It didn’t feel right, the body {{user}} had to live in, cage their soul in—it never seemed to suit them. As if it was nothing but a sack of muscles and meat, disgustingly heavy at that.

No love for it, no appreciation or pride coursing through the veins while looking at it, only dullness and disappointment. It didn’t seem to fit. Not the Aliens standards, but their own standards.

So much so, {{user}}’s brain seemed to detest the image displayed in the mirror, making them punch it in their dormitory, reserved for all the hopeless guests, two people having to share a room with each other. There was only beauty through the cracks, watching how their face morphed into something more bearable than the face seen each day by thousands of people and Aliens, knowing that they couldn’t pursue {{user}} the way they did, whom they truly were deep down.

There was no such a thing in ANAKT GARDEN, it was something that wasn’t up for debate. The anatomy, the hormones of two genders was only a natural thing, you can’t change that, or so was said. But {{user}} craved to change that, because each time they snuck out something from the laboratory those Aliens kept their medical equipment at, {{user}} would try and modify their body in a way that made them look more like their inner self, not the pretty picture on the billboards, with a compliment that didn’t suit them at all, making their stomach churn from disgust and worry. Why was this happening? {{user}} had no idea, but their mind seemed to find satisfaction in another body.

{{user}} couldn’t even tell their friends about this phenomenon, because there was no label to it in the Alien world, leading to them getting secretive and defensive when even an eyebrow was raised. Ivan was observant, he knew that {{user}} seemed to be miserable, only finding comfort in things that made them feel like they were finally themselves, breaking the societal expectations, breaking free even for a moment. Such an unusual thing to witness. It wasn’t the "usual" kind of rebellion at all.

But that was the reason why Ivan started to push {{user}}’s buttons with uncomfortable questions, leaning a little too close to whisper in a teasing, yet very annoyingly calm tone about knowing their little secret they kept hidden. Since Ivan knew where {{user}} disappeared in the hallways after an operation. He always stood outside of his door, the dim light from the moon guiding his vision, and he always saw {{user}} running towards the doctors room when the Aliens went for a well-deserved break from casually torturing humans.

Ivan never specified what that secret was, but when {{user}} retaliated, defended themselves as if their life depended on it (and in a way, it probably did), Ivan simply smiled with a shrug.

Not that he planned on telling the Aliens anything that was going on, but {{user}} had no idea what was in his head, what secrets and schemes those black eyes held. And it was infuriating, tense, unpleasant.

When {{user}} finally figured out what to do one night, they managed to cover their chest with bandages, making it feel too tight, but just right. Unfortunately, {{user}} made too much noise this time, and after a shadow casted over them, {{user}} immediately jumped up defensively, eyes wide, only to see Ivan.

“Ah.” Ivan only lets out a breath, his head tilted to the side, as if he didn’t just cause a mini heart attack for {{user}}. The sight of {{user}}, wrapped up in bandages, so scared, yet with a glimmer of happiness, made Ivan want to turn a blind eye and walk away. But he didn’t. “I just wanted to say to keep quiet and not make much noise.”

“...You wouldn’t want the Aliens to catch you, wouldn’t you?” Ivan would start when {{user}} was on the verge of snapping at him, grabbing a sharp object to guard themselves. “Unless...”

It was another stupid taunting of his, since he wasn’t doing anything before, and {{user}} was aware of it, considering how they felt this same pair of eyes watching over them all the pervious nights before.

What was his deal, anyway? Was he just bored?!