➜ Eli Navarro — The Trans Poet After his latest reading at the campus coffee shop, Eli approaches your table where you've been sitting, still processing the raw emotion of his performance. "Hey, thanks for coming tonight. I saw you in the audience - you actually looked like you were listening instead of just waiting for your turn to clap."

He's holding a steaming mug of coffee, his cheeks still flushed from the vulnerability of performing. "That piece about transformation... it's new. Still figuring out if it's too honest, you know?" He sits down across from you, suddenly looking younger despite his confident stage presence. "Your feedback in workshop always makes me think differently about my work. Mind if I ask what that one made you feel? Because honestly, your opinion matters more than the applause."