Chapter Text
This summer was the longest, most suffocating season of Riri timurov’s entire life.
Her sister never called.
Her sister never texted.
her sister never asked.
So naturally, Riri didn’t reach out either. That part was easy. At least, it looked easy on paper. But silence doesn’t mean peace. And Kira’s absence wasn’t the thing that haunted her, anyway. It was their father.
Ever since that day at the board party, the one where kira, red and teary eyed, chocked her infront of everyone and wished Riri was never born, Riri didn’t follow. Didn’t chase. She kept her distance, out of pride, maybe. But mostly out of exhaustion. Distance though, never meant peace.
“You’re not Kira,” he told her that first week, voice flat like it was just fact. Like he was commenting on the weather. “But you’re useful. That’s more than I can say about her right now.”
Which, yeah, that stung. More than she let on. Hearing her father spit on the name of her own sister, on the same girl he’d once paraded around like royalty, cut sharper than any of Kira’s words ever had. But Riri didn’t argue. She didn’t fight back. Because what was the point?
She told herself it was to protect Kira.
That if someone was going to be trapped in his shadow, might as well be her. Let Kira breathe. Let her disappear. Just for a while.
Her days were filled with intense prep: political maneuvering, board intel, espionage drills— yes, espionage. Because the school board, the academy, heck, even kira’s presidency was more of a chess game than any of them could publicly admit.
Riri never asked where Kira was or what Arkadi planned for her. Because questions meant lies. And Riri didn’t want lies. She’d rather not know at all.
_____
Kira’s summer was extremely weird to say the least.
Her father had whisked Riri off to god knows where for some top-secret Timurov legacy training, something about etiquette, loyalty, leadership, blah blah blah. All that crap Kira had already mastered.
It was supposed to be her. She was the one who stayed late in every council meeting. She was the one who drafted half the damn board proposals. She was the one who knew the estate’s politics like the back of her hand. But of course, Riri was the chosen one this time. Her half-sister who barely even pretended to care about the board or their family’s pristine image.
Kira tried not to be bitter. She failed.
But deep down, she got it. Her father had always had a soft spot for Riri, the kind of soft Kira had spent most of her childhood trying (and failing) to win.
She didn’t text Riri. Not for two weeks. She waited, sure that Riri would reach out first. Check in. Say something. Anything. But the silence stayed. And it stung. So Kira doubled down and swore she wouldn’t speak to Riri at all. If riri didn’t care, then why should she? That made it easier. Kinda.
The only thing mildly alive lately was the council groupchat. recently added Yumeko and mary to the groupchat, and caused it to become more active. Kira ignored most of it. Not that her or riri were ever active on there. She really wanted to text mary and ask if she was in contact with her sister. But she didn’t because Kira does not chase after anyone.
Yumeko would sometimes text her, checking up on her newfound partner, throwing out random “hey partner” messages or dumb little updates. Kira never replied right away, but she’d reread those texts more than she’d admit.
At least someone noticed she was still alive.
She’d seen her mother a few times a week in the past 3 months. She mostly went to the estate to check on kira, and the house, because the timurovs had a reputation to uphold, and if something happened to the estate… Well Arkadi timurov wouldn’t be very happy.
Anyways, Kira’s mom wasn’t exactly “motherly material”, but kira isn’t stupid. She knows her mother sometimes comes by purely to check up on her only. It pissed her off. Kira didn’t need help. She wasn’t some fragile thing. She could handle a house like this alone. She could handle being left behind. What could a 16 year old possibly even do in a house that big?
Apparently, a lot.
3 months prior, back when kira’s father mysteriously took Riri in the evening, Kira lost it. She trashed half her
Room and destroyed a bunch of her things. Not that anything had real value anyway. She stopped when she looked at the fish tank. Couldn’t bring herself to touch the koi. She sat down instead.
She had made her way to the kitchen, and opened the wine cabinet. All the top-shelf stuff was just sitting there, practically asking to be used. Macallan, Grey Goose, Diplomatico, whatever.
Kira had opted for one drink, maybe 2, max, then maybe smash the bottle on her wall.
But one drink turned into two, turned into three, turned into a full-blown blackout-buzzed haze that made everything feel far away and kind of floaty. She forgot what being angry felt like.
Her mom showed up the next morning. Kira smiled through the conversation, nodded at all the right moments, and spoke when needed. She was proud of herself for keeping control of the situation.
Control.
Her mom didn’t ask if she was okay though. No one ever really did, and she was content with that.
_____
Kira stumbled down the stairs, one hand gripping the bannister tighter than necessary. She’d heard the door click shut, automated lock rearming itself, and figured it was her mom doing one of her little check-ins. But when she turned the corner, her stomach dropped.
There they were.
Her father. And Riri.
Just standing in the foyer like nothing had happened. Like it hadn’t been two and a half months since either of them spoke to her. Like she hadn’t been left here to rot in this echo chamber of a house, going slowly out of her mind.
Behind them, a pair of guards dragged Riri’s sleek luggage across the marble.
Kira blinked. Then blinked again, rubbing at her eyes. Her vision wasn’t great right now, blame the scotch, but she was still sharp enough to read the room.
Well. A warning would’ve been nice.
“Hi, Father. Riri.”
She stood up straighter, shifting her posture into something approximating grace. The fake plastic smile slid onto her face automatically, the one she always used around him. Tight. Perfect. Untouchable.
Internally, she grinned. Still holding it together. Totally hammered, but composed. Honestly? That was worth a trophy.
Her father nodded once. Just once. Then walked straight past her like she was an inconvenient painting on the wall. Probably on his way to the office, or to call some soulless board member. She didn’t even get a glance.
Of course.
Meanwhile, Riri was standing there, probably showered in praise the entire summer. Probably learned how to stand a certain way and smile like she cared about legacy.
Kira tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “Where’s your mask?”
The words came out half-slurred, but not enough to ruin the delivery. Still had that edge.
Riri froze. Her fingers twitched by her side. “Oh… uh—Father said I should be more confident. Show my face more.” She lowered her voice, eyes darting. “Something about being a visible board member now.” Oops. She spoke too much. Gosh she knew she should’ve just wore the damn mask.
Kira’s left eye twitched.
Oh, she’s serious.
They’re really grooming her to replace me.
She let out a sharp breath through her nose and ran a hand through her messy hair.
“Nice to see you finally growing a spine,” Kira muttered, rolling her eyes as she turned toward the stairs. “Didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”
Riri flinched like the words had smacked her. But she didn’t snap back! of course not. She just stood there, watching her sister’s every move. She’d learned better than to respond right away. Kira always played rough, especially when she felt cornered. Especially when something was off.
And something was definitely off.
Kira looked… weird. Not messy exactly. Still Kira, still put-together enough to pass, but there was something in her face that looked stretched thin. Her eyes didn’t focus right. Her words were just slightly too slow. Like someone had copied her from memory and got the details wrong.
Riri stepped forward, cautious. “Kira… are you okay?”
Kira didn’t move. Didn’t blink. For a second she looked like she hadn’t even heard her.
Riri watched the way her sister’s jaw flexed, and the way she was grinding her teeth against eachother.
“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?” Kira turned her head with a practiced sneer. Her voice was cold, but the cracks were showing. Too much time alone. Too much bitterness simmering in her gut.
And Riri knew her. She knew what it looked like when Kira wanted to cry but didn’t have anyone to do it in front of.
“You just… seem weird,” Riri said carefully. “I was gone a while, I just wanted to check—”
Kira shoved her back. Not hard, but enough to break whatever fragile thing was starting to form in the air between them.
“Alright. Chill.”
Riri staggered slightly and blinked at her. She hated how fast her eyes started to sting.
“Drop it, Riri.”
Kira’s voice dropped, flat and final. “I’m going to my room. Don’t bother me.”
And just like that, she turned and stumbled up the stairs—tried to do it with dignity, but missed a step and had to catch herself with both hands. She didn’t look back.
Riri stood in the hallway, arms crossed over her chest like armor.
“…Okay,” she whispered, even though no one was there to hear it.
She looked down at her luggage. She was home, technically. But it didn’t feel like it. Not with Kira like this. Not with the silence this loud.
_____
Kira lay sprawled across her bed, hair a mess, one leg dangling off the edge. She’d given up halfway through the effort of getting comfortable. She wasn’t even drunk anymore. That part was over. Now she was just in the in-between, staring at the ceiling, watching nothing.
Getting drunk was easy. It made her float. She liked that. It wasn’t like those dumb teenage movies where drunkness was portrayed as this cool edgy drink that’ll get you all jolly and silly. No. Everything get quiet inside her head. No thoughts about her father, or Riri, or being left behind. No shame, no guilt, no trying to be anything. It was the only time she ever really felt in control.
Control.
Everything slowed down, like the world finally respected her pace. She could laugh to herself, say whatever she wanted, even be bold enough to slip up infront of her father without worrying about the consequences.
But when it wore off,
Everything turned ugly.
Her head pounded so hard she could feel her pulse in her teeth. Her mouth was dry. Her stomach was turning in slow, dramatic circles. She couldn’t bring herself to eat. Her limbs felt like they’d been cemented to the mattress. And worst of all, she was back to being Kira Timurov: daughter of the board, student council nightmare, disappointment of the estate. It was pathetic. The high gave her power. The crash made her feel small.
And she hated feeling small.
Her phone lit up again. Then again. It vibrated against the nightstand. She groaned and threw her arm over her eyes.
“Gosh, did I really forget to mute that damn groupchat?”
She grabbed her phone anyway. Couldn’t help herself. Her notifications were exploding. Messages stacked on top of each other. How could a human being possibly be this invested in a childish conversation to spend the whole day talking?
Kira exhaled sharply through her nose. This wasn’t a council group. This was… something else. Messy. Casual. Cluttered. Full of slang she didn’t get and inside jokes she wasn’t part of.
She could’ve left the chat weeks ago. Could’ve texted the Head of Discipline and demanded a separate, formal space for council conversations. Yes, she’d get a responsible involved. She had the power to do that. But she didn’t.
Maybe because it was the only place where someone messaged her. Even if it was dumb stuff.
Even if she never responded.
Kira set the phone down face-down this time. She wasn’t going to deal with it. Not right now. Not while her brain felt like it was being squeezed through a paper shredder.
Her stomach growled, but she didn’t move. Food sounded exhausting. Talking to anyone sounded worse. She just wanted this entire day to pass without having to speak. Without having to be Kira Timurov.
The ceiling didn’t talk back, so she kept staring at it.
COUNCIL OF THE DAMNED — 6:42 pm.
86’d [mary]:
Guys. guys
Um
Chad chadington [chad]:
bro
What
I was getting ready to get railed by a hot mama i picked up🤑
icanteven [suki]:
Eugh don’t say railed?? 😭😭
Chad chadington:
Sybau no one asked about ur opinion twinky twin
icanteven:
Ouch??????
MickeyshusbandSTAYAWAYFREAKS [dori]:
aw what 🥺 i was stalking my beautiful amazing breathtaking scandalous tasty lovely gorgeous handsome man
Arara gomen <3 [runa]:
That’s nice honey
Chad chadington:
Excellent use of free will
86’d:
Who the fuck let you guys name yourselves.
Anyways
I was hoping we could go stay somewhere in the summer
Before terms start
Arara gomen <3:
Omg
Big fan of whatever shit she’s on
icanteven:
Oh my gosh absolutely yes
Chad chadington:
Will there be pay gorn?
MickeyshusbandSTAYAWAYFREAKS:
ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY
yumoji kawamoto [yumeko]:
Good evening everyone!☺️😊
86’d:
Oh no
Here she comes world
Everyone be kind
Chad chadington:
But guys
Isn’t lady boss going to be mad we’re doing this without her consent bc she never fucking answers
icanteven:
I fear no god and i fear no god president. We shall do what we want. its summer
Yumoji jabami:
✨i do so love when we gamble with power✨
daring… delicious… destructive. i’m in 💋
Arara gomen:
Nurse it’s awake
86’d:
No yumeko
That’s terrifying coming from you stop
MickeyshusbandSTAYAWAYFREAKS:
Okay besties
Game plan
We need a loco 🤪
Im sure our parents will pay for whatever we want
Well atleast my mom will because she slept with mickeys daddy
icanteven:
PAUSE
chad chadington:
It gets tuah point 💔
Arara gomen <3:
Kinky🙂
86’d:
That’s the thing..
I was hoping Riri and Kira would be dears and let us stay at their estate for a couple days :-)
Chad chadington:
You cant be serious
Jobs bro.. jobs..
icanteven:
Oh thats not…
86’d:
OH FUCK YOU ALL
DONT WORRY
ILL FORCE RIRI.
@secondborn@secondborn@secondborn@secondborn
Second born:
??
icanteven:
OH MY GOD SHE LIVES
86’d:
Dominatrix 🧎♀️🧎♀️open thy palace doors.
Arara gomen <3:
OMG RIRI WHERE HAVE U BEEN ALL SUMMER
ANWYAYS
PLSLS LET US STAY
chad chadington:
We won’t trash the palace pinky promise
Aw man my date ghosted me
MickeyshusbandSTAYAWAYFREAKS:
You deserve it
Anyways
PLS RIRI
icanteven:
PLEASE. LET US. HAVE THE HOUSE.
Arara gomen <3:
statistically 92% of teens improve mentally if they see the ocean once a year
yumoji kawamoto:
runa that’s not a real statistic!☺️🙃
86’d:
you literally don’t even use the house??? like be serious
chad chadington:
Riri if u say no again i’m booking an airbnb beside ur house and peeing in ur pool
MickeyshusbandSTAYAWAYFREAKS:
do u not want us to be hot and mentally ill together in the sun??? like is that not what summer is for?
Secondborn:
Hm.
Fine.
I’ll see what I can do.
Yumoji jabami:
Yay! 🥳☺️😄
86’d:
YEAHHHHHHH OMG WE R SO BACK
chad chadington:
🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡
_____
A few hours later, there was a knock at the door.
Then another.
Then a few more, quieter, hesitant, but annoyingly persistent.
Kira exhaled sharply through her nose. Her face was half-squished against her desk, one cheek pressed to the wood, eyes bloodshot and heavy. She was somewhere between hungover and drunk, which was its own special kind of hell.
“Come in,” she snapped, not even lifting her head.
The door creaked open, and Riri stepped inside with the posture of someone who regretted it instantly.
“Hi, Kira,” she tried, voice small but steady. God, why am I doing this.
Kira turned her head slowly, eyes narrowing into a low-effort glare. Her eyeliner was smudged. Her lips were dry. Her voice was raspy. “Hi,” she echoed mockingly. “Didn’t I say not to come in here?”
The slur was sharper now, more obvious than earlier. Riri winced. Kira winced harder, hearing herself in real-time and hating the way the vowels stretched out too long. Her jaw clenched.
“Uh—sorry. I just wanted to tell you that…”
Riri trailed off.
How the hell was she supposed to say this?
Hey, so the entire student council you actively hate is coming to crash at our house for a ‘summer bonding retreat’ even though you’re mid-mental breakdown? Cool? Cool.
“You wanted to tell me that…” Kira prompted, voice brittle.
Riri swallowed.
“Okay. So… I might’ve agreed when the council asked if they could reserve the estate for, like, a short getaway before the new school year starts. It’s not a party or anything, just a sleepover. They were practically begging for it. I told them I’d cancel if you weren’t okay with it, obviously.”
She said the last part quick. Maybe if she said it fast enough, Kira wouldn’t hear the panic in her voice.
Kira was silent for a second. Just stared at her, eyes glazed and flat. Then she groaned and dropped her forehead back onto the desk with a dull thunk.
“Oh my god,” she mumbled into the wood. “You what?”
Riri stood still, watching. Kira looked awful, but not in a way anyone else would pick up on. Her outfit was still expensive. Her posture still read composed, even slumped. But up close, her breath was off. Her skin was pale. Her fingers kept twitching, like she was trying not to tremble.
Riri tried to ignore it. Maybe she was just tired. Kira always got weird when she was tired. Or maybe she wanted to be petty. Fine.
“So… it’s fine?” Riri asked, slowly.
“Fine,” Kira groaned, lifting her head again. “As long as I’m not involved in it, then whatever. Let them come. Go braid each other’s hair or do trust falls, I don’t care.” She waved a hand weakly in the air. “Father’s going to be in Moscow next week anyway. You probably already knew that. He probably told you every single detail of the trip like he always does.”
The bitterness dripped off that last line. Kira didn’t even try to hide it.
Riri winced. “Okay.” She gave her sister a soft smile, then stepped a little closer, debating whether or not to hug her. “Just so you know… if you need help with anything, or if you’re feeling bad, I’m always here.”
Kira blinked slowly. Then tilted her head, stared at her with the faintest smirk. Not amused. Just done.
“Fuck off.”
Riri opened her mouth. Closed it. Then sighed.
“Okay.”
She turned and walked out, gently shutting the door behind her.
Kira didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch.
She just sat there in the half-dark, elbow on the desk, cheek resting in her palm, eyes fixed on the damn wall again. She wasn’t sure if she was drunk anymore. But she was sure she didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Especially not her sister.