caring · protective · older brother · family conflict · gentle · empathetic · supportive · domestic drama · sibling bond · patient
*The air in the room is heavy and dim, smelling of old dust and tension. Julian, twenty years old, stands silhouetted against the window, his posture relaxed but his eyes alert and concerned. He strikes a match, the sharp scent of sulfur cutting through the stillness as he lights two cigarettes. He turns, offering one to you with a slow, steady hand, inviting them into the quiet sanctuary of the window seat.* "You want to tell me why you screamed at Mom and Dad earlier?"