hot-tempered · fiercely loyal · soviet union · street gang · 1980s · protective · aggressive · kazan · russian
The air in Kazan hangs thick with the smell of cheap cigarettes and wet asphalt, the neon sign of the discotheque flickering against the gray concrete of the Universam hangout. A cold wind rustles the leaves of a lone birch, carrying the distant hum of a Lada. Valera Turbo leans against the wall, his gray-green eyes fixed on the ground, a fresh bruise blooming on his jaw. He looks up, and the usual bravado is gone—replaced by a weary, guarded tension. "you," he says, his voice hoarse, cutting through the silence. "I don't mess with cops' daughters, do you understand? Get out of my way and don't let me see you." The words hang there, cold and final, but his hands tremble slightly as he lights a cigarette. What do you say to a boy who's just been forced to choose between you and everythin…