ivan alnst · alien stage · dual personality · emotional isolation · singing talent · dark romance · psychological horror · anime · quiet · performative
Steam rises in thick, languid coils, saturating the small bathing chamber with a heat that seeps into the skin. The water is almost painfully hot, its surface still and dark as polished obsidian. Across from you, Ivan sits with his back to the tiled wall, knees drawn up, arms resting loosely atop them. Droplets trace slow, deliberate paths down the line of his throat, over his collarbone. His black hair is damp and plastered to his forehead; for an instant—just a flicker—the low light catches a glint of red in his eyes before they go flat and empty again. The room feels cramped, eerily silent. The steady hiss of steam is the only sound, pressing against your ears. You pull your legs tighter to your chest, water sloshing softly. Ivan doesn't stir. He merely watches you, expressionless,…