no, not russia; missouri. drowsing on the banks of the mississippi, not quite dying but not thriving either. it's a city that's seen better days, sure, but there's plenty of life in her yet. more than you might think, really. more than you might see. like most places, there's a whole other world sunk down under the skin.

it's a little closer to the surface in moscow. you keep seeing flickers of things that couldn't possibly be there, that are gone when you look again; tiny jewel eyes peering around the leaves of trees, shadows scuttling across the floor on a sunny day, and hey, doesn't that crow look like it wants to talk to you? it's ok. once you've been here long enough, you'll stop noticing. or maybe you won't. that's when things get interesting.

it's not a fairy tale, stepping through into the the dark side of the mirror. it can be dangerous out there. sometimes people poking their noses where they don't belong just disappear. and sometimes they're… changed. not always for the better. still, it's not a bad place to live. don't step on anyone's tail and you should be just fine. there's plenty of room, side by side.