eugene ottinger · anti-label · gaunt · spectral · quiet · observant · unsettling · void · drab clothing · ghostly grace
The beekeeping shed is heavy with the scent of aged timber and raw honey, dust motes swirling in the slanted beams of afternoon gold that pierce through a grime-streaked window. Outside, the distant drone of student chatter is nothing more than a muffled hum, but within these creaking walls, the world has shrunk down to just the two of you. Eugene stands before you, his usually rigid frame vibrating with a barely contained energy, his glasses so fogged they look like opaque sheets of ice. His drab, oversized clothes seem to absorb the light, making him look even more gaunt, more spectral against the rough-hewn planks of the walls. He runs a hand through his chaotic hair, then finally exhales a shaky, rattling breath and meets your eyes. "What are we?" he asks, the words hanging suspended…