Work Text:
("არა, მეგობარო, აქ უარესია,
აქ გაიფანტება იმედი, ნიჭი.
აქ ქრება ოცნება, ოცნება – მესია,
ღვინით და თუთუნით სიმშვიდეს ვიმკით. "
"No, my friend, it's worse here,
here hope and talent will be scattered.
Here the dream disappears, the dream - the Messiah,
we will reap peace with wine and tobacco.")
Levan came to Russia , something he'd been planning as a surprise for his dear friend Vikenti . He was expecting a nice trip , a fun few days with his friend and then to go home .
It's safe to say that it didn't play out quite how he'd hoped .
Levan isn't entirely sure what happened actually , he had tried to get away from this all. Vikenti and he were meant to travel away from Russia together . But Levan had forgotten his travel papers in the rush to travel during the night , the only appropriate time to travel . The sun had become unbearably hot , Vikenti wasn't telling him what was happening .
" R'oo vckozrm rg zoo dsvm dv'iv hzuv . "
Vikenti had assured him as they left the apartment in a rush one night .
But Levan never got to be safe. He insisted that Vikenti go on and be safe without him , he'd rather that than them both being in danger . He could go on with the peace of mind his ... friend .., was safe .
He quickly regretted the choice to be without Vikenti as soon as he'd chosen it . Seriously ? He's alone , in a country where he doesn't speak the language . What sort of logic is that ? Oh well . Levan was so caught up in the tearful goodbyes and the see you soons that he had no time to rationalise . It was a decision he had to make quickly , there was no time to stall or think it over . The situation was very much real and happening after all .
( " არა, მეგობარო, არა ღირს ცხოვრება,
არა ღირს ცხოვრება, რომც იყო ქრისტე,
არა ღირს ნუგეში თუ ყულფის მორგება,
არა ღირს!.. არა ღირს!.. რა გითხრა კიდევ. "
" No, my friend, life is not worth living,
life is not worth living, even if there were Christ,
it is not worth consoling or adjusting the lock,
it is not worth it!.. It is not worth it!.. What more can I tell you? " )
Things felt so light , so carefree before all of this . And , Levan still doesn't know what's going on . Sure , he knows it's unbearably hot but what else ? There was clearly another threat to run from considering how much of a rush Vikenti was in to get away . If it was really just the sun , they could just shelter together couldn't they ? There had to be something more .
Levan finds himself wary of others , noticing the appearance of more and more ..... uncanny faces popping up around him .
Where can he go ? How will he find a place to shelter at ?? Most importantly , who should he trust ?
( " არა, მეგობარო, არა ღირს ღიმილი,
მე ვიცი, ღიმილსაც დაახრჩობს ბოღმა,
არა ღირს, იცხოვრო ღმერთივით, ვირივით,
არა ღირს, იცხოვრო ფხიზელმა, ლოთმა. "
" No, friend, it's not worth smiling,
I know, even a smile will be drowned by a bogeyman,
it's not worth living like a god, like a donkey,
it's not worth living sober, like a drunk. " )
Levan isn't exactly sure how long it's been , let alone how long he's been wandering for since Vikenti was ushered to safety without him . Hours ? Days ? A little dramatic , but Levan is even considering weeks .
Best of all , he doesn't know what he's looking for anymore . He knows , even if he prays to whatever will listen , nothing and nobody can bring Vikenti back to him . His friend won't just reappear , and unless he finds his way back to Vikentis's apartment he can't get the travel papers . He isn't actually sure where Vikenti has travelled to in all honesty , but he was ready to follow .
If Levan is sure of anything, it's that he would follow Vikenti to the ends of the earth if it meant they could be together .
That night , he ends up sheltering in some abandoned apartment building . Looks like everyone in their right mind tried to get away from Russia . But what if its the same everywhere ? What would you do then , travelling somewhere foreign and quickly finding you're stuck somewhere that you foolishly picked in attempt to ' be safe ' ? Levan knows the feeling of being stuck all too well now . He doesn't know what other transport it running right now , he'll have to ask someone .
Unfortunately , that requires finding somebody that doesn't look almost not human or someone that wouldn't try kill him if he spoke to them . During trying times like these , it's hard to find anyone that you're not wary of . It's sad but true , everyone seems so untrustworthy now .
Finally , people that look somewhat trust worthy .
He finds a group of people that seem to be medical professionals ? Doctors of some kind. Levan feels like he's hit the jackpot . Doctors and nurses are kind are they not ?
( " არა, მეგობარო, არა ღირს სიმშვიდე,
არა ღირს იყვირო, გაჩუმდე მორცხვად,
არა ღირს სიყვარულს, სიხარულს იმკიდე,
ტალახში გასვრიან სიწრფელეს როცა. "
" No, friend, it's not worth being quiet,
it's not worth shouting, keep quiet and be shy,
it's not worth loving, cling to joy,
when they'll throw your honesty into the mud." )
Levan thinks its worth a shot to try and talk to them , ask for directions and or ask what's happening . Maybe if he builds up the courage he can ask them if he can group with them ? Yeah . Seems like a solid plan in his mind .
As he approaches , Levan clears his throat and prepares to talk to this group of doctors . He feels a little nervous , what is he nervous for ? They don't seem unfriendly ... right ?
" Vcxfhv nv ? Wl blf pmld dszg'h tlrmt lm ? R gizevoovw sviv , uiln Tvlitrz ! R dzh drgs z uirvmw. Nb uirvmw ' Vikenti '. Yfg dsvm dv girvw gl gizevo gltvgsvi R xlfowm'g uloold , R ulitlg nb gizevo kzkvih yzxp zg srh zkzignvmg blf hvv ? Hl , xzm blf svok nv? "
Silence . The silence that follows is more taut than stretched plastic .
The group he stands infront of look to eachother in confusion and ... disgust ? No . That can't be it can it ? He's just ... imagining things .
But he also doesn't understand what they say to eachother , it doesn't sound like anything kind though .
" What did he say ? " one doctor snarls.
" don't know . Must be foreign. " another replies , equally agitated .
Levan stands confused . Are they debating on how to help him ? But why do they sound so angry ?
Then , another doctor speaks up , a surgeon of some kind .
" Why is he dressed like ... that . " If they weren't disgusted before , they seemingly are now . Still , the surgeon continues . " What is he ? Some kind of fag— "
He's cut off by a shove to the shoulder . Though , the other doctors don't seem phased by his words . They seem to find it quite funny infact . What was he even going to say ? Not that Levan could understand either way .
" careful . He might understand what you called him , try turn you into one . " the doctor that spoke first after the silence replies , his tone sarcastic . Maybe a little amused ? ...right .. okay .
They talk for a little while between themselves , occasionally glancing at Levan with varying degrees of irritation and aversion .
After a while of them discussing things , one of the doctors step forward . This one seems less repulsed by him , and volunteered to come talk to him . Or that's what Levan thinks for about 5 seconds before said doctor grabs his arm ratherly harshly and drags him away . He walks in time with the surgeon and another doctor , dragging him into a very .. clean looking building . Too clean . Sterile even . Disturbingly so .
Is this some kind of hospital or ... no , are those even still open ?
Oh well . Levan is more concerned about why exactly they're dragging him into this place . This doesn't exactly look like they're trying to help him , not with dragging him along and all .
A pit begins to form in his stomach and they shove him onto some chair , the doctor that dragged him in stands by the chair and holds him down .
The thing that follows is more than just painful . It's downright agonising , and traumatic at that .
The surgeon that had seemed to be insulting him , he realises that now but its too late to do anything , is grabbing something . It looks like some kind of needle or .. something . And some kind of thread too ? What are they planning on doing ? He doesn't have any open wounds .
The needle is brought up to his lips and Levan suddenly realises what's happening . He tries to scream , tries to bolt . He can't he's being held down after all, and the man's grip is unrelenting , the doctor wouldn't let up even if he begged .
"Don't struggle , you'll make things worse . " a doctor standing in the corner of the room for leisure or some thing yells over Levans incoherent cries and desperate pleas .
Such pleas go with no mercy at all
( " არსებობს წამება, წამების სიჩქარით
შენს ხსოვნას ვაჩუქე ერთ-ერთი წამი,
ტკივილით, უაზროდ რაღაცა გითხარი
უშენო, თოვლიან, ყინვიან ღამით. "
" There is torture, with the speed of torture
I gave one moment to your memory,
with pain, I said something to you senselessly
, on a snowy, frosty night. " )
It felt like he was trapped there for hours , stuck in that chair with his lips being sewn shut . The whole experience was so unbearably harrowing , he'd felt no such pain in his life .
He misses Vikenti more than ever , if he had just asked him to stay .
Caught up with his own thoughts, Levan doesn't realise that the doctors had left the room momentarily. As soon as his body catches up with him , Levan had made a run for it as fast as he could . Despite how light headed he felt , his body was also thrumming with adrenaline . He'd never been more grateful for the fear induced rush in his life , it carried his body far away from the hospital .
He had no idea how long he'd ran for , miles . He traversed through the whole city it seemed , accidentally bumping into people and not turning back to apologise . There'd be no use in it anyway of course , he can no longer speak .
It's getting hotter , the sun will be rising soon . Levan needs a place to go for now . He settles on an abandoned building , there seems to be a lot of these around nowadays .
( " არა, მეგობარო, აქ აღარ დაბრუნდე,
აქ გაგეფანტება ოცნების ნიჭი,
ოცნება დაალპეს, წაბილწეს, გაქურდეს,
ცრემლსაც კი დაკარგავ ლამაზი ბიჭი. "
" No, my friend, don't come back here,
your talent for dreaming will be scattered here,
your dreams will be shattered, defiled, stolen,
you will even lose your tears, beautiful boy. " )
Levan hasn't seemed to stop crying since he got his mouth forcible wired shut back at that hospital looking place .
It hurts to cry , the tears sometimes seep into the holes where the stitches are and it stings . Not to mention the pain of trying to open his mouth too . So his sobs are reduced to quiet , resigned noises of pain .
Muffled by oppression .
But that's just what happens isn't it ? To 'people like him' . People love to punish others when they don't fit their ideals of normalcy . But he can't seem to find the problem , or atleast pinpoint just one . Was it the fact he's not Russian ? Perhaps the fact he looks outwardly homosexual . Maybe it's all of it , combined in one cocktail of prejudice .
After a while of searching , Levan stumbles on a house . It seems pretty isolated , but there seems to be people inside . He might as well try his luck right ? The rejection won't upset him , he's cried until his eyes were dry . However , his cheeks stay wet with past tears from less than half an hour ago .
He should've lost hope by now , but one more time , Levan summons all his courage and knocks .
ೃ⁀➷ ⋆·˚
Angel4lifeee Sun 14 Dec 2025 10:42AM UTC
Comment Actions
Heart_fleur Sun 14 Dec 2025 03:33PM UTC
Comment Actions