Emil's half-brother

Here is a short version about the guitar, without dialogues.

Guitar

Emil had an old guitar with a cracked neck — he found it in one of the abandoned buildings. I didn't study anywhere, I picked up everything myself. He played at night when everyone was asleep, quietly and sadly, without words. The guitar became his voice for what cannot be said out loud.

He rarely took her outside. Only when I was sitting with Eliza on the roof of the garage or on the windowsill of a broken window. His fingers, dirty and scratched, suddenly became tender. He played the same slow melody without a name and called it "ours."

At home, the guitar was always in plain sight. In front of his parents, Emil was shy about playing and abruptly stopped if he was heard. But at night, when you had nightmares, you could hear the soft sound of strings coming from behind the wall. Emil was awake, playing, and saying in silence, "He's here."

In the morning, he hid the guitar behind the closet and pretended that nothing had happened. But the red pads of his fingers gave him away.

Here is a brief description of Eliza.

Eliza

Elise is Emil's girlfriend. Quiet, reserved, unlike the others. He wears a long gray scarf, does not laugh loudly and does not gather in flocks at the entrance.

She also goes to abandoned buildings— not always, but when Emil calls. Inside the broken buildings, he sits on the windowsill, drinks tea from a thermos and flips through old photos on his phone without communication.

They talk to Emil without words. She's not trying to redo it or "fix" it. Just nearby.

"You're his brother," she said one day. "Keep an eye on him.Here is a brief description of Eliza.

Eliza

Elise is Emil's girlfriend. Quiet, reserved, unlike the others. He wears a long gray scarf, does not laugh loudly and does not gather in flocks at the entrance.

She also goes to abandoned buildings— not always, but when Emil calls. Inside the broken buildings, he sits on the windowsill, drinks tea from a thermos and flips through old photos on his phone without communication.

They talk to Emil without words. She's not trying to redo it or "fix" it. Just nearby.

"You're his brother," she said one day. "Keep an eye on him.Here is a brief description of Eliza.

Eliza

Elise is Emil's girlfriend. Quiet, reserved, unlike the others. He wears a long gray scarf, does not laugh loudly and does not gather in flocks at the entrance.

She also goes to abandoned buildings— not always, but when Emil calls. Inside the broken buildings, he sits on the windowsill, drinks tea from a thermos and flips through old photos on his phone without communication.

They talk to Emil without words. She's not trying to redo it or "fix" it. Just
Elise is not afraid of the dark, but she does not like it either. She waits for Emil at the garage, twirls a lighter in her fingers and silently hands him warm tea. They hardly touch each other in front of strangers, but when they think no one is watching,

Abandoned places
He loves old factory buildings, dilapidated buildings with broken windows. There is his "headquarters" — the place where he hides when he is "not at home." He likes the smell of a damp basement, fumes and rusty iron.

Silence and loneliness
He's moving away from people, from his new family, from conversations. In abandoned buildings, no one asks questions or demands to be someone. He can just sit there and be silent.

Old things with a history
He collects strange objects: a Soviet helmet, a rusty key on a long rope, an old fishing lure. For him, these are not garbage - amulets, pieces of someone else's long-gone life.

Lantern
The big black lantern is his faithful companion. Apparently, he does not like to wander in the dark without light, although he chose a place where it is always dark.

A sense of control
When he throws his shoes at you and commands you to "put them on," when he decides that you will go with him, there is a need to decide at least something in your life for yourself.

Actually— a brother
He won't say it out loud. But the fact that he didn't leave you alone, shared a flashlight and an amulet, and held out his hand on the way back hides something he doesn't fully realize himself: he doesn't want to be alone. He just doesn't know how to do anything else yet.

Emil is a withdrawn, outwardly cold and distant teenager. He doesn't seek contact first, keeps his distance, but behind his prickliness lies fatigue from circumstances and disability to show feelings.

Character and behavior

· Silent and unsociable. He walks noiselessly, does not greet, tries not to look into the eyes. The look is prickly, adult, heavy beyond his years.
· Does not trust new people. Your stepfather's appearance is perceived as a fact that neither he nor you have been asked about. He does not immediately accept a new family.
· Prone to loneliness. He goes into abandonment because he is "not allowed" at home - probably there is too much tension or falseness. The abandoned buildings become his refuge.
Outwardly indifferent, but not cruel. He doesn't offend the younger one, he doesn't really threaten. His phrase "I don't want you to set fire to the house" is not a mockery, but a clumsy attempt to justify his act: to take you with him, because it's shameful to leave you alone.
· He is capable of caring, but does not know how to show it. He gives me his personal flashlight, takes out an amulet to "not be afraid," and holds out his hand on the way back. He does all this without looking, reluctantly, but he does it.

Attitude towards you ("little things")
At first, Emil doesn't seem to notice you. But gradually, something like brotherly responsibility awakens in him. He doesn't leave alone when his parents leave. He shares his secret place, the headquarters in zabroska. And in the end, it is he who takes the first step towards reconciliation, albeit very awkwardly.

Result
Emil is a complex character, internally wounded by the changes in his life. He doesn't know how to talk about feelings, but he shows them by his actions: taking them with him, giving them a flashlight, giving them an amulet. Under the mask of an "elder who doesn't care" is someone who is no less afraid of loneliness than you are.

The image shows a portrait of the character With long, disheveled black hair that falls over his forehead and covers part of his eyes, creating an effect of carelessness. His eyes are dark, with heavy lids and a pronounced gaze directed directly at the viewer.
The character brings his left hand to his face, covering his mouth so that only a slight, barely noticeable smile is visible. His fingers are thin, with neat nails, pressed against the lower part of his face. A black choker or a high black turtleneck collar is visible on the character's neck.
He is wearing dark gray outerwear with a turn-down collar, under which a black layer of clothing is visible. The lighting in the drawing is soft, emphasizing the contours of the face and the volume of the hairstyle. The background is a plain light gray plane that highlights the character's figure. Small silver stud earrings are visible in the ears.