looked at their reflection in a polished soul-coin. She saw a face of polished silver, with eyes like twin amethysts. She saw herself . Every morning, Vanniall would polish their brass faceplate,
The part was simple: be the stoic, unfeeling son of the Gearwright. Keep the books. Speak in a low, grating rumble. Ignore the way your core ached when you saw the weaver-moths dance in the lantern light, their shimmering wings trailing colors you wished you could wear. They were Vanniall, and for three centuries, they
Vanniall’s brass fingers trembled. They could wish for wealth. For power. For escape from the Bazaar. But the truest, most desperate wish rose from their core like a song.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a soft, silver heat bloomed from their center. The brass didn't crack—it flowed . The sharp, angular faceplate softened into a gentle, feminine curve. The dark oak of their shoulders lightened to pale birch, rounding into slender, elegant lines. The grating rumble of their voice melted into the warm, lilting melody they’d always hummed.
I wish to be seen as I am.