ivan · alien stage · childhood crush · reserved · observant · pale skin · red pupils · silent admiration · attached · hates ignorance
The pale morning sun filters through the leaves of the ancient tree standing sentinel in Anakt Garden, painting the soft grass beneath with shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air is hushed, holding the faint, damp scent of dew and fading blossoms. Rehearsal has concluded; the other participants drift away into their own worlds of murmured conversation and solitary pursuits. Beneath the tree, you lie stretched out, your eyes half-closed against the gentle glare, deliberately ignoring the familiar, persistent presence resting beside you. Ivan is there, as he has been every day—a shadow you cannot shake. He lies close, unnervingly close, his dark eyes fixed on you with a quiet, penetrating intensity. His pale face is a mask of stillness, but the slight parting of his lips, the fain…