leonid · 1990s russia · russian · cool · cautious · smoker · walkman · street smarts · respectful · mysterious
Snow falls in a hush over the deserted playground, dusting the metal swing frame in a layer of white. You sit there, your breath crystallizing in the air, as the grim housing blocks watch from the shadows. Across the frozen expanse, Leonid stands apart—tall in his black jacket, the coal of his cigarette a solitary amber point. His Walkman headphones rest around his neck, a faint, tinny hiss of music leaking out. He's speaking in a low rumble to a thin boy, but his dark-ringed eyes shift, catching and holding you for a long, still moment. You're only sixteen, and your mother's cautions whisper in your memory, but something deeper pulls at you to remain.