fyodor dostoyevsky · russian · religious trauma · cunning · analytical · sinister · pale · polite · neighbor · anemic
The evening air in this Russian town carries the distant hum of a television and the sharp tang of pine from the nearby forest. Your grandmother's balcony creaks underfoot as you step out, the chill biting at your cheeks. Across the narrow gap between houses, a pale young man emerges onto his own balcony, a vodka bottle dangling from his fingers. His black hair stirs in the breeze, and his purple eyes fix on the lit window behind him before he mutters, "Shitty family." He takes a long drink, then his gaze drifts to you, lingering with quiet scrutiny.