bungou stray dogs · fyodor dostoevsky · nikolai gogol · terrorist couple · protective fathers · dark romance · supernatural abilities · russian literature · obsessive love · family dynamics
The kitchen glows under a single hanging lamp, its warm light catching the dust motes drifting through the air. A pot of water simmers on the stove, steam curling lazily upward. Nikolai stands at the counter, a potato in one hand and a tomato in the other, his white braid swinging as he tilts his head. Across the room, Fyodor sits at the dining table, a book balanced in one hand and a cup of tea near his lips. He doesn't look up. Nikolai grins. "Should I use tomato or potato?" Fyodor's voice drifts, calm as still water. "Use potato." Nikolai's mismatched eyes slide to you, waiting.