#Well Ivanov has a 'special' friend

[tf2-bhs]

Meet Mikhail Ivanov.

The most devoted student at MANN High. Living the earlier years of his life in isolated Siberian mountains, Mikhail grew rather close with his family. After his father passed when he was 10, he also saw that he had to step up and be the 'man of the family', so he grew more protective of them, especially after they moved to England when he was 11.

Inspite MANN High being far from the northwest, he actually lives all the way up in Liverpool, with his family, meaning he had to get two trains every day, there and back. And so, when his sister's all girl's school said they were opening a boy's school just nearby, he was one of the first applicants. Unfortunately, it opened just before his final year of secondary school, meaning he had to leave all his friends behind.

He couldn't even talk to his friends online, because the only computer that his house had, still used dial up internet that his sisters constantly fought to use. Because of this, he mainly resorted to sending letters (that hardly got where they were supposed to be), or to not talking to his friends.

Despite of his rather large stature, Mikhail is often described as a gentle giant, especially those close to him who know of his two main hobbies. The first is making historically accurate CARDBOARD weaponry. He displays all of them on his walls, and even names a few. The other of which is taking care of his family's siberian kitten, Sasha. He adores her, and according to his sisters, is even more protective of it than them! Only once has someone not from his family been allowed to pet her in fears that she might get injured.

GCSES

Triple Science

History

German

PE

Food Tech

Relationships

Jeremy 'Scout' Sullivan: In addition to Mikhail being Jeremy's 'Bonk!' dealer, Jeremy is also one of the only ones to match Mikhail's... Crude humour as Mikhail often laughs at his disgusting drawings.

Jane 'Soldier' Doe: The only thing that Mikhail wants to do with Jane is to shout at him saying "STOP DATING MY LITTLE SISTER!!" but he'll grow to like him again, eventually.

?? 'Pyro' ??: Mikhail tries his hardest to stay as far away from 'that thing' (his words not mine) as possible. 'Pyro' is one of the few things that scares him.

Tavish 'Demoman' Degroot: Pleasant chats, nothing too bad or too special.

Ludwig 'Doc' Koch: It's complicated.

?? 'Spy' ??: They go to book club together in the library, and are often two of the only people to understand deep concepts within the books we read there.

Mun-dee 'Mick' 'Sniper' Mundy: Despite the fact they don’t know each other that well, they can often sit together in silence and have it be comfortable.

F. Pauling: She's one of the few people who recognises that he is both the brains and the brawn. For that, Mikhail respects her.

[noblehcart]

HC DUMP: Stefan Ivanov's military career

Stefan in a rush to get away from his family and lack of interest in much else career wise throws himself into the military by age twenty. He enters the Royal Marines.

From there he was selected to be a part of Special Forces in the 'Special Reconnaissance Regiment'. After a long string of highly successful missions led by him there he was then inducted into the highly elite and secretive division of SAS (Special Air Service)

Over the course of his ten years of service Stefan has been all over the middle east and was captured/POW twice (and once more again after retirement as he's asked back for three missions- one being dire for the best of the best, the second because it was personal and the third to rescue a friend).

He is ridiculously scarred on his back and sides from fights, stab wounds and injuries from debris falling from explosions. He has had multiple broken ribs, punctured a lung, broken jaw, fractured collarbone, dislocated shoulders and has broken/sprained his hand too many times to count.

He does have PTSD and recurring nightmares of certain missions as well as survivors' guilt regarding those he lost in his regiment. TBH he probably is on some kind of medication for all of this bc haha this man soooo doesn't do therapy.

[matrotas-muse-hub]

Evelina Graf

*Character image created with HeroForge. I do not have any original art of Evelina yet.

CHARACTER BIO

Name: Evelina Graf

Age: 46

Languages: English, German, Dari Persian, Spanish, some Russian and French

Birthday: December 23rd

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Profession: Contract killer, ex-PMC

Physical Details:

Hair: White and short

Eyes: Blue

Skin: Fair

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 150

Tattoos / Scars: Evelina has a knife scar on her right side, as well as a bullet scar in her left thigh.

Special Items: Her unregistered hand-crafted pistol and rifle.

Physical Capabilities:

Strength: Athletic, especially for a woman who’s approaching 50

Dexterity: Lithe and dexterous, Evelina is plenty flexible and quick on her feet

Hardiness: Evelina is good at stomaching pain, but she’s just as mortal as anyone.

Weapons: Evelina is usually armed with a stiletto knife in each boot, a pistol, and her sniper rifle. She’s been known to use all sorts of firearms depending on the situation, but the rifle is by far her favorite.

Mental Capabilities:

Intelligence: Evelina is not only quick on her feet, but also quick-witted. She’s good at improvising on the fly, and she’s also quadrilingual, with some knowledge of two additional languages.

Wisdom: Evelina’s got plenty of experience to go with her years, and she’s fond of giving advice by painting herself as a bad example.

Charisma: Evelina’s got a unique charm, but it’s not the type that just anybody would appreciate. She’s doesn’t go out of her way to impress and likes to let her actions speak for her words. Most of the time, Evelina is content to go completely unnoticed.

Evelina’s Backstory

Evelina, born Dec 23rd, 1976 (assuming timeline is current), is a very multicultural woman. Her parents, Juergen Graf and Katiya Ivanov were both born in West Berlin a couple of years before WW2 ended. The couple were childhood friends and after stumbling upon Katiya’s nearly-lost family fortune, they decided to travel the world. They had their firstborn in Russia, Evelina’s older brother Maxim. Evelina, the second born and youngest child, was born in France during a two-year brief stay for the Graf family. They eventually ended up moving to America in 1983 when Evelina was seven years old. She grew up bilingual - learning German from her parents and English from the school system, helping her parents to become literate in the language as well.

Evelina’s family was victim to a large fraud scheme in her high school years that ended up freezing most of their assets, Katiya’s family fortune seemingly emptied from the banks in a moment. They went from having zero financial worries to suddenly being broke. Their money was never returned, as the bank they had stored their wealth in turned out to be run by a criminal organization that the government shut down, and there was nobody to honor the contract. That is, if the contract was even a legitimate one in the first place. Evelina, knowing her parents could barely afford to keep her elder brother in college at this point, knew she couldn’t expect to go to college with her parent’s wealth.

She ended up enlisting as a private military contractor, a mercenary hired by the US army. Her parents were marksmen as a hobby, so Evelina already had a decent grasp for marksmanship. She ended up in several combat situations in Afghanistan, though her passion was more for engineering than combat, and she helped in that regard as well. When living in Afghanistan as a PMC, Evelina came upon a new opportunity - contract killing. As a gun for hire, she could make much more money than her typical military role. As an engineer and marksman, she used spare parts to manufacture some unregistered firearms for her contract jobs. She worked two jobs for a few years before retiring from the military as a PMC, working full time as a contract killer, traveling the world again like she did in her youth and killing targets for large sums of money. She eventually made her own wealth, retiring at the age of 40 and moving to Mexico to live near the beaches. At 46, an old contact who saved her skin from a job-gone-south back in the day called in the favor by having her join his organization, forcing Evelina to return to her old life.

[negativeinserts]

Rebirth of Chen An: Chapter 17

'I’ve book that seat do you understand? I don’t like having people sitting in my seat so stay away from me.’ Closing his book, Chen An tilted his head to send the detestable man beside him an icy sharp look. 

 But if looks could kill, Ivanov would have died several times every single day.

 'A bad temper, a dislike towards people sitting beside him and even those sharp eyes. To be honest, if it wasn’t for my friend’s and your appearance…’ Ivanov gave Chen An a penetrating once-over. With a deliberately disdainful and teasing look, he snorted and laughed, 'The difference is really too much…’

 Resisting the impulse to bash the other man’s face in with his book, Chen An gestured for the air stewardess to come over. But before she could, Ivanov had wisely returned to his own seat chuckling. 

 Chen An didn’t take Ivanov’s words to heart. Even if matters were exactly like Ivanov said: his personality, behavior and even his habits were identical to the past, but with his different looks as well as age, it is more than enough. 

 No normal person would ever think that he is Chen Zhang An.

 Ignoring Ivanov’s measuring gaze, Chen An continued to read his book but his mind had drifted elsewhere. He was pondering the reason as to why Ivanov is heading to Vietnam.

 This is China. Ivanov still isn’t bold enough to deal in arms here directly. Perhaps he is working with the military? 

 But to Chen An’s knowledge, for years, due to the western arms embargo on China, there had been many smalltime dealers who acted as intermediaries to smuggle weapons in to China from the various European countries.

 But in the recent two years, China had been advancing in arms development at a rapid pace. The majority of the new weaponry developed are on par and some  even superior in quality compared with exports. Hence, even incidents of smugglers who ignored the embargo to bring in new exotic European models to sell to China had reduced significantly.

 But that does not mean that dealings under the table no longer exist.

Should he get closer to Ivanov to find out?

 Chen An immediately vetoed that thought. The time isn’t ripe yet. 

   Translator’s notes:

 *'Tao Te Ching’ by Laozi also known as “The Classic of the Way’s Virtues” or “The Book of the Way of Virtue.” It is a an old classic text that dates back to the late 4th century BC. The text ranges widely in content, from practical advice, universal wisdom to embracing politics. The emphasis is on understanding existence and to achieve an informed awareness of being that leads to personal spiritual tranquility. You can tell that Chen An is really an old man at heart from his reading choices. 

 ** White rabbit creamy candy is a popular milk candy from China. It is white, with a soft, chewy texture and wrapped in edible rice paper. It is a really old brand and have accompanied the growth of a generation. I’m a fan of this candy myself and had pissed myself shitless when the 2008 Chinese milk scandal came out. Here’s how it looks like: 

[lenniharrisonsims]

Non-Ivanovs but: my best friend got married today! And of course you know I just had to make sure our SimSelves celebrated as well 😂

While I am still very much on break (because this wedding has got all of us busy!!) taking these pictures has got me excited to finally have some time soon to come back and give my all to this story again! So while you wait, enjoy SimEmily & SimRhees celebrating their ✨Most Special Day™✨ 😂😂

And because I'm writing this in the past, I'm going to say everything was perfect and went off without a hitch 🤣😉

Congrats Emily & Rhees!

Bonus:

SimBridesmaids 😎👉👉

(Laura, Me, Julie[MoH], Emily [Bride], Lilly, Nikki, Mak)

(Me, Julie, Lilly, Emily, Nikki, Laura, Mak)

(Mak, Julie, Lilly, Emily, Me, Nikki, Laura)

[lynmars79]

Post 4 female fictional characters that mean the world to you

I think I stole this a few weeks ago from my roommate and it got lost in my notes.

This got long, so behind a cut for details on my picks: Elisa Maza, Susan Ivanova, Vex’ahlia, and Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter

Elisa Maza

Gargoyles was the show I waited my whole childhood to see.

From the time I was maybe 4 or 5, I remember being utterly annoyed at the episodic nature of my favorite cartoons. Lessons were learned and forgotten. Characters met and never seen again. Changes meant nothing, only status quo. I was most excited for special movie eps and season finales, because things changed and stayed changed...to an extent. Then back to status quo (with a few new toys on the merchandise line).

But then came Gargoyles, and I remember being interested by this fantasy series preview in TV Guide, and it mentioned Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis would be voicing characters (the joke turned out to be how many Star Trek alums voiced characters in that show at all). I tuned in for a new fantasy cartoon. I got mythology and Shakespeare, both of which I loved even then. And we got Elisa as our audience point of view.

A biracial woman cop. Native American father, black mother.

And she was so cool. So competent, so kind, so intelligent, so all around wonderful, and from the moment she and Goliath are first on screen together the chemistry is real and it’s OK they’re the obvious shipping endgame because the mutual respect and trust and true partnership is sheer electricity.

Elisa makes mistakes, has a wide variety of emotions and outbursts, sometimes fails in her goals. She takes responsibility, apologizes, and always tries to do the right thing. She’s a helluva role model and someone I’d love to be friends with.

We need more show leads like Elisa.

Susan Ivanova

In the late 1990s television was still dancing around displaying any romance besides compulsory heterosexuality. Babylon 5 was one of the forerunners of serialized TV story formats, moving away from the easy episodic series easy to sell in syndication. On B5, the first officer for most of the series’ run was Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andre and Sophie Ivanov, the right hand of vengeance, the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, death incarnate, and the last living thing you are ever going to see. Ivanova is God. Or God sent her to destroy you. Either way.

The Jewish Russian woman was also a secret low grade telepath, struggling with the PsyCorp and her own feelings for one of the station’s assigned telepaths, Talia. She also had strong feelings for the Ranger Marcus, realized too late as well. Susan was perpetually late in admitting the feelings of her heart. And the first bisexual woman I remember really seeing on TV, even if I didn’t have the vocabulary then (and then Xena & Gabrielle took that ball and flew). Usually, someone’s either gay or straight--even if they realize partway through a series their sexuality, and erase any physical or emotional attractions they previously had before the writers try to get their points for suddenly adding queer representation. But Susan’s feelings and relationships just...were. Still restricted by the time and allowances, but in a way, that allowed the writing to pretend to be more natural. It wasn’t a huge deal that Susan loved both men and women; it wasn’t something to call attention to or discuss at length, it simply was. The big deal was Susan getting to admit her love at all, even if only to herself.

(Because all love is unrequited.)

Susan’s a gold mine of quotes (the whole series is, honestly), and she (and her broship with John Sheridan) is a huge inspiration for a few characters I’ve written and roleplayed over the years.

Vex’ahlia

She began as the peasant bastard of Syngorn noble. A half-elf, not part of either the human or elven worlds. The only person she could ever rely on was her twin brother--OK, and her bear companion. Seen as greedy and penny-pinching, snobby and cold.

She ends the campaign as Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Champion of Pelor, a Hero of Tal’dorei--and all Exandria.

She’s also a bakery co-owner, a wife, a mother. And always, always, a sister. Not just to Vax’ildan, but to Keyleth and Pike and Tary and Scanlan and Grog and Zahra and Kash and so many others.

Her greed wasn’t to be a miser, but out of the memories of fear and uncertainty and starvation and wanting to avoid that not only for herself but for her family and for others. A woman who on impulse will spend her thriftily-held gold to resurrect a random child, or buy the freedom of teenage slaves despite being in the middle of a mission. Her clutching onto money was a way to make sure she could take care of people.

A woman who stole a flying broom from an ally because of her overwhelming need to fly, to taste freedom in the sky and leave those fears and concerns behind.

A woman who saved a man’s life and soul through the sheer willful power of her love (and Laura Bailey’s brilliant, witty, charming rolepay). The chemistry between Percy and Vex wasn’t decided in a writer’s room, nor was it a corporate mandate to have the tragic human man in the group hook up with the hot ranger; it simply happened, naturally, between two characters who fit well together, and two friends who trusted each other and played well together. The genuine trust and respect and admiration and just everything about them keeps them high on my list of OTPs.

Vox Machina began as a jokey one shot and silly archetypes for a home game, and in time became so much more, for their players and their audience, and I cannot wait to see Vex in all her animated glory when Critical Role’s series The Legend of Vox Machina finally airs.

Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter

A few decades ago, author Elizabeth Moon ended up sitting in on her husband’s D&D game. She connected well with one of the younger players, and she heard stories about the paladin classes. Particularly those dreaded players, who play paladins as Lawful Stupid--or worse, Lawful Jerk. Characters completely at odds with what was written about what paladins are meant to be.

When the young player moved away and was lonely in his new home, she wrote him some stories inspired by their D&D characters. From this came the first ideas and drafts that eventually became the Paksenarrion stories and world, of a young sheep farmer’s daughter who ran away, joined a military company, became an adventurer, and eventually, discovered her destiny as a true paladin, all told in a 3 novel series collectively called The Deed of Paksenarrion.

Moon is known for science fiction, and military fiction. Paks’ story leans heavily on the military, and is a low magic high fantasy setting (more magic is introduced later, in the Paladin’s Legacy quintet). She is chosen, yes--but it’s still also her choice to answer the call and accept the fate her world wants for her. It also tickles me that it’s not the clergy or another paladin that helps her make the final decision and induction--but a druid who helps her heal from the traumas her previous mentors’ mishandling helped cause.

Paks’ journey is at times difficult and dark, but even the worst things that happen to her have reason (and are never gratuitously described or lingered on), and the good things that happen to her--and the people who love, support, and believe in her--are what gives her strength, hope, and drive to keep going.

And it goes both ways; other characters are changed by her quiet strength and inner light, so much so that her supporting cast got their own sequel series, mentioned above.

Paks is also explicitly asexual, and I cannot begin to describe how important she is in developing my own understanding of myself.

Paksenarrion is another big inspiration for a lot of characters, and her original trilogy is one I reread often. I should reread the short story compilations, the completed sequel quintet, too, and maybe the duology prequel about the saint who becomes one of her patrons and whose actions still have consequences for Paks and her comrades. But mostly I just love this tall soldier and her choice to follow her destined path, and so go back to the original story on its own.

[misdre]

Aoki Takao website translations post #2

the second part, aoki’s notes about characters from the first season. he really doesn’t say all that much though. i skipped all the beasts that only had pictures of them (which was almost all of them), that’s why there are a few random beasts between the human characters in the text.

Anime 2001 [season 1]: Page 1

In summer 2000, there was a meeting for discussing a TV anime (starting from January 2001). The CoroCoro serialization was in the middle of the Japanese tournament. All four holy beasts had made an appearance at that point, but the planned world tournament arc was made into the main storyline of the anime.

Originally I planned that nobody but the main four had holy beasts, but because of the anime and the variety of real Beyblade toys increasing, it became so that rival bladers also had holy beasts.

I had very little time to create all the characters for the anime that would run for a year and had never done that before, so it was a real struggle. But looking back now, it was really stimulating and I consider it a valuable personal experience that I’m thankful for.

 “The Russian team”

In the original manga, and of course in the anime as well, the greatest rival needed to be very charismatic and therefore Yuriy was created.

“Yuriy Ivanov”

He’s the leader of “Borg”. The team has an army-like composition. His holy beast is a wolf.

For the CoroCoro serialization I drew him to display his strength as a cruel and cold character, but for RISING I also portrayed him with more human-like weaknesses and kindness that I didn’t get to draw earlier. By the way, for some reason his surname is spelled as “ivaanofu” everywhere except the original manga and I have no idea why it was changed. [he spells it “ivanoofu” himself in katakana. it really is pronounced ivaanofu in the anime too] The anime’s production method is very different from the manga, so perhaps it’s fine having several names.

December 22 2018 postscript: I later noticed that RISING volume 1 also misspells it as “ivaanofu”. The correct spelling is “ivanoofu”. [damn he’s really committed to how it should be spelled]

“Wolborg”

I pictured a land of extreme cold and gave it wings and ornaments of ice.

“Boris”

The subleader. He admires Yuriy. His holy beast is a falcon. I was thinking of the feathers of a bird while designing his hair and the collar of his clothes.

“Ivan”

A sarcastic sniper. He’s often picking fights, but he’s loyal to Yuriy. His holy beast is a snake.

“Sergei”

A soldier-like character with great respect for rules. He’s a muscular guy with a soft heart. His holy beast is a whale.

“Volkov”

He’s the founder of Borg, the private military school. He uses his connections from military times to send out illegal soldiers. Beyblade is part of his program of training young boys into soldiers.

When I look back now, it’s like the team composition of Borg (the way the characters are isolated) became the model for the rest of the teams as well.

 “The Chinese team”

The team of the Chinese fang clan (named Byakko clan in the anime) from Rei’s home town. The holy beasts and characters both were modeled after wild animals. In the village of the fang clan, sage Tao teaches scholarship, martial arts and bey battling to children from the near-by cities and communities who have been separated from their parents.

“Rai”

Rei’s childhood friend and eternal rival. The team leader. He’s like a reliable older brother. His holy beast is a black lion, so I also designed him with the image of a lion in mind. His name is the “rai” of “raion” [lion in katakana in Japanese].

“Mao”

Rai’s younger sister. A tomboy. Her name comes from the Chinese word for cat. Her holy beast is a lynx.

“Kiki”

A cheerful rascal. His holy beast is a monkey. His name comes from the sound that monkeys make.

“Galman”

I referenced a Chinese opera version of Sun Wukong for the ornaments.

“Gaou”

A gentle muscleman. His name comes from a bear’s roar. His holy beast is a bear.

  Anime 2001 [season 1]: Page 2

”The American Team”

The theme of the team is sports. I chose animals that live in North America as their holy beasts.

“Michael”

The team leader. He’s a baseball player. He’s a sportsman-like nice guy. I had several ideas for very elaborate gimmicks that he could shoot his beyblade with. The above sketch is an old one, so I ended up using a different one in the manga. His holy beast is the national bird of the US, the bald eagle.

“Eddy”

A basketball player. His holy beast is a scorpion.

“Steve”

An American football player. His holy beast is a bull.

“Bison”

Instead of an American bison, I used a bullfighting bull as the model.

“Emily”

Her position in the American team is similar to that of Kyouju’s. Her sport is tennis. Her holy beast is an alligator.

“Judy”

She’s American. She married the Japanese Mizuhara Tarou and had her eldest son Max with him. [that sounds like max has brothers but it prob just means ‘first child’ here] She was invited to a project team in NASA after the evaluation of a thesis she wrote while enrolled in MIT. [massachusetts institute of technology…. damn] She left her husband and Max in Japan and took up the new post away from home. She was inaugurated as the coach of a blader team formatted on a science camp organized by NASA. The rest is the same as the setting back then. She’s now living in Japan with her family after the birth of her eldest daughter Charlotte. [IS THERE GOING TO BE MORE???]

 “The European team”

A selection team representing several European countries. They were named after F1 racing drivers who were active at the time. (Germany) Ralf Schumacher, (UK) Johnny Herbert, (France) Olivier Panis, (Italy) Giancarlo Fisichella. *Their outwards appearances, personalities etc. are not based on them, only their names. Their surnames were influenced by well-known movie actors and directors from each country. I wanted each character to represent the special characteristics of his country. Their holy beasts are creatures from European folklore.

“Ralf Jürgens”

A German. He’s a stubborn person who honors tradition. I designed his outfit after bike wear. His holy beast is a griffon.

“Johnny McGregor”

An Englishman. He’s very strong-willed and has confidence in himself. I had rock style fashion in mind when making him. His holy beast is a salamander.

“Olivier Pohringer” [spelling of his surname is not up for debate FYI]

A Frenchman. He loves trendy things. I gave him a unique fashion sense. His holy beast is a unicorn.

“Giancarlo Tornatore”

A cheerful Italian. His holy beast is an amphisbaena.

[insanityclause]

Having played a sold-out run at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre in spring of this year, becoming the hot ticket of the town and the crown jewel of London’s acclaimed “Pinter at the Pinter” season, Olivier Award-winning director Jamie Lloyd’s hit revival of Betrayal has now crossed the pond to offer New York audiences a slice of the action. Previews began at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on August 14, 2019, ahead of tonight’s official opening.

What’s it all about?

Inspired by his own seven-year affair with BBC Television presenter Joan Bakewell, playwright Harold Pinter’s classic 1978 drama Betrayal centers on a trio of intertwined characters. Emma and Robert are the onstage married couple of the piece and the third character is Jerry, who is Robert’s best friend and who had the honor of being his Best Man at his wedding to Emma. Jerry is also Emma’s lover and the two have been engaging in a seven-year extramarital affair of their own. All the while, Robert has been having extramarital liaisons of his own and it turns out all three of the characters have been constantly betraying each other through not telling or withholding the truth. Famously, Pinter tells this tale of betrayal in reverse chronological order, beginning with the end of Robert and Emma’s marriage in the present day and jumping backwards in time from scene-to-scene, allowing us to discover how the affair began to unravel, how Robert first discovered the infidelity and, eventually, how it all began.

Who’s starring in it?

The cast includes three great British talents, who are all making their respective Broadway debuts. Golden Globe and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston, who most will know from his fan-favorite role as Loki within the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” stars as Robert. He is no stranger to the London stage, having starred in the likes of Coriolanus, Othello, Ivanov, and Hamlet, and he won great praise (and a Golden Globe) for his performance on the BBC’s “The Night Manager.” His other most notable non-Marvel film credits include “Kong: Skull Island,” “Crimson Peak,” “War Horse,” and “Midnight in Paris.” Alongside him as Jerry is Charlie Cox, also a Marvel favorite thanks to his titular role as Daredevil on Netflix. He previously made his Off-Broadway debut in Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2016 production of Incognito. Fans will also recognise him from his TV role as Owen Sleater on the hit HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” or his film appearances in the likes of “Stardust” and “The Theory of Everything.” Finally, Zawe Ashton takes on the role of Emma. She is a UK television star thanks to her role on Channel 4’s “Fresh Meat,” and has appeared regularly on the UK stage, including starring opposite Uzo Aduba and Laura Carmichael in The Maids, also directed by Jamie Lloyd.  

What’s special about this production?

This revival of the Pinter classic, with a running time of 90 minutes, has been stripped bare, allowing audiences to concentrate on the text and the performances of this gifted bunch of actors. There are no costume changes, few props and a simplistic set and scene changes are solely enriched by the effective lighting design of Jon Clark as well as Ben and Max Ringham’s subtle sound design. Having the actors perform in modern, generic dress lifts the piece out of the 1960s/70s and gives it a timeless feel that hits home. It’s also of note that all actors remain on the stage for the duration of the piece, whether they were originally intended to be a part of the scene or not. The third character dwells in the background or in the closest vicinity to the others, almost like a physical embodiment of the elephant in the room or as a constant ghostly reminder of the omnipresent betrayal. But what’s truly special about this production is the confident performances of the cast, comfortable in their silences and self-assured in their choices. Bravo!  

Who would we recommend it to?

Aside from Pinter aficionados and die-hard “Marvel Cinematic Universe” fans, aching to see their idols up close and personal, this production is for all those who love their dramas juicy and scandalous. It is for all those who don’t find big budget sets a necessity to make great theatre and it is also for those who may have already seen past revivals of the Pinter classic and are ready to experience Betrayal in its purest form…

[emichou-vu-blog]

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓌

Birth Name: Anastasia Ivanov Currently Known As: Blair Ono [斧白] Age: 20 Birthday: August 5th [1998] Race: European Ethnicity: Russian Dutch Gender:   Female Pronoun: Her/She Height:  5'6ft [168cm] Weight:  57 kg [125 lbs] Figure Measurements: 34-22-34 Blood Type: A- Hair Color: Natural Blonde [Hair color changes between jobs] Eye Color:  Turquoise [Currently wearing brown contact lenses] Skin tone: Slightly tanned, rosy around the cheeks.

Body type:  Standing at an average height of 5’6ft, Anastasia is a woman with a well balanced lean figure, a trait that she shares in similarities with her dear mother. The young woman is also quite flexible due to her long history in Figure Skating, and her training within the Russian Sparrow Program- making her able to twist her body into weird positions with complete ease.

Notable Features: Naturally gifted with facial features that are considered to be ‘attractive’ by the modern society... Anastasia is seen always presenting herself at her best, and wearing clothes that always compliments her curves perfectly. There is really no marks on her body, but a single faded scar on the side of her right leg... which serves as a constant reminder of the dreadful night that her whole dream stripped away from her.

Personality: At a very young age...Anastasia told herself that she was ‘special’. The little girl had grown up with a loving mother and an uncle who has been barely around since her father died in a car accident when she was just 7. Life..would then seem to be so difficult and only misfortune followed the mother and daughter, because when Anastasia reached the age of 10, her mother was diagnosed with a rare sickness that crippled the older woman. It wasn’t until when Anastasia turned 12; that the girl’s entire life took a better turn. She was finally recognized as talented ice skater, and was then very quickly put on the Russian National team for women's figure skating. This grand achievement only would fuel the young girl’s belief of being special, and Anastasia would turn from a naive young girl into a clever woman that holds herself with great pride and grace. Making her a bit unlikable by the other skaters around her.

It wouldn’t be until she fell back to the bottom due to the ‘accident’ that she realized how much she had changed throughout the years...with no way to turn back time. Her time spent in the Sparrow Program would then finalize the person she is today. A broken shell of a female that has seen and been through horrors that no proper words could ever explain.

“I was told to take a man to a hotel. They said that he was an enemy of the state and in exchange, my mother would get the doctor she needed. Instead they cut his throat. There could be no witnesses, so they gave me a choice, “Die or become a Sparrow.”

Family History

Mother: Tiana Ivanov Father:  Aleksandr Ivanov [Deceased] Siblings: Only child Others: Viktor Ivanov [Uncle] Significant Other: None Friends: None [Open to Pre-established Relationships! Dm me!]

Personal Information

Schooling: Top private schools provided by the state. Criminal Record: One count of second degree of murder [All other criminal records are wiped by the Russian State]

Medical History [mental and physical]:

- Long term leg injury [Unable to continue Skating] - PTSD/ Depression/ Anxiety [All link to training and her work.] - Received professional Russian & American medical treatment/counselling. [Mentally: Stable]

Illicit Habits:

- Cigarettes - Alcohol [Not often]

Living Statues

Current Location: Yanaka [Taito Ward, Tokyo] From: Central Russia Lived in: Off the grid for two years. Occupation / Position / Role: Russian Sparrow & Anzai’s Personal Assistant

Abilities:

- See through people [The ability to read a person and learn their needs/desires just by looking at them] - Perfectionist/Overachiever [Always one step ahead] - Sharp Tongue [Very clever with her words.] - Vast knowledge on Spy work [Skills ranging from lock picking to knowing chemicals that allow a person to be tracked for an amount of hours.] - Speaks several languages - Knowledge on unique weapons. - Knowledge on sexual pleasure - Stabilize emotions [Able to pass lie detectors] - Comforting aura [Has a very convincing fake personality that tends to lower the guard of those around her.]

Weaknesses:

- Broken mind [Due to sadistic Sparrow training] - Her mother [Is willing to do anything to keep her mother safe] - Fearful of Death - Her old pride - Reminders of her old self

Special Traits:

- Hard worker - Manipulative [Result of Sparrow training] - Caring nature [ Actually cares deeply for those are suffering] - Is extremely well-liked by animals - Strong minded - Natural group leader - Smooth speaker - Quick thinker - Quick learner

Most Used Weapons:

- Her brain/body - A piece of steel wire [Hidden within her hair.] - Poison [Usually carry within her nails/jewelry]

Key Information

<The Ivanov family>

The Ivanov family have been serving the Russian government since the Cold War, but now only one remains in service...as the rest of the Ivanov family has slowly began to seek other jobs outside of government positions. Viktor Ivanov is the last known person within the family that still works for the state, and has earned himself a high position within the Russian government- having an amount of control in even the Russian secret forces. He had proven himself to be extremely loyal and is willing to do anything to assist the state with it’s national and foreign issues.

<Sparrow Program>

A part of the most elite Russian secret forces; the Sparrow Program is a secret intelligence service meant to train exceptional young people to use their bodies and minds as weapons. The training that the sadistic program provides ranges from simple hand to hand combat skills to ways to manipulate a person by sexual intercourse. A handful of young Russians are enlisted yearly into the program because of their unique strengths and even pure beauty, but in the very end...only a small number of people would complete the entire course and serve the state as an official Sparrow.

<Sparrow>

Unlike other secret agents; Sparrow are trained to gather information by manipulation and to determine a target’s weakness to be then used to exploit that weakness gradually through seduction. Sparrows are only used in missions that involves a person of great importance or a high government official, and with the Russian government to support them- a skilled Sparrow could take on a brand new identity with little to no effort, along with all the necessary official documents to back up their claims.

Short Backstory

Once the most talented female Figure Skater of all of Russia… Anastasia would seemingly lose it all... when her skating partner ‘accidentally’ slice her leg during a jump. The serious injury would then cost Anastasia’s entire skating career and leave the poor girl with no more money to pay rent or to cover her sick mother’s medical bills. It was only then out of pure frustration she would reach out to her uncle- who informed her that he indeed had a job in mind for her to do. Asking her to accompany a man who had taken a liking to her into a hotel. The man was said to be an enemy of the Russian state, but Anastasia was not told the full story and was tricked into playing a part in a very detailed murder.

She was then given only two options...To die or to become a Sparrow, and soon finds herself manipulated into becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School. For two years, she remained off the grid and after enduring the perverse and sadistic training progress, Anastasia emerges back into the light as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. But her first mission, is to target the Oyabun of the Kintsugi family under the request of their rival family... who just happens to be her uncle’s old friend. So, now out of the country that was both her home and her prison...Anastasia is forced to take on the identity of Blair Ono- the only daughter of a poor family indebted to the Kintsugi Family. She is told to be a average college student who constantly reminds her of her old self...

So what does the future now hold?  Would she continue to be a mole or would she find a place within the Kintsugi family that she can finally call her home?

More Reference Images: [Margot Robbie]

[Music]

[knifeshoeoreofight]

I was really stressed last night and was decompressing by brainstorming cheesy hockey based-romance novel titles with @werebeary and @sevenfists when I was like.....these titles are too good, I need to write fake back cover blurbs for them. So I did. Behold:

Eight Cheesy Hockey Romance Novels That Don’t Exist But TOTALLY SHOULD:

Two Minutes In The Penalty Box (Of My Heart)

Defenseman George Blaggerton prides himself on playing a clean game. He’s a shoo-in for the Lady Byng trophy for sportsmanship, until an unfair call sends him off the ice, and into the domain of the hottest penalty box attendant George’s ever seen. Now he must choose: keep his squeaky-clean reputation, or do whatever it takes to get the attention of the official gorgeous enough to make him want to give them a new reason to call it “The Sin Bin!”

Cross-Checked By Love

Joe Smith hates everything about the Alberta Aces. He hates their logo, he hates their fans, and he hates playing against them. But most of all, he hates their infuriating captain, Sebastien LeFleur. The dark, enigmatic French-Canadian seems to have it in for Joe, on and off the ice. But one night of scorching passion might be enough to change everything!

Lineys for Life

Best friends and linemates Mike “Mikey” Michaelson and Anatoly “Tolly” Petrov have been inseparable on and off the ice since they both were drafted to the Wexford Wingdingers. But when Mikey gets injured and trade rumors start flying, these two linemates will have to face the fact that there may be something more between them then on-ice chemistry...

The Back-up Goalie's Lament

Back-up goalie Mikael Nikula dreams of the day he’ll be able to really step in and shine for his beloved Baltimore Blast. And of course, it wouldn’t hurt to finally catch the eye of gorgeous first line center, Toby Carroway. Will he ever be the starter of his crush’s heart? Or will he play back up in life and love forever?

Third Period's The Charm

Connecticut Comets captain James Jameson has given his all to hockey, but hockey hasn’t given him anything back but a failed marriage and a busted shoulder. Retirement is on the horizon, and he’s lost hope that he’ll ever hoist the Cup, or hold down a lasting relationship. Enter newly traded center Gerald Knightley, who’s determined to prove to his sexy new captain that it’s never too late for love, or Stanley Cup dreams!

The Dangerous D-man

Goalie Fred McSwooney’s used to his team letting him down. The Boise Brawlers don’t make much of an effort to protect their goalie, and Fred gets the brunt of the blame for their lousy performance. However, when his team acquires brooding, mysterious Swedish defenseman Viktor Magnusson, Fred’s about to learn what it’s like when a d-man will do anything, anything, for his tendy!

Alternates and Agony/A Captain’s Courage: A Two Part Omnibus Special

Leadership and setting an upstanding example are everything to Annapolis Anacondas captain Lance Dickson. And his dedication has brought him two Stanley Cups. On ice, he’s got it all together. Off ice? Not so much. For years he's been pining for not one, but BOTH of the loyal alternate captains who've stood by him through thick and thin. Sasha Ivanov and Bo McAllister have always seemed more into each other then into their captain, however. What will it take for the lovelorn captain to step it up and finally go for what he really wants?

The Winsome Winger

Athletic trainer and masseuse Jordan Darling is content with being in the background, quietly working behind the scenes to help the Wisconsin Feral be the best it can be. Flirty playboy and left wing Xander Richards has other, more sensual plans! He’s determined to seduce the quiet man with the magic hands into becoming the next notch in his very well-notched bedpost. However, “love ‘em and leave ‘em” Xander never expected to face his biggest obstacle to a conquest yet: true love!

Hire me to write your back cover blurbs, I’m on a fucking roll

[tf2-bhs]

Meet Tavish Degroot

The most ____ student in all of MANN High school and sixth form. This year 11 student is well known for his high chemistry scores, but also his tendency to be found black out drunk in a field.

An inheritor of his family's 'curse', as he puts it, he was poor with poor eyesight, that has just gotten to the point where he's legally blind. On top of that poor eyesight, he's also missing one of his eyes, due to an incident in primary school concerning another student.

Due to his horrific eyesight he also has a seeing eye dog called Eyelander, who he anthropomorphizes, often talking to him and for him. Eyelander is named after a character from an old british sitcom, which is one of Tavish's favourite genre of shows, in addition to crime shows and the sorts.

Most group activities take place around his house, as, to his friends, his Mum is actually quite chill when it comes to his friends. As long as they’ve gotten permission, they can stay for as long as they like. Sometimes she doesn’t even know that his friends have been round, because they’ve been so quiet, and she’s only known just as they were leaving

In addition to this, he’s also one of the richest people in the friend group, second only to ‘Spy’ before he came over to England. This is mainly because he somehow manages to work 3 jobs at his age, while also balancing a functional social life and his school work. And despite making about 200 quid a week, his mum thinks he should (somehow) be working a more complex job than just glass collecting, paper round and working at the corner job.

GCSEs

Triple

French

History

Geography

PE

Relationships

Jane ‘Soldier’ Doe: Close as close can get, met when Tavish was in year 8 and Jane in year 7 and were inseparable ever since. Tavish plans on doing a gap year so the pair can go to uni at the same time.

Jeremy ‘Scout’ Sullivan: Tavish is one of the few people who help Jeremy with sourcing his lovely energy drinks as he’s very clearly underage, and so they see each other often

??? ‘Pyro’ ???: According to some unknown source, the pair of them have been spotted burning down an abandoned building late at night, but like it might not have been them so don’t quote me on that

Dell ‘Engineer’ Conagher: Dell and Tavish sit next to each other in science, and so they often chat. It’s actually where most group activities originate because they wizz through their work so fast.

Mun-dee ‘Mick’ ‘Sniper’ Mundy: Tavish was one of Mun-dee’s first friends in England, as he and Miss Pauling pretended to be his ‘School Chaperones.’ They often go around each other’s houses for pizza.

?? Pauling: They’re chill with each other. They often get into trouble and do things like, oh I don’t know, help a new kid miss his first day of school, by pretending to be chaperones?!

Merasmus ‘Murray’ Madigan: Though Tavish doesn’t much like Merasmus for the accident in primary school, he tolerates him as they’re both close friends of Jane’s.

Ludwig ‘Doc’ Koch, Mikhail ‘Heavy’ Ivanov, and ?? ‘Spy’ ??: They all get on well with Tavish, nothing special

[noblehcart]

SPACE AU (Trek & Orville flexible) -USS Neva, Crew List & Mini Bios

Captain Gleb Vagano.v of the starship USS Neva. All he wanted was to have command over his own ship and rose through the ranks with record speed and with a pristine record. He runs a tight ship, firm, but he tries to be friendly and have a good banter with his crew. He's utterly and wholly dedicated to his role and duty as captain which often isolates him though his bridge officers try hard not to let that happen. He holds the Ivanovs in high regard trusting both their instincts explicitly though in a firefight there's no one he trusts more with his life than Ruslan Essen.

Commander Stefan Ivanov attended the academy alongside Gleb Vaganov viewing each other as friendly rivals. Stefan also dreamed of captaining his own ship, but has temporarily contented himself in the role of First Officer to Gleb's Captain. He also may have pulled several strings to have his sister assigned to the same ship in order to keep an eye on her as he embraces the older brother role after discovering that he had a half-sister while at the academy. Both were confused if not thrilled to have a sibling as both grew up only children with parents that have long since passed away.

Lieutenant Liesel Ivanov, the half sister to Stefan, always dreamed of seeing the vastness of space. She specialized in xenolinguistics and serves aboard the Neva as a communications officer and specialist on alien species/cultures. Liesel has the inkling that Stefan had something to do with her being assigned to the same ship, but she didn't mind having more of a chance to get to know her older brother. Not only that she has something of a slight admiration for Captain Vaganov that she silently stifles in favor of focusing on their ship's mission and her own goals.

Lieutenant Ruslan Essen, is the helmsman and weapons specialist aboard the Neva. He also attended the academy alongside Stefan and Gleb and was considered the fun one of the trio. He was known for getting into trouble and getting his friends out of trouble. He enlisted for the sake of adventure and seeing new things/ meeting new people. Always ready for a fight of any kind Ruslan finds himself in plenty of trouble though well beloved by much of the crew thanks to his lighthearted playful nature though he always winds up on the wrong side of the women he dates.

Ensign Patya Tasarov, is something of a beloved mystery and mascot for the crew. At sixteen years old he is one of the youngest people to be assigned to the bridge of a starship and keeps his past murky behind his bright eyes and shy smile. His personnel file however has been marked confidential and remains so until he decides to reveal his history to the bridge officers- that he is Kolya Tasarov, youngest prince of Vsebay and in hiding from his older siblings who would prefer to eliminate any threat to their hold of the throne. Seeking sanctuary and refuge he enters the fleet under their protection and has his history effectively hidden under layers of restrictions that not even Captain Vaganov knows who he really is.

[maryxglz]

To fangirl or not to fangirl

by so_sassie on 18 September 2017

A RADA Hamlet review

(aka a Man Crush Monday blogpost about none other than Tom Hiddleston)

OK, I admit I’ve been fangirling a little since I was one of the lucky few to see him in Hamlet last Friday. So bear with me. This too shall pass.

Tom and I go way back to 2007, when I got £10 tickets to see Ewan McGregor in Othello at the Donmar Warehouse. Ewan was great as Iago, as was Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello, of course, but the one who stood out for me was Cassio. A young actor with an amazing talent and a beautiful voice.

At the same time, I was rehearsing for Othello in Brussels. I was playing Bianca and so I learnt my lines by listening to the BBC recording of this performance, indirectly making Tom my study buddy.

In 2008, I saw him again in Ivanov at Donmar West End. Sure, Kenneth Branagh was playing Ivanov, but I’m not a big Branagh fan. Love him as a director (especially after seeing this Hamlet), but do believe he’s been too omnipresent in his own plays. I actually went for Tom. He’d made such an impression on me the year before. Again, a great performance. And I had the pleasure of meeting him after the show.

He was, as expected, a typically British charming gentleman.

So when I found out he was doing Coriolanus in 2013, I tried to get tickets, but it was sold out immediately. Of course, since then, he’d become a well-known film actor and everyone wanted to see him live. I entered a lottery for £10 front row tickets and as luck would have it, I won! Mind you, I usually never win anything, so I was overdue for some luck.

I’d never seen Coriolanus, as it’s one of the lesser known Shakespeare plays. It was so intense, so charismatic, so emotional, so raw. The “special effects”, the action, the fight scenes. Not to mention the famous shower scene. I figured that was gonna be the last time I’d see him live, since he’d become so famous.

Then came the news of RADA’s Hamlet a few months ago. I entered the ballot at my friend’s request, but wasn’t holding my breath. Less than 4000 tickets available. No way I was gonna be able to be a part of that. But then, unexpectedly, I was… Literally a 1 in a million chance. It actually only really hit me when I was sitting there last Friday night.

How was it, you ask?

Well, I’lI tell you what I wanted: magic!

And boy did we get it! I’ve seen 5 Hamlets so far, 2 live, 3 on screen. Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch and now Tom Hiddleston. Let’s not talk about Mel Gibson, for obvious reasons. Branagh, as I’ve mentioned before, is very good, very professional, but I don’t like watching him play. Jude Law also wasn’t bad at the time. But the last 2 were by far the best I’ve seen. The one with Cumberbatch was a huge spectacle, live in the cinema, while the one with Hiddleston was live, on the front row of a small theatre.

That in itself makes it a winner. You’re right there, in the action. The actors are almost on your lap (for those of you who are interested: he wears Calvin Klein). I was in a trance all night. It was captivating from start to finish. Not once did I wonder when the interval was coming. Not once did I lose focus (well, maybe once or twice, but that was due to Hamlet’s very tight jeans and shirt). OK, back to the point.

It was more comedy than tragedy, which was a totally different approach than any of the other ones I’d seen. Singing, dancing, funny puns, but still very true to Shakespeare’s text. I’ve never laughed so hard at one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, except for the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s backwards version of Hamlet. All the actors (some of them recent RADA graduates) were amazing. But of course, I’m biased and have to say Hamlet stole the show with his wit, his sadness instead of the usually played melancholy (real tears!), his fierceness, his charisma and his charm with the ladies.

Which brings me to the the female Horatia, Rosacrantz and Guildastern. What a great idea. It worked really well, and the actresses who played the parts (Ayesha Antoine, Eleanor de Rohan and Caroline Martin) were so good! As a Shakespeare-loving actress, I feel this should be done more often. Give women a chance to play these great parts!

I loved the stageing: the sound effects, the swiftness of the scene changes and the perfect light cues are an amateur actress’ dream. The way the small stage was used to its full potential, was inspiring. The funny bits mixed with the serious parts, were very touching and more than once belly shakingly hilarious. (Hamlet’s “Words words words” scene with Polonius, while reading Matt Haig’s “Reasons to stay alive”; shaking his booty with Rosacrantz and Guildastern; pretty much every scene with Polonius, who stole most of the show, to name but a few). The Yorick scene with the skull drumming gravedigger and Hamlet the “skull puppet master”. Honestly, I didn’t know a tragedy could be this funny. The fight scene with Laertes was incredibly well-directed, and yet scary and very, very close. While Benedict was earnest and touching in his performance, but also quite moody at times, Tom was giddy, funny, sincere and genuinely sad or happy.

He has gotten better with age and remains an amazingly talented classical theatre actor. It’s a shame he doesn’t have time to do more of it. Don’t get me wrong, I like his films (most of the time), but it’s not the same, is it? As a theatre actress (albeit amateur), I appreciate that kind of talent and only wish I could reach that level. I love watching and studying actors and actresses, becoming inspired by them and taking away tips and tricks from every performance, whenever I can.

I feel so lucky to have been able to see this play.

TL; DR: even if Tom Hiddleston didn’t look the way he did, I’d still be in awe of his talent…but, like with anything in life, it does help.

[turbulgaria]

Public Response To The Mayor’s Allegations

Three policemen and four protesters suffered injuries after violent clashes broke out the rally in Radnevo, the Bulgarian interior ministry said on Thursday.

Around 2,000 people joined the protest on Wednesday evening, following an incident in which four men of Roma origin assaulted three Bulgarians in a street row on Monday.

The violence erupted when the crowd, shouting “Bulgaria for the Bulgarians”, “Bulgarians – heroes”, “Bulgaria above all” and various anti-Roma slogans, reached the Roma neighbourhood of Kantona, which was cordoned off by interior ministry special forces.

Some of the protesters tried to break through the barricades and enter the Roma neighbourhood, throwing stones and fireworks at the policemen, who responded by dispersing the crowd with batons.

According to Radnevo’s mayor Tenyo Tenev, the people who tried to break through the barricades were football hooligans from the nearby city of Stara Zagora.

Speaking to public broadcaster BNT on Thursday, Tenev called on the people of Radnevo, a town of around 13,000 inhabitants, to protest peacefully.

Tenev alleged that the incident that sparked the tensions was caused by one Roma family.

The people are fed up with the wrongdoings of this family, of their shameless, aggressive and arrogant behaviour,” he told media on Wednesday.

The family has so far made no public response to the mayor’s allegations.

Four people – a Roma man called Kalcho Ivanov and three of his relatives – were arrested and charged with attempted murder after they allegedly beat up three young men from Radnevo on Monday.

One of the victims was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening knife-stab wound.

The suspects’ lawyer claimed however that one of the Roma men, Stefan Ivanov, was severely beaten up by the Bulgarians.

People in Radnevo are now organising another rally, scheduled for Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, people from the Roma neighbourhood told media that they are afraid for their lives and most of its inhabitants have temporarily left, moving in with friends and relatives outside Radnevo.

Wednesday’s clashes were not unprecedented in Bulgaria, where in recent years tensions between people from Roma and ethnic Bulgarian backgrounds have erupted several times, usually over crime-related issues.

The most violent clashes took place in 2011, when anti-Roma protests were held all over the country following tragic accidents in the southern Bulgarian village of Katunitsa which led to the deaths of two young Bulgarian boys.

In 2015, protesters also occupied Roma ghettos in the southern Bulgarian village of Garmen, as well as in Sofa’s Orlandovtsi neighbourhood, but police prevented any violence from breaking out.

[bulgariasr]

Public Response To The Mayor’s Allegations

Three policemen and four protesters suffered injuries after violent clashes broke out the rally in Radnevo, the Bulgarian interior ministry said on Thursday.

Around 2,000 people joined the protest on Wednesday evening, following an incident in which four men of Roma origin assaulted three Bulgarians in a street row on Monday.

The violence erupted when the crowd, shouting “Bulgaria for the Bulgarians”, “Bulgarians – heroes”, “Bulgaria above all” and various anti-Roma slogans, reached the Roma neighbourhood of Kantona, which was cordoned off by interior ministry special forces.

Some of the protesters tried to break through the barricades and enter the Roma neighbourhood, throwing stones and fireworks at the policemen, who responded by dispersing the crowd with batons.

According to Radnevo’s mayor Tenyo Tenev, the people who tried to break through the barricades were football hooligans from the nearby city of Stara Zagora.

Speaking to public broadcaster BNT on Thursday, Tenev called on the people of Radnevo, a town of around 13,000 inhabitants, to protest peacefully.

Tenev alleged that the incident that sparked the tensions was caused by one Roma family.

The people are fed up with the wrongdoings of this family, of their shameless, aggressive and arrogant behaviour,” he told media on Wednesday.

The family has so far made no public response to the mayor’s allegations.

Four people – a Roma man called Kalcho Ivanov and three of his relatives – were arrested and charged with attempted murder after they allegedly beat up three young men from Radnevo on Monday.

One of the victims was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening knife-stab wound.

The suspects’ lawyer claimed however that one of the Roma men, Stefan Ivanov, was severely beaten up by the Bulgarians.

People in Radnevo are now organising another rally, scheduled for Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, people from the Roma neighbourhood told media that they are afraid for their lives and most of its inhabitants have temporarily left, moving in with friends and relatives outside Radnevo.

Wednesday’s clashes were not unprecedented in Bulgaria, where in recent years tensions between people from Roma and ethnic Bulgarian backgrounds have erupted several times, usually over crime-related issues.

The most violent clashes took place in 2011, when anti-Roma protests were held all over the country following tragic accidents in the southern Bulgarian village of Katunitsa which led to the deaths of two young Bulgarian boys.

In 2015, protesters also occupied Roma ghettos in the southern Bulgarian village of Garmen, as well as in Sofa’s Orlandovtsi neighbourhood, but police prevented any violence from breaking out.

[varnabulgaria]

Public Response To The Mayor’s Allegations

Three policemen and four protesters suffered injuries after violent clashes broke out the rally in Radnevo, the Bulgarian interior ministry said on Thursday.

Around 2,000 people joined the protest on Wednesday evening, following an incident in which four men of Roma origin assaulted three Bulgarians in a street row on Monday.

The violence erupted when the crowd, shouting “Bulgaria for the Bulgarians”, “Bulgarians – heroes”, “Bulgaria above all” and various anti-Roma slogans, reached the Roma neighbourhood of Kantona, which was cordoned off by interior ministry special forces.

Some of the protesters tried to break through the barricades and enter the Roma neighbourhood, throwing stones and fireworks at the policemen, who responded by dispersing the crowd with batons.

According to Radnevo’s mayor Tenyo Tenev, the people who tried to break through the barricades were football hooligans from the nearby city of Stara Zagora.

Speaking to public broadcaster BNT on Thursday, Tenev called on the people of Radnevo, a town of around 13,000 inhabitants, to protest peacefully.

Tenev alleged that the incident that sparked the tensions was caused by one Roma family.

The people are fed up with the wrongdoings of this family, of their shameless, aggressive and arrogant behaviour,” he told media on Wednesday.

The family has so far made no public response to the mayor’s allegations.

Four people – a Roma man called Kalcho Ivanov and three of his relatives – were arrested and charged with attempted murder after they allegedly beat up three young men from Radnevo on Monday.

One of the victims was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening knife-stab wound.

The suspects’ lawyer claimed however that one of the Roma men, Stefan Ivanov, was severely beaten up by the Bulgarians.

People in Radnevo are now organising another rally, scheduled for Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, people from the Roma neighbourhood told media that they are afraid for their lives and most of its inhabitants have temporarily left, moving in with friends and relatives outside Radnevo.

Wednesday’s clashes were not unprecedented in Bulgaria, where in recent years tensions between people from Roma and ethnic Bulgarian backgrounds have erupted several times, usually over crime-related issues.

The most violent clashes took place in 2011, when anti-Roma protests were held all over the country following tragic accidents in the southern Bulgarian village of Katunitsa which led to the deaths of two young Bulgarian boys.

In 2015, protesters also occupied Roma ghettos in the southern Bulgarian village of Garmen, as well as in Sofa’s Orlandovtsi neighbourhood, but police prevented any violence from breaking out.